HILO, Hawaii - Coming off the program's biggest win in recent memory, the Concordia University Irvine women's basketball team traveled west across the Pacific looking to win its fourth in a row.  In a hard-fought contest, the Eagles came out on top of the University of Hawai'i at Hilo 84-74.
 
The Eagles (10-5, 8-2 PacWest) spent the majority of the first quarter getting their legs back under them, struggling to find a flow in their offense.

Sophomore guard Jasmine Rachal was the lone bright spot in the first quarter, scoring nine of her team's 20 points.  She would finish with a career-high 33 points on the night. 
 
"Honestly we knew that it was going to be tough playing at Hilo's gym," said Rachal.  "They play great basketball in their home gym and compete until the very end.  We started off slow and I knew that I was going to have to get things started early in order for us to keep the momentum going. My teammates off the bench gave the team great minutes and we closed out the game the way we needed to."
 
Junior forward Michaela VanderKlugt lived at the free throw line, where she went 9-for-10, and finished with 19 points and a team-best eight rebounds against the Vulcans (5-11, 4-8 PacWest).  
 
"This was a game we had to grind out as a team," said VanderKlugt.  "Calls were not going our way but you have to know coming into this that they won't.  We really focused on scrapping and getting every loose ball while also going for deflections and then finishing plays with box out."
 
The Eagles managed to stare adversity in the face and overcome it. Head coach Christine Collins-Kiernan was ready for a fight and was hoping that her young team would rise up to the challenge. She was very pleased with her team's effort in a tough environment.
 
"It is really hard to win here," explained Collins-Kiernan. "They are very successful at home and we had to withstand that. Winning a game like that shows a lot of grit and growth in our program. It doesn't get any easier moving forward here and they will need to stick together and continue to fill their roles." 
 
"This is the year I think our youth has looked more game ready and competitive," added Collins-Kiernan.  "Just about every kid on our roster has played in a high school championship game and that says something about their desire to compete."
 
Compete they have as the Eagles sit alone in second place in the PacWest, primed to take on Chaminade on Oahu on Saturday afternoon. That contest is slated to start at 3 p.m. PT. as part of a doubleheader with the men's teams from both schools.
 
For the full CUI women's basketball schedule, click here.