Hawaii women’s basketball: Julissa Tago, Amy Atwell within range of season 3-point record
The recent 3-point binge of the Hawaii women’s basketball team has led to what could be the most prolific outside-shooting season in program history.
Not one, but two Hawaii women’s basketball players could — and will very likely — soon surpass the program record for 3-pointers in a season, with Julissa Tago positioned to possibly do it as soon as Thursday’s home game against Cal State Northridge.
Tago, the senior guard who is at No. 4 in Rainbow Wahine career 3s made at 125, has 51 this season. She is four triples shy from tying, and five from breaking, Megan Tinnin’s season record of 55 from the 2008-09 season. As it stands, Tago is tied for second on that list, with Tinnin from the 2010-11 season.
Not far behind is Amy Atwell, the redshirt junior forward who at 47 3s this season sits at seventh on the season list, with at least seven games remaining in the 2019-20 season. UH (13-10, 7-3 Big West) has called upon the 3-ball to win five straight and surge within a half-game of league leader UC Davis heading into Thursday’s home date against Cal State Northridge (9-13, 4-4).
As a team, UH (173 3s made) is on pace to break the season program record for triples, set last season at 208. UH has averaged about 7.5 made 3s a game this season, including a hair under 10 per game in Big West play. Their best outing so far was a program-record 18 at home against Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 18.
Atwell’s Big West-leading 3-point percentage of .461 represents the third-highest accuracy for a Wahine season, behind Melanie Azama (.516 in 1991-92) and Kylie Page (.485 in 1997-98).
Atwell (twice), Tago and Courtney Middap have each had a six 3-pointer game this season to the program’s game record for an individual held by multiple previous players.
Guard Savannah Reier, wing Jadynn Alexander, and center Lauren Rewers have also hit double-figure 3s for the season.
Before Tinnin claimed the top three spots on the single-season 3s list (55, 51 and 50), Janka Gabrielova held the record at 49, set in 2001-02, for six years.
Wahine pull out a 70-66 on a night I thought for sure they would lose. CSUN absolutely outplayed the Wahine in the first half, but the Wahine owned the second half.