Box Score

LAS CRUCES, N.M.—The University of Hawai`i women's basketball team (9-16, 3-9 WAC) snapped it's 18-game conference losing streak with a 57-52 win at New Mexico State (10-14, 4-6 WAC). Megan Tinnin marked her return to her home state with a team-high 14 points while Kamilah Jackson grabbed a game-high 14 boards on Tuesday night at the Pan American Center.

 

The Rainbow Wahine brought two road losing streaks to an end tonight. First, the 18-game Western Athletic Conference losing  skid was broken. UH's last WAC road win came on Jan. 30, 2009 at Utah State, 63-61. It also snapped UH's 19-game DI road losing streak. Hawai`i's last win was their 2009-10 season opener at UC Riverside, 63-58 on 11/17/09). UH defeated Division II BYU-H in Laie last season 76-46 on Dec. 4, 2009.

Hawai`i has now won three of its last four games to start the second round of the Western Athletic Conference. The game was won on a true team effort by the Rainbow Wahine with four players tallying double-digits in points and UH out-rebounding the Aggies, 52-to-32. The 'Bows were able to outscore NMSU in the paint 24-to-16 and in “second-chance” points, 10-2.

 

Leading the charge was Tinnin, whose 14 points came on 5-of-14 shooting from the floor and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. Tinnin started the game sinking one of her two 3-pointers on the night. She also added three rebounds, an assist, a block and a pair of steals.

 

Two UH players—Keisha Kanekoa and Shawna-Lei Kuehu both added 11 points a piece. Kanekoa—who scored nine of her 11 points in the second half—also contributed with five rebounds with an assist, while Kuehu continued her strong play in conference with six boards, an assist, a block and team-high three steals. For Kanekoa, her 11 points moved her past former UH great Ayesha Brooks for 10th all-time in the UH scoring record book. The senior guard from Honoka`a now has 1,139 points, passing the mark set by Brooks of 1,131 to enter the top 10 in scoring.

 

Jackson added 10 points to go with her 14 rebounds—nine of which came in the second half to help put the game away. She also broke a significant record tonight. She moved past UH's most decorated  All-American, Judy Mosely's record of nine double-doubles set in her freshman season 1996-97. Jackson now has 10 double-doubles in her freshman season. It was Jackson's first double-double since her 16 point, 17 rebound performance at Idaho on Jan. 13 earlier this year.

 

The 'Bows took a five point lead, 26-21 into the half and came out and built their lead up to nine points on a Tinnin layup at the 18:08 mark. The Aggies, however, battled back to eventually take a two-point lead on a Jasmine Lowe trey with 9:17 left in the game.

 

Hawai`i didn't panic, instead, they stuck to their game plan and regained the lead on a Kuehu layup with 8:35 left to play and never looked back. NMSU could only get as close as three points before the 'Bows would respond with clutch shots, shooting 45.5% from the floor to end the game.

 

New Mexico State's Madison Spence led the Aggies with a double-double of 16 points (game-high) and 10 rebounds plus a game-high five assists.

 

Hawai`i concludes its three-game roadtrip in Ruston, La. where they will face conference leaders Louisiana Tech on Thursday, Feb. 17 at 7:00 pm.

 

 

                                                                                                                  -UH-