Sumayah Sugapong saw a potential game-winning layup roll off the rim in the final seconds of regulation against Hawaii in La Jolla, Calif., on Jan. 30, and the Tritons lost in overtime.

Facing the same situation against the same opponent on Friday, the UC San Diego guard’s tough left-handed attempt was true in the rematch with much higher stakes in Henderson, Nev.

Sugapong put in the go-ahead layup with 0.2 seconds left and UH could not convert on a lob to center Ritorya Tamilo at the other end, as the Rainbow Wahine fell in crushing fashion, 51-49, after rallying from 27 points down to tie the game in the final minute at Lee’s Family Forum.

“I smoked it the first time we saw them. This was my get-back,” Sugapong told the ESPN broadcast team afterward. “Oh yeah, that felt good.”

UH (22-9) exited in the Big West semifinals for the second straight year, going one-and-done as the top seed in consecutive seasons. UCSD (19-15) advanced to Saturday’s noon Hawaii time championship to face either UC Irvine or UC Davis.

By virtue of winning the conference regular season, UH is guaranteed a berth in the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament. The WBIT selection show is set for 3 p.m. Hawaii time Sunday following that of the NCAA Tournament.

UH coach Laura Beeman credited her players for representing the program with class and exhibiting a no-quit mentality.

"Unfortunately when you lose a game like this, it hurts," Beeman said in the Big West postgame press conference. "This is not where we want to be sitting but it will not define this team. We will rally, we still have postseason play we will still be in and hopefully we can continue to do special things together and not have this time as a team end."

Big West Player of the Year Lily Wahinekapu scored 12 points with seven rebounds and six assists in the loss.

When UH clinched the top seed last week, the inevitable question arose — could the Rainbow Wahine, an elite defensive team but a subpar offensive one — avoid the same fate that befell them in 2024?

The answer appeared to come back as a negative in the opening minutes against the Tritons, who were fired up in their first year in the tournament as a full-fledged Division I program.

"I think they had a great game plan. Their kids came out incredibly loose in the first half, hit shots like crazy," Beeman said. "I’ve not seen too many teams hit shots like that, but just congratulations to them."

UCSD inbounded for the last time with 6.7 seconds left. UH had a foul to give, but Sugapong got the ball at the top of the key and drove down the lane before UH could apply contact.

"We talked about giving a foul after about three seconds trying to get a tie-up, because the possession arrow was our way," Beeman said. "We just couldn’t get the foul … on the switch, we didn’t get our big (Ritorya Tamilo) in front of the ball. She made a tough layup."

The Tritons stunned the Wahine with an early salvo, a 22-4 haymaker in the first quarter. It didn’t get much better in the second period and UH faced a 41-18 deficit at intermission, shooting 17.8%.

"Just to fight back," Wahinekapu said of what was discussed at halftime. "Give everything we have, leave it all on the court. Twenty minutes of basketball, the game’s wasn’t over yet. I’m really proud of the girls for coming back from a 27-point deficit."

UH scored the first seven points of the second half and held the Tritons to six points in the third quarter, but the Wahine still faced an 18-point hole heading to the final 10 minutes.

They turned up the heat, scoring the first 15 of the fourth while holding UCSD without a score for the first 7:58 of the period. Brooklyn Rewers connected on a kickout for a 3, Wahinekapu hit a 3 and Rewers hit two free throws to make it 47-44 with under three minutes left.

"The Santa Barbara game (UH's comeback win in the 2023 Big West final two years ago) was referenced and I think we also just emphasized the point that we have more time than we think," Rewers said. That was in contrast to the hurried shots UH put up early in the game, she added.

Of UCSD’s 14 turnovers, the Wahine forced eight in the fourth quarter.

“We knew they weren’t going to lie down and let us win,” Sugapong told ESPN. “They came out punching. It took everyone … to stick together and stay calm under that run. Yeah, that was crazy.”

Sugapong ended the run with a basket inside, but Imani Perez answered with a left-handed post move and UCSD turned it over in the backcourt.

Perez missed a top-arc 3 to tie, but Sugapong double-dribbled against backcourt pressure.

Rewers scored on a pick and roll with Wahinekapu and she completed the three-point play to tie it at 49 with 1:10 left. The senior center put in eight of her 10 points in the final period.

UH blocked UCSD’s shot in the paint at the other end. Coach Laura Beeman called timeout to set up a go-ahead look, but UH turned it over on a pick-and-roll pass from Wahinekapu to Perez with 11 seconds left.

UCSD called with 9.8 seconds left.

Wahinekapu collided with Sugapong as the Triton dribbled upcourt with 6.7 seconds left, but no foul was called and the ball went off of Wahinekapu’s foot.

Sugapong reset from the top of the key, feinted, then dribbled to the rim for the deciding shot.

The UCSD guard scored a game-high 17 points on 8-for-19 shooting while Parker Montgomery added 16 points for coach Heidi VanDerveer.

VanDerveer credited UH for sticking with the game when it had the opportunity to "write it in" at halftime.

Several hundred UH supporters made themselves heard, especially during the wild fourth-quarter comeback. Sugapong remarked that she and teammates had trouble hearing each other on the court.

"The Hawaii crowd is special," VanDerveer said. "I was talking to Laura before the game about how you all support, not just your team but the Hawaii Athletic Department as a whole. I thought it was loud." 

But, she added, "Your fans can’t score, they can’t rebound, that was all our team, just give credit where credit’s due." She said she hoped many would remain and cheer for the Tritons in Saturday's championships.

UH missed its first 13 3-point attempts and was 5-for-27 for the game, but it hit three of five in the fourth quarter.

UCSD took the rebounding battle 44-36 despite a considerable size disadvantage in the paint, and won second-chance points 10-0.

UH outscored UCSD 20-4 in the fourth.

Note: This story was updated with details and quotes.

Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.