Washington State senior guard Dawnyelle Awa probably couldn’t have asked for a better Hawaii homecoming.
With friends and family watching, the former Konawaena standout tallied a career-high 16 points in her return to the islands, leading Washington State (4-0) to a 62-52 win over Hawaii (3-1) and the Bank of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine Classic title on Sunday.
In addition to Awa, freshman Borislava Hristova (16 points) and senior Taylor Edmondson (10) scored in double digits. Hristova was named the tournament’s MVP, averaging 19.5 points across two games, while Awa picked up all-tournament team honors.
The Cougars forced the Rainbow Wahine into 23 turnovers, including 14 steals. Sophomore Louise Brown led WSU with a season-high eight rebounds, while fellow sophomore Bianca Blanaru recorded three blocks.
Awa — a four-time All-State selection and former Hawaii Gatorade Girls High School Player of the Year — also added five steals and a pair of rebounds and assists to her stat line.
In a physical game with 42 total fouls, the Cougars came out strong, taking a slim four-point lead midway through the first quarter. Hawaii would fight back using an 11-1 run in the second quarter to build an eight-point lead with three minutes to play in the first half. However, Washington State responded to the Hawaii run, rattling off eight unanswered points to enter the break with a 32-31 lead. WSU’s Edmondson scored eight second-quarter points to lead the Cougars in the period.
Returning from the break, WSU continued its strong run. Spanning halftime, the Cougars went on a 17-4 run from the end of the second quarter to midway through the third quarter. The Rainbow Wahine fought back late in the period, coming within four points at the end of the quarter.
Hawaii looked to erase its deficit in the fourth quarter, but the Cougars’ tenacious defense held the Rainbow Wahine to just six points in the final 10 minutes. WSU forced UH into seven turnovers in the final period and held the Warriors to 2-of-11 (.182) from the field. Awa scored six points in the fourth quarter to break her previous career high of 13 points set against Nebraska in 2013.
The Cougars will return to Pullman for Thanksgiving Break to host San Jose State in a matchup on Friday.
Hawaii will host the Waikiki Beach Marriott Rainbow Wahine Showdown that runs from Nov. 27-29. The Rainbow Wahine have games against CSU Bakersfield, Arizona State and South Carolina on the schedule.