Sugapong, UC San Diego stun Hawai’i in another Henderson heartbreaker

Sugapong, UC San Diego stun Hawai’i in another Henderson heartbreaker

Mar 14, 2025

UC San Diego star Sumayah Sugapong slips between two Hawai’i defenders for the game-winning bucket. | Photo Credit: Tre Penn, Big West Conference

Sugapong, UC San Diego stun Hawai’i in another Henderson heartbreaker

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED MARCH 14, 2025

Hard to beat a team three times. 

Even harder to overcome a 27-point deficit. 

The University of Hawai’i women’s basketball team nearly did both on Friday morning, but UC San Diego star Sumayah Sugapong’s off-hand layup with 0.2 seconds left to play instead delivered a stunning 51-49 upset loss to the top-seeded Rainbow Wahine and ended UH’s Big West tournament title hopes in the semifinal round for the second straight year. 

Trailing by 23 at halftime, the Rainbow Wahine allowed 10 total points after the midway break and raced all the way back to knot the game at 49 in the final 90 seconds. Brooklyn Rewers poured in eight of her 10 points in the fourth quarter, leading the charge back on offense for the top seed. 

Hawai’i (22-9), who entered the tournament with a double bye, failed to find the touch early in the game as UC San Diego held all players not named Lily Wahinekapu without a point over the opening 10 minutes of action. The result was a 22-4 lead for the fourth-seeded Tritons after the first quarter, seeing the Rainbow Wahine go 2-of-17 from the floor. 

UCSD guard Parker Montgomery scored 10 of her 16 points in the opening frame, powering the Tritons in an impressive 10 minutes against the regular season conference champions. The fourth-seeded Tritons (19-15) drilled 10-of-18 from the floor in the first period, a rarity against a Rainbow Wahine defense that ranked amongst the best in the nation during the regular season.  

Sugapong ended with a game-high 17 points and was the only Triton to score in all four quarters, including all four points in the fourth quarter for UCSD. The sophomore guard scored seven points in the second quarter, helping the Tritons extend their lead to as many as 27 before the end of the opening 20 minutes. 

“I think they had a great gameplan,” Hawai’i head coach Laura Beeman said of UC San Diego following the loss. “I think their kids came out incredibly loose in the first half and hit shots like crazy.” 

The Rainbow Wahine leaned on experience in the second half, turning off the water on the flowing Triton offense with the elite defense that the group relied upon throughout the season. Allowing six points in the frame, Hawai’i pulled back within 20 and found some life again heading into the final 10 minutes. 

The Hawai’i avalanche hit in the fourth quarter, erupting for 20 points as Wahinekapu drilled a pair of 3-pointers and Rewers worked inside and out, not missing any of her six shots (3 FGA, 3 FTA) to tie the game at 49 with 1:20 left to play. Wahinekapu came up with a block on the other end, giving the Rainbow Wahine a chance to take the lead with less than a minute left in regulation. 

After calling timeout, Hawai’i failed to score as Wahinekapu tried to fit a pass to Imani Perez through a tight window and saw the ball sail out of bounds for a turnover with 10 seconds to play. UC San Diego advanced the ball to the frontcourt with a timeout of its own and cleared out to give Sumayah Sugapong the chance to punch a championship game ticket for the first-time tournament attendee Tritons. 

The sophomore star emphasized her first-team Big West selection with a stunner with 0.2 seconds left, flipping up a layup with her left hand on the right side of the hoop to evade the outstretched arms of 6-foot-5 center Ritorya Tamilo and saving UC San Diego from a 27-point collapse. 

Hawai’i advanced the ball to the frontcourt and had one last try to tie, a lob pass for a tap by Tamilo that was broken up as the Rainbow Wahine watched the dream of returning to the “Big Dance” destroyed in the Big West semifinals again. 

“I want to congratulate [UC San Diego],” Beeman said. “I have not seen too many teams hit shots like that, but just congratulations to them. Tale of two halves, that’s really what it came down to. It came down to one shot at the end – we couldn’t get a stop, they scored.” 

