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HONOLULU—The University of Hawai`i women's basketball team (3-2, 0-0 Big West) fought hard all game, but it was the West Virginia Mountaineers (3-1, 0-0 Big 12) who captured the Bank of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine Classic title with a 59-56 win over the 'Bows on Sunday night at the Stan Sheriff Center. With her 10 rebounds in tonight's game, senior Kamilah Jackson became just the second Rainbow Wahine in history to ever record over 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 points. Jackson earned Most Valuable Player honors after recording her third straight double-double of the season. 
 
Jackson scored 15 points and 10 rebounds to lead Hawai`i on 6-of-9 shooting—including one trey on three attempts. She secured her milestone rebound with 5:44 left in the game. She now has 46 career double-doubles and Jackson has led the 'Bows in rebounds in every game thus far this season. She has also had the team-high in points in 4-of-5 games this year. Last night, she became UH's No. 6 all-time scorer, moving past former UH great Kendis Leeburg's 1,266 career points. Jackson now has 1,291 points after scoring a season-high 30 points last night and 15 more tonight.
 
Fellow senior, Sydney Haydel, also scored a team-high 15 points—just one bucket shy of her career high. Haydel came out in the first half on fire, sinking all four of her field goal attempts including a 3-pointer to go with her 3-of-5 shooting from the free throw line to lead UH at the half with 12 points. She tied her career high sinking two treys in the game while also adding two rebounds and a steal.
 
Hawai`i battled the taller Mountaineers all night, but were just edged out on the glass, 32-to-31 rebounds. It was a total team effort on the boards with eight out of the 10 players who played all getting at least one rebounds. The 'Bows were also outscored in the paint by just two points, 22-to-20 But Hawai'i outscored WVU 12-to-9 on second chance points and 13-to-7 on bench scoring. In a defensive game on both ends, UH committed just one turnover less than their counterparts, 19-to-20.
 
The Rainbow Wahine held the high-scoring Mountaineers to just 59 points after they had averaged 87 in the previous two tournament games. UH also held WVU to just 41.3% shooting after they had been scoring over 51.7% for the tourney.
 
Hawai'i led at one point in the game, 7-5 after a Jackson layup, but the Mountaineers retook the lead on a trey by Linda Stepney and never looked back. UH kept the game close but trailed for the rest of  the first half, never letting WVU get ahead by more than nine points. UH held the Mountaineers to just 37.5 shooting in the first half and the 'Bows entered the break trailing 28-24.
 
Hawai'i actually outscored West Virginia in the second half, 32-31 and tied the game at 38-38 with 12:56 to go on a pair of Destiny King free throws. But, then West Virginia went on a 12-to-2 run to go up 50-40 with 9:10 left in the game. UH never quite recovered although they kept fighting, cutting their deficit twice to just three points with less than a minute left in the game. The loss snapped UH's three-game win streak after UH defeated Northern Arizona on the road and Washington State and Ole Miss in the tournament. 
 
The Mountaineers were led by center Asya Bussie who scored a game-high 16 points--10 of which came on free throws. She also led WVU with seven rebounds. Bria Holmes chipped in 15 points as well and was 7-of-10 shooting from the floor.

The game was marred at the end by a melee that broke out between fans in the stands. The skirmish negated the post-game all-tournament honors and team trophy presentation.

Hawai'i has this upcoming week off and will next host the Waikiki Beach Marriott Rainbow Wahine Showdown from Nov. 29-Dec. 1. The 'Bows will battle Colorado State, UT Chattanooga, and MInnesota.

 
2013 Bank of Hawaii All-Tournament Team
Asya Bussie, West Virginia
Lia Galdeira, Washington State
Christal Caldwell, West Virginia
Valencia McFarland, Ole Miss
Shawna-Lei Kuehu, Hawai'i
 
Most Valuable Player - Kamilah Jackson, Hawai'i