Big Island Standout to Transfer to UH

Photo courtesy of UH Athletics SID

By Rodney S. Yap

University of Hawai’i women’s basketball head coach Laura Beeman announced the signing of Pua Kailiawa who will be returning home after playing two seasons at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore.

Kailiawa, a 6-2 post player from Pahala, Hawai’i, is the fifth player to join the Rainbow Wahine hoops squad for 2012-13.

Kailiawa finished her UCC career averaging 7.93 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 3.33 blocks per game as a sophomore. She set a new school single-season record with 100 blocked shots this past season and finished third in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges with 273 total rebounds. Kailiawa also drained 18 3-point shots and averaged 29.5 minutes in 30 games played. Kailiawa was selected to the NWAACC Southern Region all-defensive team for 2011-12.

She is a 2010 graduate from Ka’u High School where she earned four varsity letters in basketball and two in softball for the Trojans. Kailiawa was named to the conference’s all-academic basketball team in 2008-09 and to the BIIF DII first team in 2010.

“Pua is a rebounding machine with the capability of being a dominant post player in the Big West Conference,” says Beeman. “She is a strong ‘back-to-the-basket’ post that can shoot the three and welcomes contact. Pua has great experience after playing two seasons at Umpqua which is a highly successful JC. I am thrilled that she will be returning home to wear the UH jersey!”

Kailiawa joins four others in this this year’s recruiting class—senior Loyola Marymount transfer Monica DeAngelis (Santa Monica, Calif.), freshman guard/forward Destiny King (Long Beach, Calif.), junior guard/forward Diane Moore (Pleasant Hill, Calif.) and freshman guard Morgan Roberts (Auckland, New Zealand).

 2012-13 Signees

Monica DeAngelis (5-7 • Point Guard/Guard • Santa Monica, Calif. • Loyola Marymount)

Pua Kailiawa (6-2 • Post • Pahala, Hawai’i • Umpqua Community College)

Destiny King (5-10 • Guard/Forward • Long Beach, Calif. • Long Beach Polytechnic HS)

Diane Moore (5-10 • Guard/Forward • Pleasant Hill, Calif  •  Diablo Valley College)

Morgan Roberts (5-9 •  Guard  •  Auckland, New Zealand •  Mount Albert Grammar School)