The UH Hilo women's basketball team put up a valiant effort, but Academy of Art University pulled ahead to escape with a 59-54 win recently in the Pacific West Conference quarterfinals at the Special Events Center.
"This was an emotional, tough loss for us," David Kaneshiro, Vulcans head coach and Pacific West Coach of the Year, said in a release on the school's website. "We give Academy of Art a lot of credit, they made some good plays and their free throws down the stretch. They made enough plays down the end to hold us off, but I couldn't be more proud of my team. One game does not define what we did this year."
The game saw seven lead changes and four ties.
At the start of the fourth quarter, the Vulcans were trailing by 2 when Mandi Kawaha hit a three-pointer to give Hilo a 45-44 lead. But the next time ART U grabbed the lead, it was for good.
The Vulcans were the sixth-seeded team, attending the conference tournament for the first time since 2014, the release said.
Kawaha led the Vulcans with 19 points. Sara Shimizu and Jenna Waki each had 9, and Nikki Miller added 8.
UH Hilo ended the season 14-10 overall and 11-8 in the Pacific West.