Box Score

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Hawai`i and New Mexico State played overtime for the second time this season and this time around UH made sure the result would be different. The Rainbow Wahine avenged January's double-overtime loss in Honolulu with a 74-71 road overtime win Thursday night at the Pan American Center.

Hawai'i moved to 18-8 overall and 9-6 in the Western Athletic Conference with their fifth straight win and seventh win in the last eight games. UH also improved to 7-2 on the road this year and have now won four straight away from home. The Aggies (8-19, 5-11 WAC) closed their regular-season having lost seven of its last eight games.

Senior guard Amy Sanders led UH with a season-high 21 points. Junior Janevia Taylor posted 16 points, including five straight in overtime that gave UH the lead for good. Sophomore post Tanya Smith also came up big with 14 points and a career-high 18 rebounds. Jenean Ford led New Mexico State with 24 points and 15 rebounds.

UH's win, coupled with Nevada's loss at San Jose State, put the Rainbow Wahine in sole possession of third place in the WAC. The Rainbow Wahine can clinch the third seed in next week's conference tournament with a win at Louisiana Tech or a Nevada loss at Fresno State on Saturday.

The game marked UH's third comeback win in the last four games. Hawai'i trailed by eight at halftime and by as many as nine points early in the second half. Again the Rainbow Wahine gutted out a victory with tough defense and clutch offense. UH trailed 41-32 with 17 minutes remaining but over the next five minutes went on a 14-3 run to take the lead.

UH built their lead to as many as five points, before the Aggies knotted the game at 63-63 with 2:26 remaining. Both teams squandered numerous opportunities in the final minutes as the rest of regulation went scoreless. Monique Bribiescas' failed on a jumper with 10 seconds remaining, while Taylor grabbed the rebound and raced coast-to-coast before missing a fadeway jumper at the buzzer.

The Aggie scored the first three points of overtime, but UH tallied the next seven and would not trail again. Taylor's 3-pointer from the right wing at the 1:56 mark gave UH its first lead in overtime, 68-66, and her jumper on UH's next possession extended the lead to four. UH finished its scoring by going 4-of-6 from the line. In the first meeting in January, Hawai`i missed a whopping 20 free throws in falling to the Aggies. This time around, the Rainbow Wahine converted on 20-of-28 attempts. Sanders' two free throws with six seconds provide the final margin, though the game was not over until Cecilia Russell-Nava's one-handed, underhanded heave from just inside half court bounced off the back rim.

The Rainbow Wahine next travel to Ruston, La., where they conclude their regular-season schedule at #18 Louisiana Tech. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. CST.

-UH-