Honolulu— The University of Hawaii women's basketball team came up short to Pepperdine 65-64 in the 2018-19 season opener on Tuesday evening at the Stan Sheriff Center.
 
The two squads traded buckets throughout the night, as neither team had a lead of more than eight points.  Junior forward Makenna Woodfolk hit two free throws with a minute and 10 seconds in regulation to break a 62-62 tie to put UH up 64-62. The Waves answered shortly after as Paige Fecske hit a three-point bucket with nine seconds on the clock to give them the lead at 65-64.
 
After UH called a timeout for one file play, junior guard Savannah Reier pulled up from 10-feet out in the right wing for a game-winning jumper. Her effort fell short as time expired for the eventual final.
 
"Tonight didn't come down to the final play," said head coach Laura Beeman. "We gave up too many offensive rebounds and had too many turnovers. Even though we had those mistakes, we are in a really good position. This team is filled with fighters; we are going to be fine."
 
UH gave up 12 offensive rebounds, resulting in 14-second-chance points for the Waves. As a whole, UH lost the rebounding battle 32-31. The 'Bows committed 21 turnovers on the night, as the Waves flipped those into 19 points off turnovers.
 
As a team, UH showed one significant positive in the box score compared to last season. In the 2017-18 campaign, UH shot 69 percent from the free throw line, on the opening night of this season, they hit 25-of-29 from the line for 86 percent.
 
Woodfolk led the with a team-high 18 points, along with three rebounds, and three assists. Junior guard Courtney Middap added 14 points for a new career-high as she went 8-for-8 from the charity stripe.  Senior guard Leah Salanoa turned in a team-high 33 minutes, pulling down a team-high eight rebounds and added seven points.
 
The 'Bows now head to California for their first road trip of the season, as they visit San Diego State on Friday, followed by San Diego on Sunday.