MORAGA, Calif. >> Amy Atwell scored 12 points and Lauren Rewers scored eight to go along with nine rebounds, but it wasn’t enough as the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine basketball team saw its season come to an end on Friday. The Rainbow Wahine fell at Saint Mary’s 67-43 in an opening-round game of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.

Hawaii finished its season 15-17.

“I thought we did a pretty good job on the boards,” Rainbow Wahine coach Laura Beeman said. “We took care of the ball for the most part. We really struggled with scoring and we’ve had those lulls off and on all year. But the game plan that we had was the game plan we should have had. We just met up with a really, really good team and I think they’re going to go deep in the tournament.”

Indeed, scoring was the problem for Hawaii. After hanging for a quarter, even holding a 15-14 lead at the first break, the Rainbow Wahine made just four field goals over the second and third quarters. Hawaii ended up shooting just 25 percent (15-for-60) from the floor for the game. Over the middle quarters, the Gaels (21-11) outscored the Rainbow Wahine 40-14.

“Their aggressiveness kind of hit us and we weren’t the aggressor at times,” Rewers said. “We started to adjust, but things happened. We continued to play and that’s the best thing about this team this year is that we continue to fight no matter what.”

Said Beeman, “We just got a little bit rushed. We had a hard time finding the open person. We knew where they were going to be, we just had a hard time finding that. That’s kind of the story of our season where we would start playing a little bit fast, not be able to see the open player and when we finally did find the open person, we’d miss the shot. And that’s kind of what happened in the second half.”

Saint Mary’s coach Paul Thomas said the game plan was to disrupt the Hawaii sets on offense.

“Our team does a pretty good job if we can stop the other team’s set,” he said. “If we can stop the initial set and the initial quick hitter … option one, option two, option three … I think we’re pretty good at. It’s what happens after that that we’re not great at, but I thought we did a pretty good job tonight.”

Saint Mary’s was led by 17 points from Taycee Wedin, 16 from Megan McKay and 13 from Sydney Raggio. McKay and Raggio give the Gaels a tremendous presence inside and Rewers played well having to fight against them.

“They’re physical,” Rewers said. “They’re very patient in the post. They’re good post players. It was a learning experience.”

Said Beeman, “She struggled finishing at times. I think she could have had closer to 14 to 16, but she’s a sophomore going against two very good seniors, particularly McKay. She has learned from this her ability, her ceiling. She has got to get stronger. I don’t want her to replicate who they are, that’s not her style of game. But it’s hopefully going to give her some motivation to get stronger, just work on her craft a little bit more in the offseason.”

Myrrah Joseph injured her ankle in the third quarter and did not return to the game. Beeman said Jackson stepped on somebody else’s foot and indicated it wasn’t serious.

Punahou product Tyra Moe played 19 minutes and scored three points and grabbed four rebounds for Saint Mary’s.