Rainbow Wahine impress alumnae

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

The University of Hawai'i women's basketball team under new coach Jim Bolla drew raves from former players yesterday after the annual alumnae game at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Janevia Taylor scored a team-high 17 points and Brittany Grice added 10 points and 11 rebounds as Hawai'i defeated the alumnae, 69-59.

Many of the alumnae players got their first look at the Rainbow Wahine's new running offense and trapping defense yesterday and came away impressed.

"It's a much better uptempo game," said former UH forward Nani Cockett (1994-98), who led the alumnae with 24 points. "I really like that style. They fly down the court. They're going to beat some teams in transition. They're going to be a real exciting team this year."

Yesterday, Hawai'i averaged nearly two shots per minute, shooting 27 of 74 from the floor. The alumnae shot 18 of 56. Hawai'i also outrebounded the alumnae 53-37, including a 26-13 edge on the offensive glass.

In addition, 14 Rainbow Wahine players saw action yesterday, and 10 of them scored at least two points. Hawai'i has 19 players on its roster.

"They have many options," said former UH guard Kyla Evers (1997-2000), who finished with 21 points. "I think a lot of people are going to step up and score. Not just one or two people."

Hawai'i trailed 9-8 after four minutes, but engineered a 23-6 run for a commanding 31-15 lead. The Rainbow Wahine led 39-25 at halftime.

In the second half, Hawai'i increased its lead to 54-33 and never let its advantage dip below 10 points the rest of the way.

"It's definitely a work in progress," Hawai'i senior guard Milia Macfarlane said of the team. "When we were able to push the ball upcourt, it was a lot more exciting. I liked how the majority of our players got to play. We had fun."

Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2458.