Wahine gameday: UC Santa Barbara

The Rainbow Wahine basketball team will look to get break a three-game skid and avoid a rare home losing streak in tonight’s Big West game against UC Santa Barbara at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Since winning four of five games to close January, UH (8-14, 4-6 Big West) is 0-3 in February and coming off of a 79-59 home loss to UC Riverside on Wednesday.

UH is 33-4 in Big West games at the Sheriff Center in Laura Beeman’s five years as head coach and hasn’t lost multiple conference home games since 2012. The Wahine haven’t dropped consecutive games at the Sheriff Center since losing three straight to Utah State, San Jose State, Fresno State that season.

UCSB (11-12, 6-4) interrupted UH’s January run with a 74-62 win at The Thunderdome on Jan. 21. UH will need to contain 6-foot-4 forward Drew Edelman (9.6 points, 7 rebounds per game). Edelman led UCSB with 19 points on 9-for-13 shooting in the first meeting.

Guard Sarah Porter leads UCSB with 9.8 points per game with four other players averaging at least 8.9. Guards Drea Toler and Onome Jemerigbe rank in the top four in the Big West with 4.2 assists per game.

The Gauchos arrived in Hawaii coming off home losses to UC Davis a week ago and Cal State Northridge on Thursday.

UH junior Sarah Toeaina scored 22 points against the Gauchos and leads UH with 13.6 points per game overall and 16.6 in Big West play.