LAHAINA, Hawaii – A solid second half effort proved not to be enough on Wednesday as San José State saw its three-game winning streak come to an end in its Maui Jim Maui Classic opener.
The Spartans (8-4) played BYU even in the game's final 20 minutes but the Cougars (5-4) eventually emerged on top with a 75-56 victory. SJSU was strong on the defensive end of the floor despite the defeat, tallying 14 steals and forcing 20 turnovers on the night.
"Even though we may have lost tonight, we know what went wrong," said senior Fieme'a Hafoka after the game. "We will be back. We just have to keep grinding and keep preparing for the end of this tournament and the restart of conference play."
Hafoka, a Maui native, played in front of a Lahaina Civic Center crowd packed with friends and family. The senior made a bit of Island history on Wednesday, becoming the first-ever Maui product to play in a Division I game on the island.
Hafoka and company trailed 19-9 early on, but head coach Jamie Craighead's team used a mini 5-0 burst that was punctuated with a Cydni Lewis layup to climb back into the game.
Lewis was able to keep her hot start to the month of December going on Wednesday, tallying a team-high 18 points off the bench to go along with three rebounds and three steals. The performance comes on the heels of a strong showing in Saturday's record-setting victory in which she scored 14 points in 15 minutes on the floor.
BYU, fresh off a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament a year ago, took a 46-27 advantage into the locker rooms.
San José State wasn't ready to call it a night just yet, however, clawing its way back into the game with a strong effort on both ends of the court. A Lewis three-ball cut the deficit to 49-38 midway through the third stanza, and it was a Megan Anderson triple to open the fourth that pulled her team within 16 after the Cougars had stretched the lead back out.
The Spartans continued to pressure and get stops late but the comeback effort was ultimately stopped as BYU earned the 19-point victory.
Sophomore Raziya Potter was the other Spartan to join Lewis in double figures, finishing the evening with 11 points, four steals and three assists. Hafoka tallied seven points and four rebounds in the first of two homecoming games for the senior.
The rims are friendly (but only if you're from Maui)@fiemeahafoka ?? pic.twitter.com/eF6SczhmR4
— San José State Women's Basketball (@SanJoseStateWBB) December 19, 2019
"I was super excited to be back here, playing where the majority of my high school games and practices were held," Hafoka said. "It really meant the world to me."
Hafoka and SJSU will have another chance to play in Lahaina and they won't have to wait long to do it, meeting Northern Arizona in its Maui Classic finale on Thursday night. Tip-off at the Lahaina Civic Center is set for 5:30 p.m. (HT) as San José State plays its final non-conference game of the season.