Rainbow Wahine rally past Tulsa, 66-64
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
A second-half surge and that weird and wonderful — if you happen to be home — WAC basketball homecourt advantage combined to push the Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine past Tulsa, 66-64, last night.
A gathering of 613 at Stan Sheriff Center watched a replay of pretty much every Hawai'i road game this season, only the home version had a different ending for a team that is 0-7 away from paradise. This was one that did not get away.
The Rainbows launched an offensive in the second half, erasing a 34-26 halftime hole they had dug themselves. They tied the game at 43 with 12:53 showing. Hawai'i outscored the Golden Hurricane 23-11 to open the half, behind Michelle Gabriel's outside game and April Atuaia, Jade Abele and Kim Willoughby inside.
The Rainbows then hung on grimly. Tulsa tied it at 53 before UH went on an 8-2 run that forced the Golden Hurricane to waste fouls and precious time to try and get Hawai'i to the foul line.
Ultimately that didn't work. Gabriel scored a career-high 18 for the 'Bows, sinking 5-of-6 free throws in the final 40 seconds. Atuaia added 15 points, going 2 of 4 from the foul line in the last 19 seconds.
"I think we played better when we were a little tired and wounded in the second half than we did in the first half," UH coach Vince Goo said. "We didn't play real gutty in the first half when we got tired. They just out-played us."
He told his players they looked "scared" at halftime. Assistant Gavin Petersen said they looked like they were "at a funeral."
"All of us woke up," Gabriel said. "Too bad we can't do that on the road."
The victory gives Hawai'i (13-11) sole possession of fifth place at 7-8, which doesn't sound great but is a dramatic improvement over the fifth-place tie it would have been in had it lost. The bottom four teams meet in "play-in" games the first day of the WAC Tournament.
Tulsa (13-13) dropped into fourth at 8-7 despite Allison Curtin. The all-Big 10 transfer from Illinois finished with a game-high 27 despite missing her first nine shots in the second half. She scored her last six in the final 35 seconds to help cut into what had been a six-point UH advantage.
Her last basket came with four seconds and the 'Bows dribbled out the remaining time — just as the Hurricane had in a 45-42 win over UH earlier this month. That game followed almost the same script but in Tulsa it was Hawai'i desperately fouling at the end.
"There was more heart in the second half tonight, more fire," Gabriel said. "You could see it in our eyes. On the road frustration just kicks in."
Curtin controlled the first half, leaving defenders lurching at her on drives and pulling up from the outside when they gave her space. Hawai'i took a 17-10 lead, but missed its next nine shots while Curtin began to cut holes in the defense. The combination turned the game around and the Hurricane scored the final seven points of the half.
Then Hawai'i got mad, and even.
"We got a little tired and our legs got a little slower," Tulsa coach Kathy McConnell-Miller said. "Give Hawai'i credit. They pressured. They did what they needed to do."
Rainbow senior Christen Roper rejected Curtin halfway through the second half to tie the 8-year-old WAC career block record. Roper broke it a few minutes later with the 268th block of her career.
OVER AND BACK: Tomorrow's final home game is also Senior Night. Michelle Gabriel, Natasja Allen and Christen Roper will be honored. Junior Julia Washington, who is graduating in May, will also be in her final game at Stan Sheriff Center.
