Trying to chip away against a big deficit is one thing. Doing it against a team that has no intention of giving away anything is quite another.
Such was the UH-Hilo women’s basketball team’s predicament Monday night.
Bringing balance in spades and having an answer at most every turn, Biola put a halt to the Vulcans’ 2020 momentum with an 87-57 blitzing at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.
“A combination of things,” coach David Kaneshiro. “I think you give them a lot of credit, they’re a good team with really good players.
“But I don’t know if we played defense as good as we have the last couple of weeks.”
The Eagles (10-4, 6-2 Pacific West Conference) never trailed, shot 60%, including 12 of 25 from 3-point range, and had seven players score at least eight points.
Allie Navarette led the Vuls (3-8, 2-5) with 15 points, while Kim Schmelz had 12.
In a sense, the 30-point loss came down how well each team shot from 3-point range. UHH made just 2 of 20 from behind the arc.
“If we made a mistake, they certainly took advantage,” Kaneshiro said.
And whenever UHH got a sliver of hope, Biola slammed the door.
Mandi Kawaha’s layup capped an 8-0 run to cut the Eagles’ lead to 19 with 3:15 remaining in the third quarter, but after the Vuls forced a miss on the other end, Aysia Johnson grabbed an offensive rebound and converted a three-point play to get Biola on track again.
Johnson had a season-high 16 points, and Jazz Benn posted a near triple-double with 13 points nine rebounds and eight assists.
Johnson made a buzzer-beater to end the second quarter, and Benn did the same at the end of the third from 3-point range to make it 68-43.
Malia Lee had eight points and seven rebounds for the Vuls, who shot just 32 percent and were outrebounded 38-23.
The Vuls opened 2020 with wins against Fresno Pacific and Point Loma.
This could still be their year, but it definitely wasn’t their night.
“I think there are some things we could have done better to take some things away, but de didn’t do those,” Kaneshiro said. “They made the shots, they played a great game.”
