Box Score Box Score

HONOLULU—The University of Hawai`i women's basketball team (5-10) loss to North Carolina State (10-3), 84-54 in the final game of the Pepsi Rainbow Wahine Invitational. It was a tale of two halves, as the 'Bows trailed by 29 in the first half, but battled back against the Wolfpack in the second half playing them almost even.
 
Hawai`i's freshman point guard Alissa Campanero had a team-high 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the floor—including a season-high four 3-pointers on eight attempts. She also chipped in with two rebounds and two assists in 37 minutes of action. Also scoring in double-figures was sophomore guard Kamilah Jackson who finished one rebound shy of notching her ninth double-double of the season with nine rebounds and 13 points.
 
Sparking the 'Bows with some gritty play was sophomore guard Sydney Haydel who came off the bench to score nine points with four rebounds, two assists and three steals. Also off the bench, centers Rebecca Dew and Kalei Adolpho both battled hard. Dew scored four points and grabbed five boards with two steals, while Adolpho posted four points and racked up nine rebounds and a season-high four blocked shots in just her second week on the basketball court.
 
In the first half, Hawai`i was blitzed by NC State, trailing at the half, 49-20. The 'Bows struggled to make four field goals, compared to the Wolfpack's 19 in the first 20 minutes. Contributing to the deficit were 15 first half turnovers which State converted into 19 points and the fact that the 'Bows had no assists in the first half.
 
But in the second half, UH competed much better and played much more physical, getting outscored just 35-34. The 'Bows committed just seven turnovers in the last 20 minutes and shot 18-for-22 from the free-throw line for 81.8%. Hawai`i also closed the rebounding gap, almost evening it up at 42-to-43. But in the end, NC State's size and athleticism was too much as UH was out-muscled in the paint, 36-to-16 while State's bench outscored UH's reserves 45-to-18.
 
NC State's Breezy Williams came off the bench to score a game-high 15 points to lead four other Wolfpack players in double figures.
 
Hawai`i now has a 15-day break before opening their final Western Athletic Conference season at San Jose State.
 
2011 Pepsi Rainbow Wahine Invitational All-Tournament Team
Kiara Ruffin, Alcorn State
Nicoya Jackson, Florida Gulf Coast
Kody Burke, North Carolina State
Breanna Arbuckle, Hawai`i
Eglah Griffin, Florida Gulf Coast
 
Most Valuable Player
Marissa Kastanek, NC State