The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa women’s basketball team became the Big West Conference regular-season champs for the first time since 2015 with a 58-52 win over the University of California, Santa Barbara at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center on March 5. The Rainbow Wahine pulled through in a game that came down to the final minute.
It was a team effort as 10 different players scored. Freshman guard Olivia Davies paced the ‘Bows in points with 10 and was the only double-digit scorer in the contest for UH. Graduate forward Amy Atwell was one point shy of a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds. She also set a new career high in assists with five. Freshman guard Daejah Phillips had a quiet night after being forced out due to foul trouble early on, but down the stretch went 4-for-4 on free throws, including a pair to put the game out of reach. She finished with eight points and six rebounds on the night and the season clinching steal.
For more on the game, go to the UH Mānoa athletics website.
The Rainbow Wahine enter the conference tournament as the No. 1 seed and have a first round bye into the quarterfinals. UH plays the winner of No. 8 California State University, Northridge and No. 9 California State University, Bakersfield at 10 a.m. HST on Wednesday, March 9 in Henderson, Nevada.
