Rainbow Wahine basketball schedule released

A new-look Rainbow Wahine basketball team will be tested by a nonconference schedule featuring three games against Pac-12 opponents, including a meeting with UCLA in rematch of their NCAA tournament game last March.

Coming off the program’s first NCAA tournament appearance in 18 years, the Rainbow Wahine return one senior (guard Briana Harris) to a roster that includes seven freshmen among nine newcomers,

The Rainbow Wahine make their Stan Sheriff Center debut in an exhibition game against Hawaii Hilo on Oct. 26. They’ll then open the regular-season with the first of two trips to Los Angeles to face USC on Nov. 11. UH head coach Laura Beeman, associate coach Mary Wooley and assistant coach Alex Delanian worked in the USC program before coming to Hawaii.

After completing the season-opening road trip with a game at CSU Bakersfield, UH hosts tournaments in Manoa over the next two weekends.

The Wahine face Youngstown State and defending Western Athletic Conference champion New Mexico State in the Bank of Hawaii Classic set for Nov. 18-20. They’ll then welcome San Jose State, Oregon and Mississippi State in the Waikiki Beach Rainbow Wahine Showdown Nov. 25-27.

Oregon advanced to the WNIT semifinals last season while Mississippi State reached the NCAA tournament’s round of 16.

The Wahine then return to Los Angeles to take on UCLA on Dec. 4. After winning the Big West tournament title, the Wahine fell to the Bruins 66-50 at Pauley Pavilion in their first NCAA tournament game since 1998.

After an exhibition against Hawaii Pacific, the Wahine revisit two past Western Athletic Conference destinations with a road trip to Nevada (Dec. 18) and Boise State (Dec. 20). They close the nonconference schedule with a home game against Grand Canyon.

UH will play four of its first five Big West games in California, starting with a trip to Long Beach State on Jan. 5. The conference slate closes at home against the 49ers on March 4. The Big West tournament is scheduled for March 7-11 in Anaheim, Calif.

UH Women’s Basketball 2016-17 schedule

October
26—UH Hilo (exhibition)

November
11—at USC
13—at CSU Bakersfield
Bank of Hawaii Classic—18: Youngstown State. 20: New Mexico State.
Waikiki Beach Marriott Rainbow Wahine Showdown—25: San Jose State. 26: Oregon. 27: Mississippi State.

December
4—at UCLA
11—HPU (exhibition)
18—at Nevada
20—at Boise State
29—Grand Canyon

January
5—at Long Beach State*
7—at UC Davis*
12—Cal State Fullerton*
19—at Cal Poly*
21—at UC Santa Barbara*
26—UC Irvine*
28—Cal Poly*

February
2—at UC Riverside*
4—at Cal State Northridge*
8—UC Riverside*
11—UC Santa Barbara*
16—UC Davis*
18—Cal State Northridge*
23—at UC Irvine*
25—at Cal State Fullerton*

March
4—Long Beach State*
7-11—Big West Tournament at Anaheim, Calif.
*Big West Conference game