It wasn’t necessarily supposed to be pretty for UH-Hilo, and it wasn’t.
It wasn’t necessarily supposed to be pretty for UH-Hilo, and it wasn’t.
So reading between the lines of an ugly box score, women’s basketball coach David Kaneshiro found positives in the Vulcans’ 86-39 exhibition loss to Hawaii.
“It’s a good game for us to play against an excellent opponent,” Kaneshiro said Wednesday night in Honolulu. “We can learn a lot from it as we get ready for the season.
“It’s a good game to play against them because every time you make a mistake, they take advantage of it.”
For the Division II Vulcans – picked to finish 10th in the Pacific West Conference – seven players made their debuts, including all five starters. Lauren Hong led the way with 11 points, making three 3-pointers, and Ka’u graduate Pilialoha Kailiawa and Felicia Kolb, a returnee, each scored six.
For the Division I Rainbow Wahine – selected to win the Big West – Ashleigh Karaitiana, and all-league guard, posted game-highs of 14 points and eight rebounds in just 21 minutes.
UH-Hilo’s Kim Schmelz scored the first basket of the game, and then the roof caved in on the Vulcans, their deficit ballooning to as much as 51 points.
Hawaii dominated down low, owning a 50-28 rebounding advantage, scoring 48 points in the paint and blocking 11 shots.
The Vulcans shot less than 23 percent and their 18 turnovers translated to 25 points for Hawaii.
While UH-Hilo opens the season at home Nov. 19 against Alaska-Anchorage, Hawaii hits the road to face Grand Canyon on Nov. 13.