The Hawaii women’s basketball team hung tough with No. 12 North Carolina State for more than 37 minutes before the Wolfpack used a late 9-0 run to beat the host Rainbow Wahine 68-59 today at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Senior guard Julissa Tago scored a season-high 23 points for UH (3-4), which dropped its third straight heading into Sunday’s 2:30 p.m. contest with Texas (4-3) to conclude the Heineken Rainbow Wahine Showdown.

Amy Atwell’s 3-pointer with 2:40 left brought UH within 59-58. But the Wahine would not score again until Atwell’s free throw with nine seconds left.

NC State (7-0) of the Atlantic Coast Conference won the rebounding battle by 18 but the Wahine turned it over only six times and hit 11 3-pointers to stay in it. Tago connected on four of 11 from long range.