IRVINE, Calif. - In a tough battle that went down to the wire, UC Irvine women's basketball was handed its first Big West loss of the season, falling to Hawai'i, 77-73, Saturday at the Bren Events Center.
 
The Anteaters (8-7, 3-1 Big West) trailed for most of the game but were never out. After going down by 16 in the second quarter, UCI put together a furious 11-0 rally over the final two minutes to make it a five-point game at the half.
 
The 'Eaters would erase another double-digit deficit in the final 20 minutes as they eventually took a 57-56 lead early in the fourth. The Rainbow Wahine would answer on their next possession and stayed out front the rest of the way.
 
BY THE NUMBERS: Kayla Williams led UCI with a season-best 21 points to go along with a game-high four assists. Chloe Webb added 16 points, while Naomi Hunt finished with 10 points and a career-high tying four steals. Caiyle Kaupu chipped in a season-best eight points.
 
The 'Eaters closed out the game shooting 34% overall, 40% from beyond the arc and 81% at the free throw line. They forced UH into 21 turnovers and committed only 13 of their own.
 
The 'Bows shot a blistering 57% from the field and 50% from deep. They were paced by Amy Atwell's 20 points, while Meilani McBee also made five threes for 15 points.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: UC Irvine took an early 5-2 lead on a Hunt 3-pointer at the 8:24 mark. Hawai'i then proceeded to go on a 13-5 run over the next six-plus minutes to pull ahead, 15-10. Webb answered with a triple and the teams would go back-and-forth the rest of the way with UH on top, 19-15, at the end of the first.
 
The Rainbow Wahine took the momentum in the second period, outscoring the Anteaters, 20-8, for a 16-point advantage with 1:47 left in the half. A traditional three-point play by Williams then sparked a big rally as the 'Eaters scored 11 unanswered to close the gap to 39-34 at the break. Jayde Cadee and Kaupu also had back-to-back triples during the run.
 
The 'Bows (5-7, 2-1 Big West) opened the third frame on a 6-1 spurt to increase their margin to 45-35 at the 7:31 mark. UCI quickly brought it back within single digits following a Webb putback and a Williams trey. The home team continued to chip away, cutting the deficit to 52-51 on another and-1 from Williams with 5.3 seconds on the clock.
 
Both teams went scoreless over the first couple minutes of the fourth quarter before Hawai'i converted at the charity stripe on consecutive possessions to go up, 56-51. UC Irvine then came storming back with 3-pointers from Williams and Kaupu giving the home team their first lead since early in the opening quarter. That was short-lived, however, as McBee knocked down a three on the other end. The Rainbow Wahine continued on a 9-0 run to pull ahead, 65-57, with five minutes remaining.
 
The Anteaters refused to go down quietly, answering with an 8-2 run, capped by free throws from Hunt and Webb, to make it a two-point game (67-65) with 2:55 left, but UH would not relinquish the lead. Despite Webb and Hunt each draining a three to make it a one-possession game with five ticks on the clock, Hawai'i was able to sink 1-of-2 free throws to seal the 77-73 win.
 
UP NEXT: UC Irvine will be back in action next week, making the short trip to Cal State Fullerton on Thursday, Jan. 20. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Titan Gym.
 
 
NOTES
• UC Irvine is now tied for first in the Big West standings with Long Beach State and UC San Diego.
• The Anteaters allowed more than 60 points for the first time since Dec. 21.
• Through four Big West games, UCI ranks first in the conference in turnover margin (9.8) and second in turnovers forced (19.8/gm). 
• Entering today's game with 499 career points, Kayla Williams easily surpassed the 500-point milestone (520).
• She had her 12th-straight double-figure scoring game and seventh career 20-point performance.