“SGIGTH.”
It was the mental text that Sarah Toeaina sent herself with the game on the line and her on the free-throw line with 3.6 seconds left in overtime Sunday night.
“SGIGTH.”
It was what the slogan that the Hawaii senior guard and her father Andrew came up with in practicing for situations just like the one that would decide the championship of the Bank of Hawaii Classic women’s basketball tournament.
“Something Good Is Going To Happen.”
It was what was going through Toeaina’s mind in the seconds it took to pick herself off the floor after a hard foul by San Diego’s Aubrey Ward-El and step to line at the Stan Sheriff Center. Something good did … with Toeaina sinking both attempts to give the Rainbow Wahine a hard-fought 64-63 victory over the previously unbeaten Toreros.
“It’s a situation that you practice for millions of times growing up, the game on the line, seconds left to win the championship,” said Toeaina, walking out of the arena after a 20-point performance and with the Most Valuable Player trophy. “You don’t have to think about it.”
It was a huge boost for Hawaii (3-1) heading into this week’s stacked Rainbow Wahine Showdown that runs Friday through Sunday. The field features USC, Purdue and Marist, the latter the Wahine’s opening opponent on Friday.
“This was big for us,” said sophomore forward Makenna “Kenna” Woodfolk, joining Toeaina on the all-tournament team following a career-high 20 points and game-high 10 rebounds. “Even at the end, it was about staying together, executing, and we did.”
It was tough to remain focused after leading by as many as 12 against the Toreros (3-1), who took advantage of what was a big disparity in foul shooting until overtime. At one point, USD was 13 of 14 while Hawaii was two of three. The Wahine led the entire way until 23 seconds into the fourth quarter when graduate student Maya Hood’s putback put the Toreros up 44-43.
The margin was never more than two after that with two lead changes and five ties, the last at 55. USD appeared to have the game won on what would have been just their third lead when freshman guard Myah Pace hit a runner with 5.7 seconds left in regulation that would have made it 57-55. After reviewing the replay monitor, officials waved off the basket, determining that the ball was still in Pace’s hand before the shot-clocked expired.
Overtime featured another two ties, five lead changes and even more drama. Sophomore guard Madison Pollock’s jumper had the Toreros ahead at 63-62 with 17 seconds remaining. The play was drawn up for Toeaina to take the last shot and she actually got two, her first blocked by Pollock.
Toeaina drove again and drew the foul from Ward-El to set up the game-winning free throws.
“It is cool when you draw up something and win it the way it was drawn up,” Hawaii coach Laura Beeman said. “The play was to have (Toeaina) win it with a basket or with free throws. It’s who you wanted to have the ball at that point of the game, your senior, and that’s going to be (Woodfolk) in two years.
“I drive home thinking about championships all the time. These guys work really hard and it’s great when you come out on the right side of a close game. We didn’t play great in spots, we had lulls. The key was the first quarter. That won it for us.”
