Wahine put Hawai'i into the big time

Much has been written about the so-called "Pit" — the 18,018-seat University Arena, home to the University of New Mexico Lobos. It is said that crowds in this arena are loud enough to make your teeth hurt.

And that's where the upstart University of Hawai'i Wahine basketball team ended a spectacular year and a tradition-building season. They simply didn't have another heart-stopping comeback in them as they fell to New Mexico 68-43 Saturday in a game that decided who would advance to the Women's National Invitation Tournament championship game.

Still, the Wahine returned to Hawai'i as champions in every sense of the word. They put Hawai'i women's basketball on the map and set in motion what may well be a tradition of post-season play for the Wahine.

They will be back. And in the future, our bet is that both the NIT and the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament will be bidding for their interest.