COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Irvine Women Continue Winning Ways in Hawaii

The UC Irvine women’s basketball team stopped one streak and extended another by beating Hawaii, 60-52, in a Big West Conference game Sunday in Honolulu.

The Anteaters ended a 14-game losing streak against Hawaii and have won five in a row for the first time since the 1983-84 season. Irvine (8-4, 5-0 in conference) also remained in first place, half a game ahead of Long Beach State.

But getting to that point wasn’t easy. Hawaii (4-8, 2-3) led by as many as six points in the first half and took a 27-24 lead at halftime. The score was tied eight times and there were six lead changes, but Irvine took control with about six minutes remaining.

Trailing by two with 5 minutes 43 seconds left, Irvine’s Jinelle Williams made a jump shot while being fouled by Nani Flores. Williams’ free throw gave Irvine a 51-50 lead.

Hawaii didn’t score another point until 2:29 left, when Flores made a layup to make it 56-52. But Hawaii didn’t score again.

Williams scored 17 points and pulled down 11 rebounds and Allah-mi Basheer had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Irvine, which will play host to Pacific on Friday.

Maudie Gonzales had 12 points and 12 rebounds and Michelle Macintyre, a freshman from San Clemente, had 10 points for the Rainbow Wahines.

Irvine now has the most victories in a season since the 1988-89 when the Anteaters finished 9-20. The 5-0 start in the Big West is the team’s best since it went 5-0 in 1984-85.

In other Big West Conference women’s basketball games:

Long Beach State 84, Pacific 73--Melissa Gower had 27 points and 13 rebounds and Akia Hardy had 25 points and seven assists for the visiting 49ers (7-6, 5-1), who remained in second place.

Hardy made 13 of 15 free throws, including 10 of 12 in the final two minutes when Pacific was trying to rally. She made seven in a row at one point.

Lainie Bebber scored 16 points, Sandy Hoge scored 14 and Sue Will 13 for Pacific (10-6, 3-2).

Long Beach will play host to Cal State Northridge in a nonconference game Wednesday.

CS Fullerton 84, San Jose State 79--Koko Lahanas had 31 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Titans (5-7, 2-3) to their second consecutive victory.

Fullerton went on a 12-0 run midway through the second half to take a 71-66 lead that held up down the stretch.

Kari Steele scored 29 points for San Jose State before fouling out late in the game.

Shayla Bradshaw and reserve Kelly Stuart each had 14 points for Fullerton, which beat Hawaii, 75-69, in another conference game Friday.

The Titans will play host to Nevada on Saturday and Pacific on Sunday.