HONOLULU, Hawai`i - The University of Idaho women's basketball team had no answer for the taller, more experienced inside presence of the University of Hawai`i Rainbow Wahine. Hawai`i kept the Vandals winless in the Western Athletic Conference, as they won, 71-61, Wednesday night at the Stan Sheriff Center at Honolulu.

The Vandals fall to 3-13 overall and 0-5 in the WAC with the loss, their ninth-straight. Hawai`i improves to 7-10 overall and 1-4 in the WAC. 

"It looked like we were running in sand in the first half," head coach Mike Divilbiss said. "We just looked tired. And let's be honest we had a couple kids at 5-9, 5-10, trying to guard kids who were 6-3, 6-4. We tried to zone defend early and they did a good job getting over the top of the zone. It was obvious we weren't going to be able to keep up the zone."

"Once we started keeping the ball out of the high post better the game turned around a little. We cut the game to six, if we make some free throws we are right back in it. Right now, we just don't believe."

"We do five or six right things in a row then we forgot how to do them. We do three things that work and get us points and then we go away from what works. There is no quit in this team though, they will get down by a bunch and they fight back and get themselves right back in it."  

Four Vandals were in double-digits on the night as Liz Witte and Sara Dennehy each had 15 points to lead the way. Katie Madison had 13 points in the game and a team-high nine rebounds. Hannah Wells also hit 10 points exactly in action off the bench.

The Wahine opened the game hot and rolled out to a 10-2 lead early. They were helped to that lead by Tanya Smith, who scored eight of their points, all of them coming on layups in the paint. Points in the paint were a big factor on the night as Hawai`i outscored Idaho, 50-23 in the lane.

Idaho fought back in the early going as the Vandals cut the lead to one, 12-11 the Vandals relied on Witte who drained two 3-pointers. Witte's 3-pointers were sandwiched around a Dennehy layup and a Madison free throw.

Hawai`i quickly built the lead right back, however, continuing to rely on their inside presence and height advantage as Brittany Grice came off the bench and sparked an 8-1 spurt for the home squad. Grice had a pair of layups in that run, coming off the bench for the Rainbow Wahine. Hawai`i's inside game proved to be too much for the Vandals throughout the first half. The Wahine continued to push what had been an 8-1 spurt until a Smith layup capped a 16-8 run that gave the Wahine a 30-20 lead.

The Wahine continued to keep the lead right at double-digits for the remainder of the half. As the teams cleared the floor at intermission Hawai`i held a 41-31 edge.

Idaho as it has done in seemingly every game this season, made a push at around the midway point of the second half. With Hawai`i leading by its widest margin of the night, 61-40, with 9:43 to play the Vandals began a run.

The Vandals outscored the Rainbow Wahine, 18-3 over the next five minutes and with 4:43 to play, had trimmed a seemingly insurmountable 21-point advantage to a mere six-point edge.

During the run Idaho had contributions from more than just the usual suspects. Wells drained a pair of baskets during the push. Charlotte Otero had five points in the stretch, a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws. Witte added a pair of deep balls and Madison also scored during the run.

Idaho returns home to continue its conference season when Louisiana Tech comes to the Cowan Spectrum Sunday night. Tip off is set for 7 p.m., PST.