LAIE, Hawai`i—It's never over until it's over, and the Hawai`i Hilo women's basketball team now knows it first-hand after rallying for an improbable 79-72 win over BYU-Hawaii in overtime on Saturday night at the Cannon Activities Center.

Kim Schmelz had a career-high 28 points, including 18 in the last two minutes of regulation and overtime to pace the Vulcans to their second consecutive win. They improved to 3-5 in the Pacific West Conference and 3-8 overall. BYU-Hawaii is now also 3-5 in conference play and 6-8 on the year.

The Vulcans trailed 62-50 with 2:26 left in the game after a basket by the Seasiders' Marian Sheikh. That blow by Skeikh was especially devastating when you consider that five minutes earlier UHH had led 47-46 after a Sydney Mercer jumper with 7:22 remaining on the clock. The Vulcans had battled back after trailing for most of the game, albeit not by much—18-15 at the end of the first quarter and 31-26 at halftime.

But after Mercer's basket to take the lead, the visitors wouldn't get another field goal for five and a half minutes before Schmelz broke the draught with two minutes left (62-52). And that was just the beginning for the sophomore guard.

She converted a four-point play, and three free throws in the next few moments, and Mercer added a pair of free throws after a steal. BYU-H still led 63-61 with 30 seconds left, but committed an offensive foul. With 19 seconds to go, Alexa Jabobs drove the lane and scooped in a lay-up from the left-hand side to tie the game at 63-63, and the Seasiders missed at the other end to send the game into a miracle extra five minutes.

Schmelz kept the momentum in UHH's favor immediately by draining a three-pointer to start overtime. She added two more baskets, but BYU-H wouldn't die and battled back to claim a one-point margin with 1:28 left.

Vanessa Mancera then drained a three-pointer from the left corner with one minute on the clock, and an ensuing steal and foul sent Sharlei Graham-Bernisto to the free throw line. She converted one of two, and Jacobs canned two more charity shots moments later to seal the game with 29 seconds left. Less than a minute later, the clock ran out on the game and the Seasiders, giving UHH the comeback win and their second straight gutty victory.

"We are certainly showing that we won't ever give up," said head coach David Kaneshiro, whose team upset Concordia in their last outing. "I think most everyone here thought this one was over, except our team. They showed tremendous heart."

Schmelz, who scored 18 of her 28 points in seven minutes, hit 10 of 19 shots from the field. Mancera drained four of five three-point attempts to finish with 15. Jacobs nailed all six of her free throw attempts to add 12 points and Mercer had 11 before fouling out in overtime.

Asia Smith played her first game in over a month, adding six points and a team-best seven rebounds.

Kristin Baldwin had 22 points and 15 rebounds in a gigantic effort for the Seasiders.

The Vulcans will return home next week for games against Holy Names on Thursday and Hawai`i Pacific on Saturday.