The shortest player on the floor stood tallest.

Hawaii’s 5-foot-8 point guard Tia Kanoa corralled two offensive rebounds in the final four minutes, leading to five extra points for the Rainbow Wahine — precisely the winning margin of UH’s 65-60 upset of two-time defending Big West champion UC Davis on Saturday afternoon at the Stan Sheriff Center.

“Our coaches applauded us as a team for outrebounding them (by nine),” said the senior, who played one of her finest all-around games with 15 points, eight boards and seven assists. “They gave me some accolades on me getting rebounds. But I don’t get those rebounds if my posts aren’t boxing out, because they’re monsters on the rebounding. They’re going for it. It opens it up for us guards to go pursue the ball.”

After trailing by five entering the fourth quarter — and by six with under six minutes to play — UH outscored UCD 18-4 to capture the game. It ended a three-game slide for UH (5-10, 1-1 BWC), as well as a six-game run by UC Davis (9-6, 1-1).

Aggies forward Morgan Bertsch, the No. 8 scorer in Big West women’s hoops history, fouled out with 29 points on 13-for-28 shooting. The Aggies went the final 5:21 without a field goal (0-for-7), including four misses by Bertsch.

The first of Kanoa’s big boards came on a missed 3 with under four minutes left. She hustled the width of the court to snare it amid three UC Davis players, swung the ball, got it back and swished a 3 to bring the Wahine within a point.

The second came with UH up a point in the final minute. An errant triple bounced into the paint, and somehow Kanoa came away with it. UC Davis was forced to take fouls and forward Kenna Woodfolk drained the free throws.

“It’s amazing. She’s probably one of the best point guard rebounders that I know,” said Woodfolk, who scored 19 to bust out of a recent slump.

The 6-foot-4 Bertsch, all knees and elbows, plays with deceptive grace and recently eclipsed the 2,000-point plateau. She had a 40-point game at Sacramento State on Dec. 7 and reached double-figure scoring for the 50th straight game Saturday.

UH shot only 35.8 percent but minimized its key weaknesses — committing fouls (12) and turnovers (nine) — to give itself a chance.

“They believed completely in the game plan. The practices this week were outstanding with their energy and their effort,” coach Laura Beeman said. “Morgan Bertsch is special. She’s just an amazing player. She’s going to get her points. We emphasized … let’s make her work, not let her get to the free-throw line.”

Bertsch was only 2-for-3 at the stripe, and UC Davis 7-for-10 as a team to UH’s 18-for-22.

UH dodged a bullet when Woodfolk fouled out on Karley Eaton’s 3 attempt with 12 seconds left. Eaton made the first two to bring her team within 63-60 and intentionally missed the third. UC Davis got the rebound and Kourtney Eaton missed a good look at a 3.

Kanoa got the rebound and made two free throws to seal it with seven seconds left.

UC Davis closed an offensively challenged first half on a 9-2 run to tie it up at 24 at halftime.

Beeman read a tribute to the late congresswoman Patsy T. Mink to the crowd of 426 (including some of Mink’s family) before heading to the locker room.

UH next hosts Cal State Northridge on Thursday.