RELATED PHOTO GALLERY The depth and talent one through 11 of the Hawaii women’s basketball team on display Tuesday night was evident.
What has coach Laura Beeman truly excited for this season is they are a group that doesn’t need be challenged to bring a better effort.
Advertisement
“They have come in here ready to go, ” Beeman said after UH’s 74-34 exhibition win over Hawaii Pacific on Tuesday night. “Every single one of our freshmen for the most part comes in to work on a daily and it’s incredible when that happens.”
Nine of the 11 players who took the court against the Sharks at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center were either freshmen or sophomores as the new-look Rainbow Wahine look big, deep and talented heading into Tuesday’s season opener against Portland State.
Imani Perez, a senior who has nearly as much experience in a UH uniform as everybody else who played combined, scored a game-high 14 points, with 11 coming in the second half, and grabbed seven rebounds.
Saniyah Neverson, a Northern Arizona transfer, scored 11 of her 13 points in the first half with three blocks, and freshman Bailey Flavell added 12 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals for the Rainbow Wahine, who had 10 players score. All 11 played at least nine minutes.
Advertisement
“The same thing as last exhibition—I feel like the energy and effort with this team is very good, ” Beeman said. “We don’t always play efficiently, but we’re not going to play efficient basketball in November.”
UH shot well from the floor, hitting on 59 % (32-for-54 ) of its shots from the field. Hawaii turned the ball over 23 times but got 17 steals and held the Sharks to 25 % (12-for-48 ) shooting.
“I’m getting a great opportunity for me to come here and I’ve been really looking forward to it and the role on this team that I can have, ” said Flavell, who is one of nine players on the roster from either Australia or New Zealand.
Hawaii emphatically closed the first half on an 8-0 run in the final 69 seconds to take a 33-15 lead capped by a steal and jumper by Kira-May Filemu with 0.4 seconds on the clock.
Advertisement
Flavell went coast-to-coast on a layup with three seconds remaining before Filemu stole the inbounds pass near the free-throw line and was immediately fouled on the shot attempt.
Neverson led all scorers with 11 points in the first half and Flavell added seven points, four rebounds and three assists for UH, which shot 56 % (15-for-27 ) from the field and outscored the Sharks 26-4 in the paint.
Hawaii called timeout less than two minutes into the third quarter after HPU’s Kyla Hopton sunk back-to-back 3-pointers to give her 11 points in 14 minutes.
The Rainbow Wahine responded with a 23-2 run the rest of the third quarter to lead 56-24 after three quarters.
Advertisement
UH outscored the Sharks 41-19 in the second half.
Hopton didn’t score again after her two 3s to start the third quarter and led HPU in scoring. Mia Frye, an ‘Iolani alumna, had six of her eight points in the fourth quarter.
“I think tonight’s physicality and pace was much better for us, ” Beeman said. “That is going to prepare us a little bit more for November 4th because Portland State is going to come in here and we don’t know much about them because new coach, new system, but their pace is going to be Division I pace.”