Lily Wahinekapu, who was named the Big West Player of the Year after leading the Rainbow Wahine to the regular season title, paced Hawai’i with 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists. UH struggled shooting all day, particularly from long distance as the Rainbow Wahine connected on just 5-of-27 attempts from beyond the arc. 

UC San Diego advances to Saturday’s Big West championship game against third-seeded UC Davis. The Tritons are looking for the program’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament in the school’s first year of postseason eligibility. 

The year continues for Hawai’i despite the loss, a virtue of winning the Big West’s regular season title. The Rainbow Wahine secured an automatic bid to the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament for the second straight season and await their first-round opponent to be revealed. 

“Unfortunately, when you lose a game like this, it hurts,” Beeman said. “This is not where we want to be sitting, but it will not define this team. We will rally, we have postseason play that we’re still going to be in and hopefully we can continue to do special things together and not have this time as a team end.” 

The WBIT bracket will be revealed at 3 p.m. HT on Sunday, March 16 during the selection show on the NCAA website. 

Hawaii is king of the Big West once again

by | Apr 27, 2025

Hawaii is king of the Big West once again BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRNPUBLISHED APRIL 27, 2025MANOA — Championship secured. The Hawai’i men’s volleyball team bested top-seeded Long Beach State in four sets to claim the program’s fourth Big West...

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Hawai’i sweeps through Ball State in OUTRIGGER Invitational opener

Hawai’i sweeps through Ball State in OUTRIGGER Invitational opener

Mar 13, 2025

The home crowd goes crazy for Hawai’i during a match in the 2025 season. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Hawai’i sweeps through Ball State in OUTRIGGER Invitational opener

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED MARCH 13, 2025

HONOLULU – The beat rolls on. 

The University of Hawai’i men’s volleyball team opened the 29th edition of the OUTRIGGER Invitational tournament with a clean sweep of No. 12 Ball State on Thursday, 25-19, 25-13, 29-27. Three Rainbow Warriors finished in double figures with kills while hitting over .400, led by Louis Sakanoko and Kristian Titriyski, who each had 14 putdowns. 

Adrien Roure added 11 kills on 22 attempts while spinning a pair of Hawai’i’s seven service aces in the straight set victory. Tread Rosenthal piloted the Rainbow Warrior offense towards a dominant showing through the first two sets before helping the hosts fight back in the final frame, dishing out 36 assists and matching Roure with a team-high six digs. 

The “Mānoa Roofing Company” made another late-night appearance, totaling 8.5 total team blocks as the Rainbow Warriors denied attempts after attempt from the Cardinals on the way to a dominant win. Kurt Nusterer had five kills and matched Sakanoko by getting involved in a team-high four blocks as Hawai’i got contributions from everywhere. 

The visitors from Indiana struggled early on to find a rhythm against the talented Rainbow Warriors, who worked through some early jitters of their own to take a 12-7 lead after Rosenthal recorded his lone ace of the match. Two more aces and a .360 hitting percentage as a team helped Hawai’i snatch the first the first frame, 25-19. 

Sakanoko gave a preview of what the rest of the match would hold as he turned in an efficient five kills on six swings while only committing a single attack error. Titriyski followed closely behind with four kills on seven mistake-free swings in the opening set as Hawai’i held Ball State to a .150 hitting percentage across 20 tries. 

The momentum continued to roll for Hawai’i, who scored the first five points of the next frame to force a quick Ball State timeout. The stoppage didn’t slow any of the Rainbow Warrior momentum as the lead grew as large as seven before the media timeout. 

Adrien Roure’s second ace of the match forced the Cardinals to call for their second timeout of the set, but UH did not relent. Roure’s service line run continued with a big block by the ‘Bows before the freshman Frenchman detonated on his seventh kill of the night to make it a double-digit advantage for UH. 

Ball State would fend off a pair of set points, but Justin Todd shut the door on any more as Hawai’i easily took the second stanza behind an insane .583 team attacking percentage, 25-13. Todd went 2-for-2 on his attacks in the frame after a frigid opening saw him commit an attacking error and fail to record a kill, defrosting as the match entered sweep territory. 

