HENDERSON, Nev. — The emotional joyride and story that is the 2022-2023 Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine basketball team reached another peak on Saturday.

As the Gauchos’ desperation heave at the horn bounced off the rim, emotion overcame the ‘Bows team that had just achieved the same feat just a year prior with a totally different cast.  

Hawai’i, a group that had lost multiple key rotation players due to season-ending injuries, took down UC Santa Barbara, 61-59, for the team’s second consecutive Big West Tournament championship. 

The ‘Bows punched their ticket for the second straight year to the NCAA Tournament, something that would have seemed like an absurd statement after losing multiple starters throughout the season. The resilience and toughness of the Rainbow Wahine only continued to show as the team finally learned to close out games. 

First-Half Nightmare

The first 20 minutes of Saturday’s Big West Championships finale was anything but easy for the ‘Bows.

All-Big West selections Ila Lane and Alexis Tucker, UCSB’s dynamic duo that had powered the Gauchos to the title game, controlled the game on the glass and with their hot shooting as UC Santa Barbara jumped out to a seven-point lead through one quarter. 

The opening period saw Hawai’i struggle to stop the Gauchos offense, as Tucker was nearly unstoppable to the tune of 10 points in the first 10 minutes. 

The ‘Bows 1st quarter struggles were only exacerbated by stud wing Daejah Phillips being whistled for two quick fouls, which sent the Las Vegas native to the bench for the rest of the first half. 

The Gauchos, who took out red-hot UC Davis in the quarterfinals before dispatching Big West “Cinderella” CSU Bakersfield in the semifinals, shot 50% from 3-point range in the opening quarter en route to a 22-15 advantage after 10 minutes of play. 

The 2nd quarter saw more of the same, as UCSB continued to shoot well from the field and Hawai’i did not. The Gauchos doubled-up the ‘Bows in the second, 16-8, to take a 15-point lead into the locker rooms as UC Santa Barbara looked to avenge the loss suffered a week prior.

Battle-Back ‘Bows 

For any fan who had watched the Rainbow Wahine this season, they knew that the game was far from over despite the grim outlook halfway through. 

For a team who has lost key player after key player to injury this season and continued to succeed, a 15-point halftime deficit was not anything to flinch at. The ‘Bows knew they needed to stay the course, stick together and they would make their run back. 

“We were down last year [in the Big West championship] at halftime too and that’s when experience really comes in,” graduate forward Kallin Spiller said postgame. “We went into that locker room and had that same re-grouping mentality and talked about how we were going to stay together through adversity. That’s what this team has done all season, on the court and off the court we’ve stuck together.” 

There was a shift in momentum with under seven minutes to play in the 3rd quarter, as Phillips checked back in for the first time since the opening minutes of the game. 

As soon as she touched the floor, Hawai’i went on a 9-2 run to cut the lead to single digits once again. The Gauchos began to trade baskets with the ‘Bows in the final minute of the quarter and a pair of Tucker free throws gave UCSB a 10-point lead going into the final frame.

An 11-5 Hawai’i run, sparked by Phillips’ hot shooting from downtown and then a tough step back 3-pointer from Lily Wahinekapu cut the Gaucho lead to four with 6:30 to play and forced a timeout. 

UC Santa Barbara tried to hold off the ‘Bows for as long as possible, but Hawai’i took the team’s first lead since the opening minutes of the game on a Wahinekapu layup with 1:21 left in regulation. 

The Gauchos would go to their best scorer and one of the biggest stars of the entire tournament, Alexis Tucker, who got fouled with 6 seconds to go and cashed in on both free throws to give UCSB the lead, 59-58. 

A timeout by Coach Beeman advanced the ball to the front court, and a second timeout after good ball denial from the Gauchos gave Hawai’i one last chance to calm themselves and do what they had struggled to do until the final month of the season: finish the game. 

The ‘Bows did exactly that, running a picture-perfect give-and-go from Imani Perez to a cutting Phillips, who scored the layup through contact and drew the foul to give Hawai’i a two-point lead with 3.4 seconds remaining. 

