HONOLULU — The University of Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine basketball team opened the 2023-24 season with a bang on Wednesday night, not losing a single quarter in the 67-39 exhibition win over rival-island program UH-Hilo at the Stan Sheriff Center. 

UH started off slowly, struggling to finish inside and seeing the Vulcans score the game’s first points before ripping off a 22-3 run to close the opening 10 minutes with the lead, 22-5. In the frame, the ‘Bows knocked down four 3-pointers (two each from guards Olivia Davies and Meilani McBee) and shot 50% from the floor. 

The Rainbow Wahine continued to work into form in the 2nd quarter, trading buckets with UH-Hilo and working through a tighter whistle by the officials on defense. While the score kept UH-Hilo at arms’ length, the Rainbow Wahine still felt as though there was meat left on the bone. 

“The 1st quarter was great on both sides of the ball,” Hawai’i HC Laura Beeman said postgame. “Then, I thought quarters two, three and four really slipped. I thought we played really fun basketball in the 1st quarter… we can’t have slippage in our execution.” 

The ‘Bows entered the locker rooms leading by 20, seeing nine different players record buckets and three new faces making their UH debuts between freshmen Jade Peacock and Vivienne Berrett and Michigan State transfer Brooklyn Rewers.  

The 3rd quarter presented more of the same as UH showed off the impressive depth it boasts at every position, pushing the lead to as much as 29 in the period. Again, it was McBee buoying the offense with six points in the frame, hitting two more triples. 

Hawai’i struggled to score in the final quarter of play, mustering a game-low 11 points in the quarter as Beeman and staff toyed with lineups and gave additional burn to depth pieces getting accustomed to the ‘Bows culture. Even in a quarter that saw UH shoot under 22% from the floor, the Rainbow Wahine’s defense stood strong to hold UH-Hilo to 11 points in the final 10 minutes. 

Hawai’i-Hilo was led by Noelle Sua-Godinet’s nine points and four boards, followed closely behind by Kaile Cruz’s seven points in the loss. The exhibition marked Sua-Godinet’s first game-action since March 2022. The Vulcans kick off the regular season on November 10 at HPU’s “Shark Tank” against #15 Montana State Billings. 

The Rainbow Wahine were led by McBee’s 13 points, hitting four 3-pointers and hauling in six rebounds in the win. Berrett chipped in 11 points, reaching double-digits in her first collegiate action as 10 different ‘Bows scored in the win. 

Hawai’i opens the season on the road next Wednesday, November 8 against #15 Stanford as part of a gauntlet non-conference schedule to prepare the two-time defending Big West tournament champions to defend the titles for another year. 

“[Stanford]’s good, they’re really good. They’re 15th for a reason,” Beeman chuckled when asked what needed to improve in a week’s time. “We have to rebound much, much better and pursue the ball better… Stanford is where they are because they’re skilled, but they also do all of the little things with the communication, the intensity, the follow-through and they play at a level the entire time and I know that’s something we can get to.” 

It’s a tough test. It’s a purposeful one, too. 

“We’re going to go in there and we’re going to be ready to play,” Beeman stated. “We’re not backing down to anybody, we have to be able to go for four quarters.”