Another spirited comeback wasted. Another box score filled with ugly objective truths. Another round of questions about where this Rainbow Wahine basketball team is headed.

And with the Western Athletic Conference season just days away, Hawai'i head coach Jim Bolla has seen enough.

"We're just going to play our young people," Bolla said after a 67-55 loss to Colorado yesterday. "I told them, we had people fading away when they're supposed to be going up for the rebound. They're not going to play. We're going to get tough and we're going to start playing the way we need to play. Enough of this watching the video. Enough of this getting on them in practice. If you want playing time, you've got to go in there and play."

The Rainbow Wahine erased a 15-point first-half deficit then imploded down the stretch, shooting just 25 percent in the second period and allowing Colorado to control the paint in yesterday's conclusion of the Jack in the Box Rainbow Wahine Classic at Stan Sheriff Center.

With the loss, the Rainbows concluded their pre-conference season with a 3-10 record.

Bianca Smith led the Buffaloes with 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting (including 6 of 7 from 3-point range) to go with seven rebounds and three steals. Teammate Kara Richards scored all 12 of her points and grabbed all seven of her rebounds in a dominating second-half performance that sealed the game for Colorado. Brittany Spears added 14 points, six rebounds, four blocks and two steals.

The Rainbow Wahine, who were without injured starters Keisha Kanekoa and Sarah Ilic, were led by Catherine Cho, who scored a career-high 15 points and handed out four assists. Freshman Breanna Arbuckle added 12 points and three rebounds. The Wahine also got nine points, seven rebounds and an assist from Briauna Linton in just 13 minutes of play.

Colorado raced to a 17-2 lead behind the outside shooting of Smith, who scored 12 points, nine off 3-pointers, in the first nine minutes before leaving briefly to stretch her back.

And while the Buffaloes were rolling, the Wahine appeared out of sync early.

With the shot clock winding down on two separate possessions, Hawai'i came away with nothing but a wild bank shot from Tara Hittle that failed to touch the rim and a turnover.

Later, freshman Rebecca Dew was unable to control a pass near the top of the key, allowing it to bounce into the backcourt. Rather than grab the ball to kill the possession, Dew watched as Smith scooped up the ball and drove to the basket. Dew was then forced to foul Smith, who converted one of two free-throw attempts.

The Rainbow Wahine committed 10 turnovers in the first half, which led to 14 Colorado points.

With little production from his starters, Bolla went to his bench for a spark — and they responded in a big way.

With Cho leading a shifting on-court roster that included freshmen Arbuckle, Linton, Jennifer Hamilton and Katie Wilson, St. John's transfer Allie Patterson, sophomore Leilani Galdones and senior Hittle (playing just her second game after joining the team following the conclusion of the volleyball season), the Wahine managed to chip away at what had been a commanding Buffaloes lead.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Cho and Galdones brought the Wahine to within four points in the closing minutes of the half, and UH trailed by just seven going into the second period.

"We get it to four (with) three freshmen, a walk-on and a volleyball player," Bolla said. "So we made a nice run with that group, then in the second half we came out and just couldn't do anything with it."

Bolla went small with Cho, Galdones, Dita Liepkalne, Arbuckle and Hittle to start the second half, and the strategy paid off in the short term as a pair of baskets by Arbuckle and another 3-pointer by Galdones tied the game, 36-36, to start the second period.

But Colorado responded by pounding the ball inside to 6-foot-4 senior Kara Richards.

With Richards scoring and rebounding at will and Smith again heating up from outside, the Rainbow Wahine were overmatched on the defensive end and could do little right on offense. Down just four points after a 3-pointer by Cho, the Wahine found themselves on the wrong end of a 16-1 run that effectively sealed the game midway through the half.

The Rainbow Wahine scored the last eight points on free throws but never seriously threatened the Colorado win.

The UH bench finished with 35 of the team's 55 points. The Rainbows outrebounded the Buffaloes 38-32, including a 17-9 advantage on the offensive glass, but could do little with their opportunities, shooting just 8 of 32 from the field in the second half.

Bolla acknowledged that his team is lacking in experience, especially with Kanekoa on the shelf with an ankle injury, but he said he is looking forward to better play as the team enters WAC play.

"Now it all starts for real," Bolla said. "You clean the slate and everything starts over again."

The Rainbow Wahine open the WAC season on the road against Fresno State on Thursday.

"It's definitely frustrating but at the same time you've got to stick your head up and remember this is preseason," Cho said.