San Jose State stops Rainbow Wahine
By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer
Lamisha Augustine's surgically repaired left knee faltered a bit last night but her shooting touch remained solid in a 56-54 victory over host Hawai'i.
Augustine sank the go-ahead basket with 27 seconds remaining and Hawai'i missed two shots in the final seconds of the Western Athletic Conference game before 590 at the Stan Sheriff Center.
"I was just playing my game," Augustine said of her go-ahead basket that was launched near the right elbow of the key. "All of my jump shots, I don't put pressure on myself. I just shoot it."
The red-hot Spartans won their fifth consecutive game and improved to 14-6 overall and 7-3 in the WAC. Hawai'i dropped its third consecutive game and fell to 8-9 and 4-6.
Hawai'i had two chances to tie the game in the final 20.6 seconds, but Janevia Taylor missed a 15-foot baseline jumper and Brittany Grice missed an eight-foot putback in the closing seconds.
Hawai'i was still recovering from a flu outbreak that affected eight players this week, including starting forward Amy Sanders who was briefly hospitalized.
Hawai'i coach Jim Bolla said the flu was no excuse for last night's loss and the Rainbow Wahine's poor 30 percent shooting (16 of 54).
"San Jose State is a very good team," Bolla said. "You've got to give them more credit than the flu. I'm not going to blame it on the flu. Our kids played hard. We were right there. We had opportunities to win this game. We just didn't."
Taylor scored 16 points, Alofa Toiaivao 12, Jade Abele 10, Sanders 10 and Grice added 13 rebounds for Hawai'i. Amber Jackson scored a game-high 17 points and had 10 rebounds, Augustine added 15 points and Jessica Kellogg 14 points for San Jose State.
On its final play, Hawai'i diagramed its standard sideline play that had Abele coming off multiple screens with other options that included a backdoor play to Taylor, or a skip pass to Sanders for a 3-point shot.
However, the play broke down and Taylor ended up taking a shot that did not reach the rim.
"It's all about choices," Taylor said. "We made some good choices and we made some bad ones. In crucial games like this, it comes down to a choice. I think coming down to that last shot, I made a bad choice."
The Rainbow Wahine — who trailed by as many as 11 points in the second half — tied the game at 52 on a putback by Sanders, who was fouled on the play. Sanders missed the free throw, but Hawai'i took a 54-52 lead on its next possession on Toiaivao's basket with 1:27 remaining.
On the ensuing possession, San Jose State's Jackson sank a basket as she was fouled by Toiaivao with 1:17 left. Jackson missed the free throw, and following a missed shot by Hawai'i, Augustine drained her go-ahead basket.
Augustine aggravated a left-knee injury and left the game with 5:52 remaining. She returned about two minutes later with an elastic bandage wrapped around her leg.
"This is the knee I had surgery on in April 2004; it's still giving me a little problem now and then," Augustine said. "I'm just a competitive person, I just wanted to be on the court."
The Spartans led 36-29 at halftime and increased their lead to 46-35 with 12:35 remaining.
In the first half, Hawai'i closed to 29-26 on a basket by Taylor, but San Jose State responded with a 7-0 run to take its biggest lead of the half at 36-26.
"We were down by seven at halftime and we always seem to come back," Abele said. "This time we came back, but we just couldn't pull a win off tonight."
Abele left with 13:38 remaining in the first half after she suffered a cut above her left eye in a collision with San Jose State's Nica Gemo. Abele returned to the game four minutes later with several bandages covering the wound.
Reach Brandon Masuoka at bmasuoka@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2458.
