HILO, Hawai'i – Caiyle Kaupu did a little bit of everything to lead Hawai'i Hilo Women's Basketball to a 56-49 victory over Western Oregon Wednesday evening at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium as part of the De Luz Chevrolet Big Island Holiday Classic.

Kaupu was 5 of 8 from the field at halftime on the way to finishing with a game-high 19 points along with seven rebounds and three assists.

"I think she is getting more comfortable with every game and every practice," Vulcans head coach David Kaneshiro said. "She showed tonight she can score inside, is a really good passer and can rebound well. She got us going early. For a player who won a state championship with Konawaena, went to Division I and now back at home — she's super coachable. She wants to get better. We're challenging her to do some things and she's buying in. It's Thanksgiving so we're thankful to have her, for sure."

In contrast to the season-opening loss to HPU more than two weeks ago, the Vulcans made eight 3-pointers and allowed just four long-range baskets. Kendall Oda (2-7 3PT) and KeanuMarie Huihui (3-5 3PT) each splashed buzzer-beating shots from beyond the arc to end the first and second quarters, respectively. Mindy Kawaha also hit on a pair of three-point attempts.

"I thought we had a lot of good open looks. We have good shooters so hopefully eventually they get more comfortable with those — we're only our second regular-season game in. We were fortunate, they missed a couple and also inside as well," Kaneshiro said, referring to handful of Wolves second-half shot attempts that rimmed out. "It was a hard game. They killed us on the boards in the first half. We did a little bit better job in the second half; probably just enough. It's an area we need to get better at." 

Hawai'i Hilo moved to a 1-1 record as Western Oregon moved to 2-3 overall.

OTHER NOTES

• Freshman Huihui made her first collegiate start, finishing with nine points, six rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
• Keirstyn Agonias made her season debut with six points, six assists, five boards and one block.
• Noelle Su'a-Godinet collected seven rebounds with one block and two steals while fouling for the first time in her 44th career game.

UP NEXT: De Luz Chevrolet Big Island Holiday Classic – Saturday, Nov. 29 (4 PM) vs Northern State (Hilo, Hawai'i / Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium)

OTHER MATCHUPS

• Friday, Nov. 29 (1 PM): Cal State Dominguez Hills vs Western Oregon
• Saturday, Nov. 30 (1 PM): Northern State vs Cal State Dominguez Hills

DE LUZ CHEVROLET BIG ISLAND HOLIDAY CLASSIC: Winter 2022 marked the return of the Big Island Holiday Classic, bringing many men's and women's collegiate basketball programs to the Big Island of Hawai'i for competition and fun at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium. The event, put on by TItleTown Events and hosted by the University of Hawai'i at Hilo, is a modern reiteration of the Big Island Invitational Tournament from the 1990s, which featured many NCAA Division I programs with the likes of Oklahoma, Oregon State, Iowa State, Arkansas, Creighton, Purdue, Stanford and UConn among others. More information available at HiloAthletics.com/BIC.

SEASON TICKETS: Season tickets for 31 total Vulcans Basketball home events are now available. Online purchase available at HiloAthletics.com/Tickets.

VIDEO LIVESTREAM: Hawai'i Hilo Women's Basketball video livestream packages are now available for purchase online through the recently-launched PacWest Network, powered by Hudl TV. The 2024-25 season includes 17 total home broadcasts for $191.25. Prorated prices are available up until the midway point of the season. More information at HiloAthletics.com/livestream.

WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY

• NCAA Division II – Great Northwest Athletic Conference
• Monmouth, Oregon
• Preseason Poll: No. 10 GNAC
• Last Matchup: (Unverified) First Contest Between Both Programs