LAS CRUCES, N.M. — The University of Hawai‘i Rainbow Wahine basketball team saw its season come to an end with a 55-40 loss to host New Mexico State in the 2008 Western Athletic Conference Tournament quarterfinals yesterday at the Pan
LAS CRUCES, N.M. — The University of Hawai‘i Rainbow Wahine basketball team saw its season come to an end with a 55-40 loss to host New Mexico State in the 2008 Western Athletic Conference Tournament quarterfinals yesterday at the Pan American Center. Hawai‘i ended the year with a 12-18 overall mark, its first losing season in three years.
Hawai‘i’s drought in the WAC Tournament continued with its fifth straight loss in its opening game. UH has not won a conference tournament game since the 2003 quarterfinals in Tulsa, Okla.
The teams met just four days ago in Honolulu as the Aggies erased a 19-point deficit and hit the winning basket in the final seconds to beat the ‘Bows in the regular-season finale. The result this time around was equally frustrating for the Rainbow Wahine. UH, which entered the tournament as the No. 6 seed, suffered its worst offensive performance of the year, scoring a season-low 40 points, while shooting just 25 percent from the floor.
Hawai‘i sealed its fate with a miserable shooting performance in the first half. The Rainbow Wahine missed 19 of its first 21 shots and by halftime had shot just 17 percent (5-of-29).
Post players Tanya Smith (11) and Tara Hittle (11) combined for 21 points to lead UH.
