HONOLULU — No bluff: Nearly as many records fell for the Hawaii women’s basketball team as shots for its opponent on Monday night.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff was unable to find the range, or even the area code, as the Rainbow Wahine rolled to a 56-15 rout in front of 777 people (1,610 tickets issued) at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
The Rainbow Wahine (6-3) held UAPB (2-7) of the Southwestern Athletic Conference to fewer than half the previous scoring low for a UH Division I opponent, 31 by UTEP in 1999. UH also set opponent records for fewest field goals (six), lowest field-goal percentage (10.9%), fewest assists (two), and fewest made free throws (two).
Center Brooklyn Rewers came off the bench and hit all three of her 3-point attempts to score 13 points, enough to outpoint the Golden Lions until they got a couple of runouts for layups in the final minutes. Point guard Lily Wahinekapu added 11 points, three assists and two steals.
Almost all of UAPB's 55 shot attempts were contested as the Wahine resfused to relax coming off of an overtime home loss to Big West rival Long Beach State the previous Saturday. The Lions of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, who had eight available players, could not score from near, far or anywhere in between.
UH nearly held Pine Bluff scoreless in the first quarter and accomplished the rare feat in the third when they outscored the visitors 25-0. The Lions finally reached double figures on the scoreboard on a jumper by Empress Roberts with 6:18 remaining in the game.
"I’m sure we were all well aware of it," Rewers said of the Lions' single-digit total in the fourth quarter, "but I think it was that we were very locked into defense and that’s just something that will be an outcome of it if we continue to communicate on both sides."
Coach Laura Beeman said she focused on being positive after sensing that some negative energy from herself was passed on to her players during the LBSU loss. She was encouraged by their response in the second half against Pine Bluff as UH started to attack inside-out instead of taking hurried outside shots with no paint touches like in the first 20 minutes.
"We’re just a team that’s going to continue to grow and get better, and it was nice to see the bounce-back and the energy they played with," Beeman said. "I know the first couple quarters were ugly (UH led 21-9 at intermission) but that’s going to happen. As long we come out in the second half and make great adjustments and win a ballgame, I’m fine with that."
UH did not get out of the game unscathed, however. It had health scares for Kelsie Imai and Jovi Lefotu just two minutes apart in the fourth quarter as both went down in pain near their defensive goal. Both were able to walk off the court with assistance after a few minutes from athletic trainers.
Beeman said both players reported the floor being slippery on that side. Imai got up holding her right hip and Lefotu appeared to hurt her right leg that she spent more than a year rehabbing from an ACL injury she suffered at UC Santa Barbara in the spring of 2023.
"Kelsie’s a pit bull, so when she goes down and doesn’t get up you know it’s something a little bit significant," Beeman said. "And to always see Jovi go down ... we’ve got to do a blessing on her body, I think, if anyone knows a good kumu let me know. We need to do a blessing. Child wants to play, and we want her to play and have fun and not be guarded. Right now we just gotta wait and see how they respond to some treatment and we’ll go from there."
UH was without senior wing Daejah Phillips, who hurt her back in last week’s home loss to Long Beach State. Lefotu made her first career start in Phillips’ stead and scored seven points with three assists.
Beeman said she wasn't sure about Phillips' status other than that she is "day to day" heading into the team's two-game road trip in the San Diego Classic over Christmas break. UH plays Clemson (7-3) of the Atlantic Coast Conference on Friday, then host San Diego State on Saturday. UH then resumes Big West play at UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 2.
"We’re just going to keep putting someone else in that starting spot," Beeman said. "If it’s Daejah, great, if it’s Jovi, great, if it’s Mia (‘Uhila), great. We’re going to find somebody."
On the subject of injuries, Beeman said after the game that senior Jacque David will take a medical disqualification from the program — effectively a retirement. The versatile David, when healthy, was a key piece in UH’s runs to Big West championships the last three years.
David, a 5-foot-11 forward from Independence, Mo., has been absent from the team bench all season and has not been listed on UH's active gameday roster. Able to shoot from the outside as well as in the post, David scored a career-high 17 points on 7-for-7 shooting against Grambling as a sophomore in 2022-23. She had nine games of double-figure scoring in her three-year UH career.
Saturday's 41-point margin of victory was UH’s largest since a 44-point win over Detroit on Dec. 18, 2000, in the Vince Goo era.
The Golden Lions are coached by former Louisiana Tech standout Erica Leak, a four-time WAC champion and WNBA draftee who is in her first season as a Division I head coach. Her Lady Techsters teams went 9-1 against the Rainbow Wahine from 2001 to 2005.
D'Arrah Allen shot 1-for-17 from the field and Ashley Rojas was 1-for-13. UAPB was 1-for-24 on 3-pointers. Uriah Jennings scored five points to lead the Lions.
Note: This story was updated with details and quotes.
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.