LA MIRADA, Calif.-- The UH Hilo women's basketball team made some key adjustments in their 57-49 win over Biola in the Chase Gymnasium.
The Vulcans got off to a rough start on their Southern California road trip, having their five-game winning streak come to an abrupt halt against Concordia Irvine (Jan. 24). UHH struggled to find a rhythm dropping two more games, prior to their bounce-back win against Biola.
"I am really proud of our team," said head coach David Kaneshiro. "Playing five games on this trip was tough and I'm proud of the toughness our team showed tonight."
The Vulcans (8-6 and 5-5 PacWest Conference) were eager for their rematch against the Eagles (11-6 and 7-4 PacWest) after falling short on Tuesday, Jan. 25.
The Vulcans altered their defensive strategy from their previous game against the Eagles and improved exponentially in their offensive production in today's contest. UHH struggled to cash in on the long-range shots in their first matchup against BU going an ice cold 0-for-15 and today, the Vulcans had their best game from downtown in their past three games shooting a solid 6-for-16.
UH Hilo also had two players in the double-digits for scoring in today's performance (Mandi Kawaha 22 and Heaven Samyoa-Mathis 12) while they only had one player in the double-digits in the previous game against BU (Bree Olson 16).
UHH also made important adjustments on defense. They studied Biola's offensive strategy and altered their approach, holding the league's fifth-highest scorer Amiah Simmons to 15 points.
The Vulcans also held persistent defensive pressure, successfully frustrating the Eagles' offense and subsequently caused an outstanding 23 Eagle turnovers to their 16. These turnovers really did come back to bite the Eagles as the Vulcans scored 26 times off these switched possessions while Biola only made off with 10 points off UHH's turnovers.
Overall a great win for the Vulcans, sending them back home with some momentum in their rematch against PacWest Conference's undefeated Azusa Pacific in the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.
Vulcan Leaders…POINTS: Mandi Kawaha 22, Samoa-Mathis 12, Jenna Waki 7; ASSISTS: Mandi Kawaha 4, Jenna Waki 2; REBOUNDS: Nikki Miller 15, Mandi Kawaha 5; STEALS: Mandi Kawaha and Sara Shimizu 3, Mindy Kawaha 2; BLOCKS: Waki 2, Miller 1.
Three-Point Success…Sierra Cavaletto led the long-range game, sinking in a successful 2-for-3. Mandi Kawaha followed pursuit, a good 3-for-6.
Up Next…The Vulcans rematch Azusa Pacific in the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium on Thursday, Feb. 3 at 4pm HST. Come support in person as fans are once again able to attend in person. CLICK HERE, to read our spectator policy.
