BYU-Hawaii travels to Hawai‘i Hilo for PacWest Women’s Basketball Game of Week on Dec. 6

PHOENIX, Ariz. – The PacWest Game of the Week will feature BYU-Hawaii visiting rival Hawai‘i Hilo on Tuesday, Dec. 6, in the Pacific West Conference women’s basketball opener for both clubs.

Each week during the women’s basketball season, the PacWest will spotlight a game that will be broadcast live over the Internet.

The Seasiders and Vulcans will tip off at 5 p.m. (HAST) with the audio and video broadcast available.

Both BYU-Hawaii and Hawai‘i Hilo are searching for their first victory of the 2011-12 campaign.

Seasider junior forward Shayla Washington (Phoenix, AZ/Thunderbird) leads the Seasiders and is ranked eighth in the PacWest in scoring with her 13.3 points-per-game average. She also is ninth in rebounding with a 7.0 per-game mark.

Freshman Taylor Mann (Castle Dale, UT/Emery) is pulling down 7.5 rebounds per game, landing her fifth in the conference and first among BYU-Hawaii players.

The Seasiders are 0-4 on the season, but two of BYU-Hawaii’s losses have come against Division I foes Brigham Young University and the University of Arizona.

The Vulcans are paced by junior guard/forward Natalie Mata (Honolulu, HI/Farrington), who is leading the team with her 9.8 points-per-game average off the bench, and junior guard Kirsten Shimizu (Sacramento, CA/Kennedy) who is second on the squad in scoring with her 9.5 average.

Hawai‘i Hilo also is 0-4 on the season, but the Vulcans have played a tough schedule. Hawai‘i Hilo lost twice to Alaska Fairbanks, once to UC San Diego, and also suffered a setback vs. Division I Hawai‘i.

In an interesting scheduling twist, the two clubs will square off again on Jan. 5 with the Seasiders facing the Vulcans in back-to-back games to start their PacWest schedule. Hawai‘i Hilo, meanwhile, will face Hawai‘i Pacific on Jan. 3 before the rematch.