Back-to-back attack errors by Rosenthal and Titriyski helped Ball State take a 4-point advantage to lead off a must-have third frame for the Cardinals, but Hawai’i would lock back in to take 9 of the next 12 rallies and snag a 15-13 advantage by the set’s media timeout. 

Hawai’i would remain up two to a 19-17 advantage, but Ball State came back with six of the next seven points to race ahead by three and force Charlie Wade to signal for timeout. It looked like it wouldn’t much matter after the Cardinals got their first set point of the night by taking the next rally, but Hawai’i refused to let go of the rope. 

Down 24-21, Wade turned to freshman Kainoa Wade to try and pull back the Rainbow Warriors – the lanky 6-foot-10 opposite stepped to the service line and pulled Hawai’i back even as the hosts took the next three rallies. Ball State and Hawai’i continued to wrestle within a point of one another until Justin Todd ended the night with his 10th ace of the year.

The victory extended the Hawai’i winning streak to nine games, continuing the dominance by the Rainbow Warriors since the February 7 loss against Stanford. In more than a month’s worth of time, UH has dropped just three total sets across nine outings. 

Hawai’i is back in action on Friday night, taking on No. 19 Penn State for the second night of three in the 2025 OUTRIGGER Invitational. The Nittany Lions were victims of a straight-set sweep on the OUTRIGGER’s first day, falling to No. 5 USC in the first match of the entire tournament. 

First serve between PSU and UH is scheduled for 7 p.m. HT. The tournament will close out on Saturday when Hawai’i takes on USC in a top-5 clash. 

Hawaii is king of the Big West once again

by | Apr 27, 2025

Hawaii is king of the Big West once again BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRNPUBLISHED APRIL 27, 2025MANOA — Championship secured. The Hawai’i men’s volleyball team bested top-seeded Long Beach State in four sets to claim the program’s fourth Big West...

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Hawai’i secures outright Big West title on historic Senior Night

Hawai’i secures outright Big West title on historic Senior Night

Mar 9, 2025

The 2024-25 Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine, the Big West regular season champions, on Senior Night. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Hawai’i secures outright Big West title on historic Senior Night

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED MARCH 9, 2025

HONOLULU – All smiles for Senior Night. 

The University of Hawai’i women’s basketball team rolled over Cal State Northridge (4-25, 2-18 Big West) on Saturday night, 62-36, seeing senior MeiLani McBee set the program’s all-time 3-point record as she and five other Rainbow Wahine closed out their careers inside the Stan Sheriff Center with the team’s third regular season Big West title in the last four years. Another senior in Lily Wahinekapu led UH in scoring, pouring in 18 points on an efficient 6-of-11 shooting performance while knocking down a pair of threes herself. 

Wahinekapu was the lone Rainbow Wahine to finish in double figures, but 10 players scored throughout the night for UH – including all six seniors. Fellow local girl Kelsie Imai chipped in with nine points, seven rebounds and three assists, putting the Hilo native one dime shy of reaching the program’s all-time top five for helpers. 

There were two moments during game action that elicited ear-splitting cheers; the first came when McBee walked into a behind-the-back pass from Wahinekapu and calmly cashed her 206th career 3-pointer with 7:38 left in regulation, passing Amy Atwell (‘22) for the program’s all-time mark to the delight of a couple thousand passionate fans that had been waiting with bated breath all night. 

The other came with just over a minute remaining when Kalani alum and beloved senior Hallie Birdsong, who spent the majority of her Rainbow Wahine career as a walk-on, drove to the cup and scored to give all six graduating seniors at least a point on Senior Night. 

“That’s what got me,” Hawai’i head coach Laura Beeman said of Birdsong’s bucket. “I was fine until she scored and then I started crying on the sideline. I don’t know if I’ve ever cried on the sidelines during a game and that’s the one that got me. A perfect exclamation point to a great night.” 

The victory secured an outright regular season Big West title for Hawai’i (22-8, 16-4 Big West), a feat that should result in an invitation to one of the NCAA Tournament or Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament by next Sunday. Despite the guarantee of either tournament, the Rainbow Wahine have their eyes on a specific one with a message for fans after the regular season closed. 

“We’re not done yet.” 

