HONOLULU — Cal State Fullerton had learned how it felt to win at the Stan Sheriff Center thanks to a trip in its nonconference portion of the 2023-24 season. The Titans had a decided advantage in the paint with Hawaii’s top two posts out of commission. And UH went cold at the free-throw line at a bad time.
The Rainbow Wahine basketball team still found a way to win Thursday, 66-61 over the visiting Titans, to give themselves a shot at sole possession of first place in the Big West with a big matchup with co-leader UC Irvine looming Saturday night.
UH (11-8) and UCI (14-6) are two of the best defensive teams in the conference and are even at 8-2 at the 10-game mark of the 20-game conference schedule. The Anteaters have won five straight since the Wahine beat them by seven at the Bren Events Center on Jan. 11.
“I don’t like losing. I’m super competitive,” wing Daejah Phillips said after she poured in a season-high 22 points on Thursday. “I think it’s very important, because we’re going into the second half of season, and I know that (we want) to win season and conference (tournament).”
On Thursday, UH was without starting center Brooklyn Rewers due to an injury for the fifth straight game and that time her frontcourt mate, Imani Perez, was out, too, due to a death in the family.
Coach Laura Beeman, who wore a mask during and after the game as an illness precaution, started forward Jacque David, but she played only seven minutes as the junior steadily works her way back from last season’s knee injury. Freshman center Vivienne Berrett likewise saw action but only in short spurts.
That left wings MeiLani McBee and Phillips to man the fort for long stretches.
“We knew we had to step up. I think we did a pretty good job holding ourselves to this post play,” said McBee, who scored 11, including four free throws in the final 15 seconds to clinch the win.
The nimble, shifty Phillips repeatedly exploited matchups with CSUF’s slower post players, using hesitation moves from the top of the key to get to the rim or pull up for jumpers en route to 9-for-16 shooting.
“Coach K (Khalilah Mitchell) was telling me that this team couldn’t guard me at all, 1 through 5,” Phillips said. “It was more taking advantage of what they can’t do. For example, the posts coming out to the perimeter, knowing that’s not what they practice. … Having to guard hesis and getting taken off the dribble was very hard for them.”
While Titans center Ashlee Lewis erupted for 25 points on 10-for-12 shooting with 13 rebounds, Lewis had problems with the defensive mismatches and coach Jeff Harada was reluctant to keep her on the floor.
Yet Fullerton led 25-22, and 51-49 with 5:58 to play.
Former Titans guard Lily Wahinekapu scored 14 points but missed four straight free throws in the final two minutes, keeping the door open for the Titans. Gabi Vidmar missed an open corner 3 that would’ve tied the game with under 20 seconds left.
“I thought the ladies played incredibly well, they found a way to win. That’s what winners do,” Beeman said. “Daejah had an absolutely breakout night, and I’m not surprised. MeiLani gave us composure, big shots at the free throw line. Great defensive effort against some post players that were bigger.”
Fullerton remained winless over Hawaii in Honolulu since 1995, to the chagrin of Harada, the Titans’ seventh-year leader. He and assistant coach Nick Milan hail from the Islands.
CSUF (7-13, 3-7) has struggled with consistency, but the Titans beat San Francisco in the Bank of Hawaii Classic at the Sheriff in November.
“We had a ton of confidence,” Harada said. “We were just worried about us, we didn’t know who was playing for them tonight, so we focused on our execution, coming out with energy, being excited to play in a place we haven’t had much success, and (gave) ourselves a chance.”
Tamara Inoue’s Anteaters will be reasonably rested, as they won via forfeit over Cal Poly on Thursday due to what was cited as an illness among the Mustang players. UCI is the defending Big West regular-season champion.
Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.