Hawai'i comes up short at SMU

Advertiser Staff

Hawai'i played 36 quality minutes against SMU yesterday, but it was the final four minutes that did it in.

Shanta Ramdhanny and Andrea Cossey scored 17 points apiece as the Mustangs beat the Rainbow Wahine, 66-56, in Dallas by going on a 15-3 run to end the game.

SMU (7-5, 1-1 Western Athletic Conference) had lost six straight to Hawai'i (8-4, 2-1).

"They finished the last four minutes of the game 15-3 on us," Hawai'i coach Vince Goo said. "We were 1-of-9 on offense (during the run). You're not going to win a lot of ball games like that."

Hawai'i took a 53-51 lead on Christen Roper's layup with 4:10 remaining, but Cossey scored seven consecutive points to put SMU up for good.

It was the Rainbow Wahine's first road game of the season.

"I don't think we were worn down," Goo said. "We played hard; playing away is tough."

Things won't get much easier for the Rainbows as they next face No. 12 Louisiana Tech tomorrow in Ruston, La.

"I've been saying all along this is our toughest road trip," Goo said. "SMU is a good team, Louisiana Tech is a very good team, obviously."

Jade Abele scored 15, Roper had 13 points and nine rebounds, and Kim Willoughby added 11 points and eight rebounds for Hawai'i.

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