Mia ‘Uhila started to find her 3-point stroke again, drilling a pair of triples while Brooklyn Rewers closed the regular season with seven points while posting a career-high 13 rebounds, powering the Rainbow Wahine offense in the first half to help the hosts take a double-digit lead by the break. The 6-foot-4 center finished the regular season among the top 25 players in the Big West in rebounds per game despite playing just over 16 minutes per night. 

“[Brooklyn] has always just come through when we needed her,” Beeman said of the senior post player.  

Former Rainbow Wahine forward Nnenna Orji started the night’s scoring with an and-one chance for CSUN, but Hawai’i quickly rattled off the next 10 points to take an eight-point lead with under two minutes left in the first quarter. The Matadors’ scoring drought only snapped with Alondra Lizama’s trip to the charity stripe with 1:37 left in the period, missing their final 15 field goal attempts as Hawai’i led 15-4 through one quarter. 

A nice second quarter from Rewers helped the Rainbow Wahine push the advantage out to 15 by halftime as she knocked down her only 3-pointer of the night and racked up four more boards.  

The second half turned into a rewrite of the Hawai’i record books as MeiLani McBee got in on the fun with her first triple of the night, tying the program 3-point record with 1:06 left in the third quarter while pushing the Rainbow Wahine lead above 20 for the first time all game. After flipping into the final frame, the senior guard broke the mark set by Amy Atwell with 7:41 left in regulation, draining a walk-up three off of a nice behind-the-back drop-off pass from Wahinekapu to give a 47-23 lead to the Rainbow Wahine. 

“I told Mei that I was going to get her one,” Wahinekapu said of the pass with a big smile. “She trailed me, and I saw her – no one was guarding her, so I behind-the-back passed to her and she hit that. That’s when I got chills, when she hit that.” 

 

The crowd roared for Birdsong’s basket as well, seeing the bench sent into a frenzy too as the senior recorded her third career bucket, all of which have come against Cal State Northridge. With the game in hand, Beeman went to a platoon switch to sub out all five seniors on the floor – giving the crowd one last chance in game to show their aloha to a historically successful crew. 

“Every Senior Night brings something so remarkable, so unique, so different, and each one of them talked about how special each one was to each other and how they were sisters. That’s what I take out of this is the love that this group has for each other,” Beeman said of the memorable night. 

The Rainbow Wahine will leave for the Big West Tournament early on Monday but will not play until the semifinal round on Friday, March 14 at 9 a.m. HT. Hawai’i is looking for the team’s third Big West Tournament title in the past four years and would match the program’s highest win total under Laura Beeman in any season with one more victory. 

Hawaii is king of the Big West once again

by | Apr 27, 2025

Hawaii is king of the Big West once again BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRNPUBLISHED APRIL 27, 2025MANOA — Championship secured. The Hawai’i men’s volleyball team bested top-seeded Long Beach State in four sets to claim the program’s fourth Big West...

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Hawai’i denied conference tournament bid by CSUN

Hawai’i denied conference tournament bid by CSUN

Mar 8, 2025

Hawai’i denied conference tournament bid by CSUN

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED MARCH 8, 2025

Heading into the final day of the regular season with a spot in the Big West Tournament hanging in the balance, Hawai’i needed a win or some help. 

They got neither. 

The University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team saw its season end on Saturday evening, failing to qualify for the Big West Tournament after falling at Cal State Northridge, 82-73. Coupled with Cal Poly’s victory over Long Beach State earlier in the day, UH was eliminated from tournament contention and will miss the end-of-season conference tournament for the first time since joining the Big West. 

The loss also marked the first time Hawai’i (15-16, 7-13 Big West) had been swept by CSUN (22-9, 14-6 Big West) in the home-and-home regular season series. The Matadors were led by Marcus Adams Jr., who poured in a game-high 21 points and eight rebounds in 37 minutes of action. 

Gytis Nemeikša paced Hawai’i with 20 points, his sixth 20-point outing of the year and second straight, as he returned to the starting lineup for the first time since January 25 against UC Irvine. Sophomore Akira Jacobs added 14 points and three boards off the bench in the loss. 

