FULLERTON, Calif. --- A cold-shooting third quarter allowed Hawai'i to pull away from Cal State Fullerton as the Rainbow Wahine recorded a 60-50 victory over the Titans in Big West Conference action on Thursday night at the Stan Sheriff Center.
The win marked UH's first league win of the season as Hawai'i improves to 5-10 on the year and 1-2 in conference play. Fullerton (3-13, 0-3) is still searching for its first Big West win and has dropped nine out of its last 10 overall.
Iman Lathan scored a game-high 21 points off the bench for Fullerton to produce her eighth 20-point game of the season. The junior guard added seven rebounds and a game-high five assists. Lathan was the only Titan to reach double figures as Daeja Smith added eight points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.
Lahni Salanoa led Hawai'i scoring 19 points, while Briana Harris totaled 14 points off the bench on 5-of-7 shooting.
The game was even at 24-24 at the break, but the Rainbow Wahine outscored Fullerton 15-6 in the third quarter to gain a healthy cushion for the final 10 minutes of play. The Titans turned the ball over seven times in the third period and shot just 2-of-8 from the floor.
Jade Vega's lay-up at the 7:40 mark of the third gave Fullerton a 28-26 lead, but UH held the Titans scoreless for over five minutes, piecing together the game-deciding 13-0 scoring run. The Rainbow Wahine nailed four field goals in that stretch, including two from long distance. The scoring drought was finally broken with just over two minutes remaining in the period as China Henderson knocked down a pair of free throws.
The Titans closed within six multiple times in the fourth quarter, but could not get any closer.
Fullerton outshot UH 43.8 percent (21-of-48) to 36.4 percent (20-of-55), but Fullerton committed 21 turnovers leading to 19 points for UH. The Titans held a 36-16 scoring advantage in the paint, while Hawai'i outscored Fullerton 15-8 in second-chance points.
For the first time this season, Cal State Fullerton did not connect on an outside bucket, shooting 0-of-15 from three-point range, breaking a streak of 84 consecutive games with at least one made bucket from long distance.
The Titans return to action at Titan Gym hosting UC Irvine at 6 p.m.
Notes: Cal State Fullerton is currently ninth in the Big West Conference standings as the only team without a league win thus far…Fullerton is 0-7 on the road this season…UH leads the all-time series 20-15…Iman Lathan's 21-point effort was her eighth 20-point game of the year as she led the Titans in scoring for the 11th time this season…Lathan's game-high five assists matched a career high...for the first time this season, Cal State Fullerton did not connect on an outside bucket, shooting 0-of-15 from three-point range…the last time the Titans did not make at least one three-pointer was a 65-52 loss at Hawai'i on Feb. 15, 2014 in a 0-of-14 shooting performance…the Titans had knocked down at least one three-pointer in 84 straight games.
SUPPORT THE TITANS!
Fans can purchase tickets for various Cal State Fullerton athletic events by visiting FullertonTitans.com/Tickets. The Athletic Ticket Office can also be contacted by phone at 657-278-2783 or by email at athletictixs@fullerton.edu. The Ticket Office is located at the Titan House off of Gymnasium Drive at the eastern end of the Intramural Fields and is open from 10 am – 4 pm PT, Monday – Friday.
FOLLOW THE TITANS
Fans can keep up with the latest in Titans athletics by following us on Facebook (@FullertonTitans), Twitter (@FullertonTitans), and Instagram (@FullertonTitans) and Snapchat (FullertonTitans). In addition, the women's basketball team has established its own official Twitter page (@WBBTitans) and Facebook Page (@WBBTitans).