After a basketball game full of giveaways, Hawai'i took away a victory last night when Keisha Kanekoa hit a short jumper with 3.3 seconds left to lift the Rainbow Wahine over Kent State, 54-53, in the Waikīkī Beach Marriott Showdown.

Seven seconds earlier, before 645 at Stan Sheriff Center, KSU's Jamilah Humes sank two free throws to put the Golden Flashes ahead for only the second time in the half.

UH coach Dana Takahara-Dias called time after Humes' first free throw and, "very calmly," pleaded with her team — which had 21 turnovers — to execute.

"I can honestly say the team that won wasn't the one that made the least amount of mistakes at the end because we made our share," Takahara-Dias said. "It was the one that didn't give up and believed down the end and that's a very nice change of heart for our team.

"I really believe our team willed themselves to win tonight. They believed down the home stretch that is was possible to take this win away. It was a very, very encouraging win for the team. We needed this at this moment."

Kanekoa brought the ball down and never gave it up, driving into the lane and pulling up after a screen to hit from 10 feet.

"Execute," the junior said. "Mental toughness."

That was where KSU coach Bob Lindsay said his team fell short at the end.

"We made plays at the end of the game to get ourselves a lead," said Lindsay. "At the end we needed a stop and we didn't get it.

"Games aren't won or lost on one play but this one happened to come down to the last play. We had to get a stop and couldn't get it. We didn't play that ball screen very well and I don't think we were very smart."

Humes raced downcourt and threw a shot up as time expired that clanked off the backboard.

KSU had several of those, making just 29 percent of its shots and turning the ball over 17 times. Eighteen offensive rebounds and Taisja Jones' 23 points, mostly on baseline drives, kept the Golden Flashes in it.

So did the Rainbow Wahine's offensive frustration, which was matched only by the struggles their defense created. Opponents had been averaging 73 points against UH. KSU did not get close.

"It wasn't a very smooth game. It was kind of an ugly game to watch," Lindsay said. "I don't think either team was executing offensively anywhere close to what the coaches would like to see."

They get a chance to redeem themselves today when they conclude the Showdown with a 7 p.m. sequel that will be broadcast live on KFVE.

The Rainbow Wahine (5-7) got 33 points from their Big Island backcourt, 19 from Kanekoa and 14 from Leilani Galdones. Sophomore Breanna Arbuckle anchored the Hawai'i defense, blocking five shots in the first half, grabbing 10 rebounds and adding eight points.

It was all just enough against Kent State (6-4), which has lost three of its last four, but refused to go away in both halves.

KSU hit its first two shots of the game, then missed eight in a row to fall behind 10-7. It could have been much worse, but the Rainbows were in the midst of six straight turnovers.

The Golden Flashes, who lost just one starter from last year's 19-10 team, converted only once and were chasing the rest of the night.

Galdones gave the 'Bows their biggest lead when she launched two nothing-but-net 3-pointers that made it 24-15 with 4:34 left in the first half. Kent State, fueled by a few of its 13 offensive rebounds in the half, scored the next nine points to tie it.

Hawai'i sneaked into the locker room with a 28-26 advantage when Julita Bungaite hit a putback just before the buzzer. The Rainbows scored six straight points to go ahead 36-30 three minutes into the second half and led 46-38 with 10:17 to go.

Suddenly their offense turned to ice. Hawai'i went scoreless for nearly seven minutes and Kent State tied it with 5:10 remaining.

It took its first lead since 7-5 when Rachel Bennett hit a 3-pointer to make it 49-48 with 2:36 to go. KSU was just 4 for 21 from behind the arc. It ranked second in the country last year, hitting 40 percent of its 3-point attempts.

From there it got frenetic, with UH going up by three on scores by Rebecca Dew and Kanekoa, and the Golden Flashes fighting back behind a Humes' drive and her two free throws.

NOTES

Hawai'i opens its WAC season Wednesday at Fresno State, which was picked to win the conference by the coaches. The Rainbows were picked eighth.