Hawai’i looked up to the challenge in the first half, taking a one-point lead into the break behind an aggressive Marcus Greene, who drilled three of his four 3-pointers to lead the Rainbow Warriors with nine points in the opening 20 minutes. Tom Beattie chipped in with a 3-pointer of his own as UH drained seven triples during the first stanza.

The Matadors’ offense awoke after the halftime break, shooting a blistering 59% from the field over the final 20 minutes to overpower the Rainbow Warriors. Tyler Beard added nine of his 19 points in the second half, knocking down two of his four 3-pointers after the break and put UH back down double figures each time. 

Shooting and turnover woes appeared again for Hawai’i, shooting under 40% from the floor and committing 9 of the team’s 14 giveaways over the last 20 minutes of action. Nemeikša’s strong start to the second half helped the Rainbow Warriors keep within one possession with 14:37 to play, but a sudden 4+ minute scoring drought by Hawai’i coupled with a 12-0 scoring run by CSUN put the game out of reach for Hawai’i. 

PJ Fuller scored 16 points for the Matadors, who finished with the fourth seed in next week’s Big West Tournament as they look to continue one of the best seasons in the school’s history. Scotty Washington added 13 points in the victory, knocking down 5-of-10 from the floor in 38 minutes of work. 

Tom Beattie finished with 13 points, five rebounds and a pair of steals, turning it over four times as the Matadors forced the sophomore guard to create. Marcus Greene finished with 12 points and four assists to close his college career while Tanner Christensen turned in eight points, six rebounds, four assists and two blocks in his final game for the Rainbow Warriors. 

With no bid to the Big West Tournament, Hawai’i finishes the year under .500 for the first time since Eran Ganot’s second season – a year in which the program was hampered by NCAA sanctions after violations were found to have been committed under former head coach Gib Arnold. The 7-13 record in Big West play is the worst finish by Hawai’i under Ganot, previously never finishing below .500 in conference across nine seasons. 

The offseason looms large for Hawai’i as Ganot enters the final year of his current contract and the Rainbow Warriors look to fill at least five spots with the graduation of Christensen, Nemeikša, Greene, center Jerome Palm and wing Ryan Rapp. Hawai’i currently has the commitment of standout Rosemary Anderson (OR) guard Hunter Carter as the lone member of the 2025 recruiting class. The 6-foot-5 playmaker signed with the Rainbow Warriors back in November. 

Hawaii is king of the Big West once again

by | Apr 27, 2025

Hawaii is king of the Big West once again BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRNPUBLISHED APRIL 27, 2025MANOA — Championship secured. The Hawai’i men’s volleyball team bested top-seeded Long Beach State in four sets to claim the program’s fourth Big West...

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Lindenwood challenges Hawai’i in final OUTRIGGER tune-up

Lindenwood challenges Hawai’i in final OUTRIGGER tune-up

Mar 7, 2025

Kurt Nusterer (8) smiles during a home match while celebrating with teammates Adrien Roure (7) and Clay Wieter (24). | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Lindenwood challenges Hawai’i in final OUTRIGGER tune-up 

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED MARCH 7, 2025

HONOLULU – Reset before the OUTRIGGER. 

The University of Hawai’i men’s volleyball team took down Lindenwood University (4-11) in four competitive sets on Friday evening, (25-16, 23-25, 27-25, 25-23). Kristian Titriyski paced the Rainbow Warriors with 19 kills on 41 attempts, committing eight attacking errors as a fatigued UH squad powered on to win its eighth match in 16 days. 

“Glad to get the win,” Hawai’i head coach Charlie Wade said following the match. “[Lindenwood] was fearless, going after it from the service line … I give them a lot of credit. Frankly, they played harder than we did most of the match so we’re fortunate to get the win.” 

Adrien Roure tallied 11 kills on 19 swings, adding four assist, five digs and a trio of blocks to help Hawai’i hold off an inspired Lindenwood effort. After two emotionally draining and physically taxing matches against Big West rival and national powerhouse UC Irvine, the two matches against Lindenwood came as a quick turnaround for the Rainbow Warriors. 

“I think we have some fatigue, both the legs and even mentally,” said Roure of the turnaround after opening conference play. “I think [Lindenwood] played really well, we had some trouble stopping them, but I’m glad we found a solution for that game.” 