“We’ve worked that play that we ran at the end of the game every day, that’s one of our plays,” Beeman smiled while sharing postgame. “And they executed it brilliantly.” 

A timeout from UC Santa Barbara advanced the ball to the front court for one more chance, but good ball denial from Hawai’i forced the Gauchos to go away from Tucker and see Choice have to chuck up a prayer from long distance that went off iron and was no good. 

An emotional ride for the Rainbow Wahine had paid off in a trip to the NCAA Tournament, officially, in that moment with a 61-59 win. 

More Than a Team

Everything about the 2022-23 Rainbow Wahine basketball team suggests that they are so much more than just another iteration of Hawai’i basketball. 

Coming into the season as the defending champions of the Big West tournament, the ‘Bows had to adjust to the loss of the Big West’s Player of the Year selection Amy Atwell due to graduation. On top of that, many young pieces would be stepping into bigger roles for Beeman and her staff. 

As if those challenges were not enough, injuries to key players on the Rainbow Wahine roster continued to happen as the season progressed. Unfortunately for the ‘Bows, as their season continued, their injured teammates’ ability to play would be shelved to next year. 

Three starters and more rotation players down, Hawai’i had to look themselves in the mirror and decide what the team wanted the season to be. A tough start to the season did not mean the end of the season, but if things were going to turn around, it needed to happen soon. 

The young ‘Bows were forced to grow up quickly, bonding closer with each other with every passing day. As the team grew closer, their ability to be honest and give feedback improved. Each day was the team helping one another get better. 

One issue continued to plague the team though: finishing games against top-level competition. 

The ‘Bows had lost a pair of heartbreakers to the Big West’s top two seeds, UC Irvine and Long Beach State, despite having chances to put away each team. 

“I think one of the pivotal points was after we lost the game on a last-second shot and we said, ‘we have to grow up and finish games’,” Beeman reflected on the journey of the season to this point. “[We] do that, you’ll win a championship.” 

Rainbow Wahine Head Coach Laura Beeman cuts down the net.

Then, it finally clicked in the final few weeks. It truly came on display last Saturday, March 4 against UCSB. Heading into the final frame in a dogfight, the ‘Bows decided they would not leave the Stan Sheriff that night without making sure they had finished as top dog.

The result was a 10-point win for the Rainbow Wahine, clinching the third seed as the team headed to Henderson, Nevada to defend their crown. 

The team was tested in the quarterfinals, as Cal State Fullerton gave the ‘Bows everything they could handle in a double-overtime game that saw Hawai’i survive. A rematch with Long Beach in the semifinals allowed for the Rainbow Wahine to avenge an earlier loss on the way to the championship. 

A 15-point halftime deficit was just another notch in the ‘Bows championship belt.

“They never lost faith in each other, they never lost faith in our process,” Beeman gleamed talking about her team. 

“[Dollar Loans Center] really feels like a home gym and that’s because of our fans, because of [the Hawai’i Pep Band], because of cheer, because of everyone who flew from the islands to support us,” Spiller chimed in. “Those are the people that we play for.” 

The Rainbow Wahine now await their first-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament after securing an automatic bid to the big dance. Selection Sunday begins on March 12 at 2:00 P.M. HST. 

HENDERSON, N.V. — For the second time this season, the Hawai’i men’s basketball team fell to Cal State Fullerton in a tightly-contested game that went to overtime. Hawai’i lost on Thursday, 62-60.

It is the third time this season the Titans have beaten the ‘Bows and fourth consecutive win in the series for Fullerton. Hawai’i bowed out of the Big West Tournament last season after a loss to the Titans.

Turnovers, a problem in conference games early in the schedule, became an issue again for the ‘Bows as the fifth-seeded Rainbow Warriors had 18 giveaways compared to just 4 from the Titans. 

Defensive Chess Match: Titans vs Warriors

Coming into the game, Hawai’i and Cal State Fullerton ranked first and second in scoring defense this season for Big West teams. As Eran Ganot has said consistently throughout the season, every game against Big West opponents is a hard-fought battle. 

Thursday’s quarterfinal between the defending Big West Tournament champions and the ‘Bows would be more of the same.

