Cold-shooting Wahine fall to Washington

Another bout of offensive futility did in the Hawaii women’s basketball season for good.

The Rainbow Wahine shot a season-worst 26.6 percent and committed 21 turnovers at Washington on Friday, resulting in a 67-50 defeat and second straight first-round exit in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.

With that, another season of relative success under second-year coach Laura Beeman concluded at 17-14 an identical record to 2012-13.

"When they needed to hit big shots, they did," Beeman said of the host Huskies of the Pac-12. "We could not. We missed layups, bunnies, 3s. We just didn’t have it tonight offensively."

It followed an untimely late-season trend for the Wahine. In two games last week in the Big West tournament, they shot 31.1 percent and 32.1 percent, scoring in the low 50s both times.

"You know, I think these are big games," Beeman said. "And if you don’t put yourself in big-game situations in practice where you’re going hard and you have ice in your veins and you just hit shots, when it’s a big game and you’re nervous and it’s on the line, the basket gets a whoooole lot smaller."

The Wahine finished 1-4 against Pac-12 opposition this season, including 0-4 on the mainland. It was UH’s fifth straight loss in WNIT games.

Seniors Kamilah Jackson, Sydney Haydel, Pua Kailiawa and Diane Moore each played her last game in a Wahine uniform. Co-captain Shawna Kuehu is technically a senior but the team is optimistic she will receive another year of eligibility from the NCAA.

"The team’s disappointed that we couldn’t come out with this win and move on," Kuehu said. "But we’re really blessed because we look at how far we’ve come and the things we’re able to accomplish, individually and as a team. And so when you walk away from something like this, you kind of have to let it go. What’s done is done everything comes to the offseason. That’s what the returners are looking forward to. You know, let’s get it done."

Jackson ended her 1,000-point, 1,000-rebound career with 10 points and eight rebounds off the bench. It was a much stronger effort than her scoreless 18 minutes versus Cal Poly in a return from a foot injury last week. Sophomore Destiny King led UH with 13 points on 4-for-8 shooting, but no other player shot better than 40 percent from the field.

The Wahine grabbed a season-high 59 rebounds including 24 on the offensive end but were unable to make good on a plus-11 margin on the glass and a meager 32.9 percent shooting night by the Huskies. UH shot 2-for-11 (13.3 percent) on 3s and 14-for-25 (56 percent) at the free-throw line, while dishing just four assists.

UW extended its lead to as many as 21 late with a 14-2 run. The Husky backcourt of Kelsey Plum (24 points) and Jazmine Davis (22 points) was as good as advertised Plum is the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and did most of the damage.

Both teams started slow. After King hit a floater to get UH within 31-25, UW closed the period with a 3-pointer to take a nine-point lead at halftime.

UH shot 29.6 percent and committed 12 turnovers in the first period.

"We had a little struggle getting into that rhythm," Kuehu said. "Washington was a good team. They had their two main guards, they were scoring at will. But it really came down to hitting free throws and our turnovers."

UW grabbed 18 offensive rebounds, in conjunction with UH’s turnover-fest, attempted a whopping 73 field goals.

Beeman lauded her seniors after the loss, then turned her attention to her projected returnees and the summer months that await.

"I think they’re a group that’s disappointed, that feels yeah, we aren’t hitting shots and doing some of the things we need to do," Beeman said. "So I think their commitment in the offseason will improve."