Momentum is a funny thing. Hard to get, even harder to get back.

Hawaii had all of it going on its side until late in the first half and had none of it when it was really needed — at the end. It cost the Rainbow Wahine the game and the championship of the Bank of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine Classic Sunday evening at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Hawaii saw its unbeaten season as well as the koa trophy carried off the court by Washington State. Tournament MVP Borislava Hristova and Konawaena all-stater Dawnyelle Awa each scored 16 points as the Cougars remained undefeated when pulling away for a 62-52 win.

Taylor Edmonson added 10 points, including a driving layup with 5 seconds left in the first quarter that put Washington State (4-0) for good at 18-17. The Cougars took advantage of the Wahine’s continuing turnover problems, scoring 21 points off 23 Hawaii miscues.

More than the turnover problem was the lack of offense from two senior starters.Forward Ashleigh Karaitiana and guard Destiny King were a combined 0-for-15 from the floor and neither got to the free-throw line.

"It was just one of those nights, one where you don’t expect both were Oh-for," Wahine coach Laura Beeman said. "Believe me, no one is more upset in the locker room than they are.

"I think we played pretty well for two periods but got into some foul trouble and we used some different lineups that were a little crazy. They (WSU) are a good team and you don’t want to give a team like that the opportunity to show how good they are."

The bright spot for the Wahine was the play of junior guard Briana Harris, who finished with a game-high 19 points, going 6-for-6 from the line and hitting three of UH’s four 3-pointers. She also tied senior post Kalei Adolpho for a game-high nine rebounds.

Although the Cougars had the size advantage in some rotations — sophomore Bianca Blanaru is 6-foot-5, freshman Maria Kostourkova 6-4 — Hawaii won the board war 45-39, including a 26-22 edge in defensive rebounds.

"They are big but it is what it is," Adolpho said. "It comes down to technique. We needed to box out better than we did."

Hawaii also needed to do a better job at the end of the second and third quarters.

Two 3-pointers — one each by freshman guard Olivia Crawford and Harris — jumpstarted an 11-1 run that seemingly put Hawaii in control with 3:04 left. The run was capped by sophomore guard Sarah Toeaina converting a 3-point play; it would be the last field goal of the half as the Wahine missed their next seven shots.

The Cougars took advantage, scoring eight points over the final 100 seconds, including Edmondson’s drive with 5 seconds left that gave WSU the 32-31 lead at intermission.

At the end of the third and down 48-46, Hawaii made a great defensive stand that gave WSU the ball with two seconds left on the game and shot clocks. Awa made an even better play, bouncing the ball off the back of Crawford and back to herself for an uncontested layup.

"I had never done that in a game before," Awa said. "I tried it in practice once and it worked so I tried it tonight."

"That was one (basket) that we all chuckled at," Beeman said. "It was her other 14 (points that were more frustrating. She’s a good player, playing at home, her last game in Hawaii. Her last time was not so successful. (WSU lost to Hawaii 77-66 in 2013).

"We were doing things we wanted to do, getting wide open shots, attacking smartly in the first half. In the second half, I think we got a little rushed when we got behind. Washington State took that sense of urgency and took advantage."

Hawaii next hosts the Waikiki Beach Marriott Shootout Friday through Sunday. In the field is Cal State Bakersfield, South Carolina and Arizona State.

Loyola Marymount 69, Nevada 58

In Sunday’s first game, the Lions led for all but 36 seconds when defeating the Wolf Pack for third place.

Senior guard Sophie Taylor scored 14 points and the Lions picked up their first win of the season.

Sophomore forward Andee Velasco added 12 points and junior guard Leslie Lopez-Wood 11 for LMU (1-3). The Lions also got a game-high 13 rebounds from sophomore forward Bree Alford.

For Nevada (0-4), senior guard Nyasha LeSure had a game-high 15 and sophomore guard Halie Bergman added 11.

WASHINGTON STATE 62, HAWAII 52

COUGARS (4-0)

RAINBOW WAHINE (3-1)

Key — fg-a: field goals made-attempted; ft-a: free throws made-attempted; r: rebounds; pf: personal fouls; pts: total points; a: assists; to: turnovers; min: minutes played.
Halftime — Washington State 32, Hawaii 31
3-points goals — Washington State 2-10 (Awa 1-2, Hristova 1-4, Brown 0-1, Swedlund 0-1, Edmondson 0-2). Hawaii 4-17 (Harris 3-7, Crawford 1-1, King 0-1, Morris 0-1, Salanoa 0-1, Wimbley 0-2, Karaitiana 0-4). Steals — Washington State 14 (Awa 5, Blanaru 3, Brown 2, Edmondson 2, Kostourkova, Swedlund). Hawaii 4 (Huff 2, Adolpho, King). Blocked shots — Washington State 6 (Swedlund 3, Edmondson 2, Cooks). Hawaii 3 (Adolpho, Harris, Huff). Turnovers — Washington State 15 (Blanaru 3, Awa 2, Edmondson 2, Hristova 2, Cooks, Hailey, Kostourkova, Pavlopoulou, Swedlund, TEAM). Hawaii 23 (Harris 5, Adolpho 3, Crawford 3, Karaitiana 3, King 3, Huff 2, Toeaina 2, Salanoa, TEAM). Technical fouls — none. Officials — Paul Patterson, Patrick Black Santiago, Charisse Okomoto. A—1,517.