Hawai’i started with a clear emphasis on getting the ball inside, trying to exploit the size advantage they had against the four-guard starting lineup of the Titans. It worked to the tune of a 9-1 lead for the ‘Bows just five minutes into the game. 

First-half fouls mixed with a rough half shooting the basketball by Hawai’i showed up for the rest of the half. Cal State Fullerton entered the single bonus with over 12 minutes remaining in the opening half of play and entered the double bonus with 6 minutes left in the first half. 

On top of their ability to draw contact going to the rim, the elite defensive team turned the ‘Bows over eight times compared to just one throw-away for the Titans through the first 20 minutes of play. Combined, Cal State Fullerton survived a first half in which they shot just 32% from the field and 22% from 3-point land to enter the break down one, 28-27.

Despite the turnovers and fouls, Hawai’i entered the locker rooms with wins in the rebounding margin and scoreboard. Much like the story for most of the season, the ‘Bows defense made up for a lackluster offensive output. 

Though the Rainbow Warriors continued to lead for much of regulation, the Titans continued to hang around within six points. A Samuta Avea bucket with 6:28 to go in regulation gave Hawai’i the lead, 50-49, but it would be the last ‘Bows basket until the 46 second mark.  

Fullerton once again stormed ahead, as Max Jones scored six of seven points as the Titans looked to close out the ‘Bows in regulation with a five-point lead and under a minute to go.

JoVon McClanahan hit a tough turn-around jumper to cut the lead to three with 46 seconds left, and the ‘Bows would get a defensive stop on a strange (albeit correct) shot clock violation call.

Following a Fullerton timeout with 5 seconds left, Hawai’i went to guard Noel Coleman. The Belgian southpaw got the defender to fly by with a shot fake, reset his feet and knocked down the game-tying triple at the buzzer to send the quarterfinal game to overtime. 

Oh No, Overtime…

The Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors kept their season alive a bit longer with the heroics of Coleman, but overtime once again proved to be an enemy of the ‘Bows. Hawai’i dropped to 0-3 this season in overtime games, two of which came at the hands of Fullerton.

McClanahan scored the first four points of overtime for the ‘Bows, but Jones hit a corner 3-pointer right in front of the Titans bench to tie the game at 60-all as the clock ticked under three minutes. 

The teams traded offensive fouls on the next couple of possessions before Latrell Wrightsell Jr. came up with the ball off another UH turnover to put Cal State Fullerton ahead by two with 1:13 left in overtime.

Avea could not get a 3-pointer to go down, but the ‘Bows got another stop and an opportunity to tie with McClanahan at the line for a pair of free throws and 3 seconds left on the clock.

McClanahan left the first shot short and was forced to intentionally miss the second, which was rebounded by the Titans as the clock expired.

Avea led the way for Hawai’i in likely his final game for his home school and home state, recording a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Coleman chipped in 14 points for the ‘Bows, including the huge 3-pointer to send the game to overtime. Kamaka Hepa had 7 points and 12 rebounds in what was his probable Hawai’i finale.

Max Jones was the catalyst in the comeback win for the Titans, chipping in 18 points and six rebounds. Wrightsell Jr., who had the game-winning basket for Fullerton, ended the afternoon with a double-double of his own with 14 points and 10 boards.

#4 Cal State Fullerton now advances to the Big West semifinals on Friday, March 10 to take on #1 UC Irvine. The Anteaters were 75-51 winners over CSU Bakersfield earlier on Thursday.

HENDERSON, N.V. — Third-seeded Hawai’i women’s basketball escaped the quarterfinal round of the 2023 Big West tournament, beating six-seed Cal State Fullerton, 82-75 in double-overtime.

It was the third time this season that the Rainbow Wahine took down the Titans, though it took everything and the kitchen sink to get by Fullerton this time. 

Regulation of Runs

After a trio of wild finishes in the other quarterfinals of the day, the Titans and Rainbow Wahine matchup was no different. The two teams traded blows back and forth throughout the first 40 minutes of play, each taking turns at the lead. 

