Clemson downs Hawai’i in San Diego Classic as comeback sputters late

Keep a short memory. 

The University of Hawai’i women’s basketball team lost for the third time in four games on Friday afternoon, fighting hard but ultimately falling to the Clemson Tigers in the San Diego Classic, 72-58. Summah Evans led the charge for Clemson, scoring 16 points in 23 minutes of work as the Tigers’ reserves outscored the Rainbow Wahine bench, 45-32. 

Brooklyn Rewers scored a season-high 16 points off the pine for Hawai’i, who was without the services of guards Kelsie Imai and Jovi Lefotu after both players went down with injuries late against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Freshman guard Kira-May Filemu made her first career start for UH, appearing in just her fourth game of the year while Daejah Phillips returned from a one-game absence after leaving with an injury in the fourth quarter in Hawai’i’s overtime loss against Long Beach State. 

Clemson started off lava-hot, shooting 75% from the floor and drilling six three-pointers in the opening 10 minutes of action to take a commanding 24-9 lead after one period. Hawai’i struggled offensively, hitting 3-of-11 shots to begin play and going 0-for-4 from long range to head into the second quarter down by 15. 

After falling down by as many as 20, the Rainbow Wahine snapped out of the shooting funk with an Imani Perez triple with 6:57 left in the first half, sparking a 12-2 run by UH on the back of four consecutive makes from distance. Back-to-back finishes by Rewers and Perez brought Hawai’i back within single digits before a MeiLani McBee three-pointer at the buzzer sent the Big West power into the locker room down by only six, 35-29. 

The momentum continued into the start of the third for Hawai’i, pulling as close as two with 7:45 left in the period after McBee finished off a feed after a Ritorya Tamilo steal, but the continued hot long-range shooting of Clemson pushed the margin back up to eight after a pair of triples from Mia Moore and Addie Porter. The Rainbow Wahine and Tigers would trade baskets for the rest of the frame, seeing the ACC representatives take a 50-42 advantage into the final 10 minutes of play. 

The Tigers threw a killer blow to UH’s comeback hopes to begin the fourth quarter, rattling off the first seven points of the period and forcing a quick timeout from Laura Beeman less than three minutes into the action. Threes from Jade Peacock and Brooklyn Rewers would pull Hawai’i back within 12, but the Rainbow Wahine could not get closer as Clemson closed out the win, 72-58. 

Jade Peacock scored nine points off the bench for UH, tying a career-best with three made three-pointers. Imani Perez added nine points while Mia ‘Uhila had one of her best games of the year with five points and a season-high six assists in the loss. 

Hawai’i returns to action on Saturday, taking on tournament host San Diego State at 1:30 p.m. HT (3:30 p.m. PT) for the team’s final game of the 2024 calendar year and final game before Big West play.