Bos Score (PDF)

HONOLULU, Hi. - Leaving pregame shootout in the morning, the driving rain drenched UCSB on the way back to the bus.

So, the Gauchos took it as a cue.

UCSB poured the ball in to the paint all night long, out-scoring Hawaii 36-22 inside, en route to a 67-52 win over the Rainbow Wahine Saturday night at the Stan Sheriff Center.

"We didn't get much in transition, but we drove it, we threw it inside, and we offensive rebounded." said head coach Bonnie Henrickson.

Drew Edelman lead all scorers with 22 points, making eight of 12 from the field while snatching a team best seven rebounds and dealing three assists. Drea Toler came off the bench to score 12, eight in the fourth quarter, while Onome Jemerigbe had 10 points with a game-high three steals.

The win completed the season series sweep for the Gauchos (12-12, 7-4), who took both from Hawaii (8-15, 4-7) for the first time since the 1994-95 season. It was the program's third win in eight games at Stan Sheriff Center, and UCSB's fifth in 22 meetings on the island.

"We treated this like a business trip, and it feels a whole lot better from the energy in that locker room," Henrickson said.

Edelman opened the scoring for the game, taking a feed over the top from Coco Miller and finishing to give the Gauchos a lead which they'd never relinquish. Miller lead UCSB with four assists, while Sarah Porter made three of the four triples for the blue-and-gold in the game. All three came in the opening quarter, with the final falling with 29 seconds remaining to put the Gauchos ahead 20-12 at the horn.

Jemerigbe's layup pushed the advantage to double digits for the first time on the first possession of quarter two. While the combination of Edelman on the blocks with the incisive drives by Jemerigbe and Toler helped power the offense, it was the defense which helped UCSB add to the lead.

The Gauchos forced 14 turnovers for the game, turning them in to 19 points. In the second stanza they held Hawaii to 22.2% shooting from the floor, allowing just a pair of three pointers and holding the hosts without a field goal for the 7:51 before half. Only three free throws on separate trips stemmed an 11-3 run highlighted by four points from Chaya Durr.

Durr, who finished with six points, five rebounds, a steal and a helper, stepped in front of a Briana Harris transition pass near mid court and forced a foul. Her pair of free throws, then put back bucket off a miss helped UCSB build their lead to 15 at the break, 36-21.

"Chaya played that really well, turned her over and got fouled at half court. That's a five point swing because she makes both free throws, and that's been a three for [Hawaii] the last three games," said Henrickson. "That stuff's big, the defensive focus and attention to detail."

The Rainbow Wahine came out firing early in the third, as leading scorer Sara Toeaina came alive for ten of her team-leading 19 points in the quarter. After Edelman's bucket 32 seconds in, UCSB went nearly eight minutes without a field goal, though Edelman made three of four free throws over the scoreless skein.

Taking advantage, Hawaii broke off an 8-0 run over 4:10 to pull within six points, and then cut the deficit to four with two minutes remaining on another Toeaina jumper. Toler broke the field goal drought with a drive and score, drawing a foul and sinking the freebie to push the lead back up to seven. The and-one sparked the Gaucho offense, who got a driving score from Jemerigbe and a right corner three from Aliceah Hernandez to close the quarter on a 7-2 run. After 30, UCSB lead 49-39.

"We started the second half soft, cushioning twos and messed up a baseline out of bounds. Credit to our kids to get that back up to 15, because you had to answer a run," Henrickson said. "We really settled down defensively and brought some heat."

It also served to dispirit the hosts, as the Gauchos rattled off six of the first seven points in the fourth. The lead grew as big as 17, as Edelman and Toler combined for 14 of UCSB's 18 points to close out the game.

"This one's big for us off a loss on such a quick trip," said Henrickson.

The Gauchos continue their four-game road trip next Thursday at UC Riverside, before traveling to Long Beach State on Saturday.