Hawai’i forward Kallin Spiller started out hot, scoring the ‘Bows first seven points as they sparred with the Titans in the early minutes. Unfortunately for the Rainbow Wahine, the rest of the offense struggled a bit to get going. 

“We just came out flat,” Hawai’i head coach Laura Beeman said at halftime.

Behind six points from each Una Jovanovic and Ashlee Lewis, Cal State Fullerton ended the opening frame with a four-point advantage, 17-13.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by the Titans to open the second quarter saw the six-seed have the lead grow to 10, but Hawai’i’s Meilani McBee knocked down a pair of triples on back-to-back possessions for the ‘Bows to cut the lead back to 4.

Early on, every Rainbow Wahine run was answered with timely baskets from the Titans. As the first half clock ran down, it was the ‘Bows turn to take over the game with a run and timely defensive stops. Hawai’i ended the half on a 12-2 run, heading into the locker rooms with a 33-30 lead.

The ‘Bows came out of the locker room looking to continue their late 1st half success, pushing the lead up to seven before the Titans came storming back once again to take the lead late in the third quarter. 

Behind the lively and passionate play of forward Ashlee Lewis, Fullerton was ready to make the game a dog fight until the very end. Fighting for loose ball after loose ball, Lewis also chipped in a few buckets and nice defensive plays to help the Titans grab a 42-41 lead.

A Lily Wahinekapu 3-pointer gave Hawai’i a four-point lead again late in the third, but a Fujika Nimmo layup cut the Rainbow Wahine lead to just two as the teams headed into the fourth quarter.

The teams traded baskets back and forth throughout the fourth quarter to go between a one-possession game to tied until an Imani Perez layup with just under 90 seconds to play in regulation gave the ‘Bows a four-point lead once again.

A late turnover by Hawai’i led to a foul, allowing Cal State Fullerton to tie the game at the free throw line with 47 seconds left. Daejah Phillips looked like the hero for the ‘Bows, cashing in on the go-ahead free throws with 36 seconds to go, but the Titans drew a foul at the other end to knot it at 59-all.

McBee got a look at the regulation buzzer for Hawai’i but left it short as the ‘Bows got into the offense a little later than they might have liked. 

Extra Time Excitement

After 40 minutes of battle, it would have been perfectly reasonable for either team to look a little tired as the game entered the first overtime period. The day had been long, starting with another double-overtime game in the upset win for nine-seeded CSU Bakersfield over top-seed UC Irvine.

As the ball was tossed in the air for the second time on Thursday night in the Hawai’i versus Cal State Fullerton quarterfinal matchup, a new viewer would have thought the game was just beginning.

Effort levels remained high, teams both fighting for extra opportunities on the offensive glass and working to create and control loose balls. A four-point lead for Hawai’i with under three minutes in the first overtime quickly dissipated and turned into a three-point lead for the Titans with 25 seconds left in the game. 

Following a Hawai’i timeout, the ‘Bows looked back to McBee for a big-time shot to give the Rainbow Wahine another chance to win in another overtime period. A hammer-action offensive set on the out of bounds saw Phillips get a hand-off and throw a beautiful pass along the baseline to a wide open McBee in the opposite corner for the game-tying 3-pointer.

The second overtime saw the ‘Bows take a five-point lead midway through the period, but free throws would help seal the deal for Hawai’i as the Rainbow Wahine sunk the Titans, 82-75.

Cal State Fullerton was led by Lewis, who had 22 points and 9 rebounds in the quarterfinal defeat. Jovanovic chipped in 16 points for the Titans, who close the season with a 14-16 overall record.

Hawai’i, the Big West Tournament’s defending champion, was led by Lily Wahinekapu’s 20 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. McBee, who missed the 3-pointer to win in regulation but hit the 3-pointer to keep the ‘Bows alive, finished the night with 14 points with three huge 3-pointers.

The Rainbow Wahine now advances to the Big West semifinals, where they will take on two-seed Long Beach State. The last time those two squads met was on February 18, when the Beach stole one in Honolulu, 48-47.

The semifinal matchup between the two will be Friday at 2:30 PM HST, broadcast on EPSN+.