The path to recovery is always easier when you face the conference doormat.

The start of the Western Athletic Conference season hasn't been kind to the University of Hawai'i women's basketball team.

The past week's off-the-court problems haven't helped either.

Hopefully, for the Rainbow Wahine, the soothing will begin with last night's 61-48 victory over Utah State.

Janevia Taylor had season highs with 21 points and 13 rebounds, and Brittany Grice added 18 points as the Rainbow Wahine ended a four-game losing streak before 329 at the Stan Sheriff Center.

"We finished the game. We hadn't finished the game the past four," Hawai'i head coach Jim Bolla said.

Hawai'i improved to 11-6 overall and 2-4 in the WAC. Utah State dropped to 1-15 and 0-6.

Taylor, a 5-foot-5 junior guard, entered the game shooting 29.8 percent from the floor, but made 8-of-11 shots primarily on slashing drives to the basket.

"I've struggled and done things in and out of the offense," Taylor said. "I didn't have any turnovers, I ran through our offense."

Taylor recently was moved to the shooting guard spot and it allowed her to use her quickness to sneak inside and steal rebounds from taller players.

"I was going after every loose ball and rebound," Taylor said. "That was the emphasis on my mind tonight, and that should be on my mind every game."

Hawai'i finished with a 43-31 edge in rebounds.

Grice, a 6-4 junior center, did her damage inside. During one stretch, she scored eight consecutive Rainbow points as Hawai'i went up 12-5 with 10:40 remaining before halftime.

"She got some really good passes," Bolla said. "When we have her isolated, we have to be able to get the ball to her and we had some people give her some nice passes to put her in position to get some nice scores."

Grice scored 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting in the first half. She fouled out with 5:22 left in the game.

"We just came with the more aggressive mindset all across the board," Grice said. "I'm a post player, I spend most of my time in the paint and I wanted to step up my aggressiveness."

Hawai'i senior guard Amy Sanders struggled from the field (3 of 11), but contributed seven assists and eight rebounds.

"Amy didn't shoot the ball well, but she does other things," Bolla said.

The Aggies trailed 19-11 with 7:22 left before the break, but Ashley Rutledge ignited an 11-2 run by hitting two 3-pointers from the left wing. A spinning floater in the lane by Camille Brox gave Utah State a 22-21 lead with 2:45 remaining.

"There have been a lot of games when we dig ourselves a hole in the first half and we have to claw our way back and make it a 2- or 3-point game," Utah State head coach Raegan Pebley said. "At that point it takes so much out of you."

The Rainbow Wahine took a 29-26 halftime lead and began to pull away early in the second half by scoring off backdoor cuts.

"They were really trying to put a lot of pressure on us, so we ran our offense which we call the 8," Bolla said. "It's really simple, kind of a figure-8, and it's real effective when teams put pressure on you. You can get backdoor cuts, layups and even some nice little 8- to 10-foot jump shots."

Hawai'i sophomore guard Saundra Cariaga and junior forward Pam Tambini, who were sent home and suspended after a 77-52 loss at Fresno State on Saturday for violating curfew, didn't play last night.

Bolla said Tambini had a fever earlier in the day and went home. He added Cariaga didn't get in because he felt comfortable with the rotations he used.

Junior center Alofa Toiaivao, also sent home from Fresno, is still suspended indefinitely.

Hawai'i will host Nevada tomorrow night at 7. The Rainbow Wahine won at Nevada on Jan. 5, then went on their four-game skid.

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.