The Hawaii women’s basketball team couldn’t maintain a hot start in a 71-59 loss to New Mexico State in the first round of the Western Athletic Conference tournament in Las Vegas tonight.

UH, which won five of eight games in the second half of WAC play, saw its season come to an end with a 44-point second half by the Aggies.

Seventh-seeded UH (11-19) couldn’t replicate its 57-52 win at NMSU on Feb. 15, though the Rainbow Wahine looked on their way to the quarterfinals in the early going. UH led 18-9, but sixth-seeded NMSU (14-17) came back to take a one-point halftime lead and backed that up with 7-for-11 shooting on 3-pointers by guards Jasmine Lowe and Denisha Corbett, mostly after the break.

UH forwards Breanna Arbuckle and Kamilah Jackson each posted double-doubles in the loss. It was Jackson’s 13th of her freshman season, extending her record.

Freshman wing Shawna Kuehu returned from a three-game absence for concussion-like symptoms to score 

NMSU advanced to face third-seeded Utah State tomorrow.