Rainbow Wahine Open Big West Schedule at Cal State Fullerton

HONOLULU — The University of Hawai’i women’s basketball team opens the Big West schedule by taking on Cal State Fullerton on Saturday Dec. 30 at Titan Gym in Fullerton, Calif. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. Pacific Time/noon Hawai’i Time.

The 51st all-time meeting between the Rainbow Wahine and Titans will be a rematch of a double-overtime duel last March in the quarterfinals of the Big West Championship in Henderson, Nev. UH pulled out an 82-75 win on the way to a second straight tournament title. The Rainbow Wahine have won the last eight meetings with Cal State Fullerton and 10 of the last 11. 

  HEAD COACH LAURA BEEMANAt Hawai’i: 183-154 (12th season)

ALL-TIME SERIES RECORD

Hawai’i leads 32-18

Last meeting:  Hawai’i 82, Cal State Fullerton 75, 2OT (March 8, 2023, Henderson, Nev.)

TIPOFF

• UH has won its last two Big West openers and is 3-8 under head coach Laura Beeman. The Rainbow Wahine open conference play on the road for the 10th time in Beeman’s 12 years leading the program.

• UH holds a 12-11 edge in games played in Fullerton. Beeman enters the game 20-6 against the Titans.

• Cal State Fullerton last defeated UH on Feb. 29, 2020, 70-64 at Titan Gym. UH’s current streak in the series began on March 11, 2020 in the quarterfinals of the Big West Championship in Long Beach, Calif.

• The Rainbow Wahine closed a challenging non-conference schedule with an 85-46 loss to No. 2 UCLA on Dec. 21  in Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles. UH faced three Pac-12 teams in the non-conference schedule in No. 2 UCLA (11-0), No. 9 Stanford (10-1) and Washington (11-1, RV).

• UH entered the week second in the Big West in scoring defense in allowing 60 points per game. Opponents are shooting 37.8% on field-goal attempts overall, the lowest mark in the conference. The ‘Bows have held opponents to 24.6% shooting on 3-point attempts, which ranks first in the conference and 22nd among 348 Division I teams.

• Cal State Fullerton visited Honolulu for the Bank of Hawaii Classic in November and went 1-1 with a loss to Idaho and a win over San Francisco. UH and Cal State Fullerton did not meet in the tournament. Titans freshman Hope Hassman led the tournament in scoring with 19 points per game.

• Cal State Fullerton head coach Jeff Harada graduated from Hawaii Baptist Academy and coached at Hawaii Pacific University, going 58-48 over four seasons. Assistant coach Nick Milan graduated from Kaimuki High School and UH.

• UH sophomore forward Imani Perez enters the game leading UH with nine points per game while shooting a team-high .531 from the field and is followed by guards Daejah Phillips at 8.6 ppg and Lily Wahinekapu at 8.3 ppg.

• Wahinekapu passed the 900-point mark for her career earlier this season. The junior scored 427 points for Cal State Fullerton in the 2021-22 season, when she was named Big West Freshman of the Year, and has 480 since transferring to UH last season for a total of 907. She’s averaging 11.7 points per game in her UH career and 13.0 overall.

• Phillips has scored in double figures in five of the last six games, including a season-high 17 points against San Jose State on Dec. 3. She is tied for first in the Big West with 38 made free throws and ranks third in free-throw percentage in converting on 88.4% of her 43 attempts. Phillips is UH’s active leader in points (855), field-goals made (266) and steals (111).

• Guard/forward MeiLani McBee made three 3-pointers against UCLA to raise her career total to 118, good for sixth in program history. She moved past Jade Abele (2002-05), Kylie (Page) Galloway (1998, 2000-01) and Janevia Taylor (2004-07), who are tied at 117.

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