HONOLULU - The Highlanders traveled across the Pacific for a Big West Conference match-up against the Rainbow Wahine. This was the 25th all time meeting between the two programs, with Hawai'i now holding a 18-7 series lead. UC Riverside fell, 61-47. The last time the Highlanders got the better of the Rainbow Wahine was last January winning 66-58. That win snapped an eight game losing streak.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The game started with a technical foul and Hannah Wickstrom made the free throw giving UCR a 1-0 lead. Hawai'i came right back hitting a three, but Shelley Duchemin answered with a three of her own, giving the Highlanders a quick 4-3 lead. Both teams would go through a bit of a dry spell and eventually Duchemin would hit a free throw and give the Highlanders an 8-5 lead. The Rainbow Wahine would tie the game on a three pointer by Brooklyn Rewers. Wickstrom would answer with a three of her own followed by a layup pushing UCR's lead to 13-8. The Highlanders would take a 15-10 lead at the end of one.
• It was the second quarter where the tide started to turn in favor of Hawai'i. An 18-2 run led to an 11 point Hawai'i lead, as Maya Chocano hit a three to stop the bleeding and cut the lead to eight. Chocano would hit another three edging the Highlanders closer at 30-23. Mia Uhila would hit two free throws for Hawai'i giving the Rainbow Wahine a 32-23 halftime lead.
• The Highlanders' offense started the third slow not scoring their first basket for almost three and a half minutes into the third. Esther Matarranz hit a layup and Wickstrom would come back with a jumper in the paint cutting the lead to twelve. Jordyn Marshall would score the lone Highlanders' basket over a three minute stretch until Gemma Cutler scored on a fast break.
• Hawai'i would take a 50-34 lead into the fourth quarter and maintain control over the game. Seneca Hackley's layup was the only basket UCR would score in the first six minutes of the fourth. Kaylani Polk hit two threes late, but it wasn't nearly enough and UCR dropped its second conference game of the year.

NOTABLES

• Polk led the Highlanders' in points scoring eleven on 4-8 shooting. Wickstrom was the only other Highlander in double figures as she scored ten. 
• Matarranz grabbed seven rebounds and Hackley grabbed six.
• Polk and Chocano went a combined 5-9 from three.

UP NEXT

• UC Santa Barbara heads to the SRC next Thursday (1/16) to take on the Highlanders. Game time is 6:00 p.m.