Fullerton, Calif.— The University of Hawai'i women's basketball team came up short in its third consecutive game with a 70-64 loss against Cal State Fullerton (CSF) Saturday evening at Titan Gym.
 
The Rainbow Wahine (14-13, 8-6) are now in a two-way tie for the No. 2 spot in the conference standings with the Titans (16-11, 8-6), as each has two games remaining on their schedules.
 
The first half featured UH trailing by as many as eight points on two separate occasions. Senior guard Julissa Tago paced the offense with 12 points in the first 20 minutes, shooting 5-of-9 from the floor.
 
As the 'Bows trailed 33-25 with under two minutes on the clock, back-to-back layups by Tago and junior center Lauren Rewers pulled UH closer at 33-29. In the final possession of the first half, Rewers took a shot from the top of the key, nailing a three-pointer and bringing UH within one at 33-32 going into the half.
 
The Titans began the third quarter with an 11-2 run, including three consecutive positions with a three-point bucket. The 'Bows answered quickly after a timeout by head coach Laura Beeman, with a 10-0 run of their own, ending the quarter at a 44-44 tie.
 
The fourth quarter saw momentum swing in favor of CSF with a 13-2 run, leading to UH being outscored 26-20 in the final 10 minutes.
 
Tago led the green and white with 26 points, giving her back-to-back games of 20 points or more for the second time this season. She also stands at 976 career-points, as she continues to work towards the 1,000 point milestone.
 
As a team, UH shot 34 percent for the night, and 28 percent from beyond the arc, compared to the Titans at 42 percent from the floor, and 47 percent from long distance. The 'Bows did feature one of their best nights at the free-throw line on the year, hitting 16-of-17 for 94 percent.
 
UH will return home for its final two games of the regular season, hosting UC Santa Barbara on Wednesday, Mar. 4 and Cal Poly on Saturday, Mar. 7. The battle with the Gauchos will have two teams fighting for position in the standings before the conference tournament, while the matchup with the Mustangs will be Senior Night.