Hawai’i (17-1, 2-0 Big West) got out to a nice start behind Roure and Titriyski, snagging a 10-5 lead to force an early timeout from the Lions. The stoppage helped the visitors settle in slightly, seeing the UH lead drop to three by the first set’s media timeout, 15-12. 

The hosts returned fire when play resumed, shooting out of the stoppage with new energy to extend the lead to seven behind more high-flying fun from Titriyski and Roure. The Rainbow Warriors kept the foot on the gas to close the set, taking four of the final five rallies to secure an opening frame in which they hit .500 as a team, 25-16. 

Redshirt sophomore and Maryknoll School alum Alex Parks entered for his lone set of the night in the second frame, quickly making an impact with his first kill of the night to give the Rainbow Warriors an 8-4 advantage. The Lions fought back with four of the next five points, pulling within one after an ace by Carter Stenmark before tying the stanza at 10. 

An ace by Zach Solomon gave Lindenwood its first lead of the match, turning the tide towards the visitors out of the MIVA as they held a slim one-point advantage at the second frame’s media timeout. The sides sparred into the final points of the frame before the Lions capitalized on the UH miscues to take a set for the first time ever against the Rainbow Warriors, 25-23. 

“In that second set, we let like three balls drop,” Wade said. “[Those plays] are a six-point swing and it ends up being deuce, and now they think they’ve got some momentum and can play … the libero played really good.” 

After the sides traded points to begin the third frame, Tread Rosenthal helped Hawai’i jump ahead by a few points as he finally recorded the team’s first service ace of the night. Middle blocker Kurt Nusterer’s first kill of the match sent the Rainbow Warriors into the media timeout feeling good, leading the Lions by four, 15-11. 

Lindenwood forced a timeout by Hawai’i with three straight points, making it just an 18-17 advantage for the hosts in the swing set. The Lions continued to hold the momentum, denying Titriyski a few times before finding court to take the lead and force another timeout from the Rainbow Warriors as the hosts trailed 21-20. 

Roure and Nusterer combined to block Owen Walsh to restore the lead for UH, but Lindenwood would not relent. After four chances at set point, Hawai’i finally secured the third frame and a 2-1 lead with a 27-25 decision. 

The night looked like it might go the distance after Hawai’i fell down by five by the fourth set’s media timeout, but the Rainbow Warriors came out of the stoppage with a renewed fire as they scored 9 of the next 10 points to jump ahead, 19-16. With the Lions back on the defensive, Hawai’i was able to fight off the slight scare and take the final frame, 25-23. 

Carter Stenmark and Jacob Christopher each had 14 kills to lead Lindenwood, who committed more than 50 errors as a group but played with a gambling mindset throughout the evening that kept Hawai’i off balance. The Lions were able to secure the program’s first-ever set win against UH while spinning four service aces to the Rainbow Warriors’ two. 

Freshman Finn Kearney provided a big lift off the bench for Hawai’i, chipping in seven kills on 12 swings while sophomore Tread Rosenthal added five kills on 10 attempts and six digs while dishing out 37 assists over the four frames. The Rainbow Warriors, ranked as the third-best team in the country according to the latest AVCA Coaches’ Poll, will get a six-day reprieve before kicking off the 2025 OUTRIGGER Invitational next Thursday. 

“I’ve said – and I don’t think that it’s hyperbole – that it’s the premier event in men’s collegiate volleyball,” Wade said of the OUTRIGGER tournament that will feature four of the nations’ best teams next week. “It’ll be a battle every night. Three nights in a row, it’s going to be a challenge for sure. 

The third-ranked Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors will host No. 5 USC, No. 12 Ball State and No. 19 Penn State throughout the three-day event, looking for the program’s 12th title in the OUTRIGGER Invitational. With Friday’s victory, UH enters the event on an 8-game winning streak. 

Hawaii is king of the Big West once again

by | Apr 27, 2025

Hawaii is king of the Big West once again BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRNPUBLISHED APRIL 27, 2025MANOA — Championship secured. The Hawai’i men’s volleyball team bested top-seeded Long Beach State in four sets to claim the program’s fourth Big West...

read more