(photo of Sara Shimizu taken by Joe Poellot/Story by Russ Blunck)

HILO, Hawai`i--It had been seven months since the UH Hilo women's basketball team played a game heading into their opener on Friday afternoon, and to begin today's game they were as cold as where the visiting team Multnomah came from (Portland).

After a icy start, the Vulcans got warmed up and into a groove after intermission, rallying for a 61-53 win over the Lions at Vulcan Gymnasium. Sara Shimizu scored 18 points, 13 of them in the second half to help the Vulcans start the year at 1-0. The Lions, an NAIA school from the Cascade Conference, fell to 0-5.

Nikki Miller, playing in her first game as a Vulcan, tallied a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Mandi Kawaha was also in double figures with 13 points. Alaygza Portis led Multnomah with 16 points and seven rebounds.

It didn't look good for the Vulcans for the first two and a half quarters.

Multnomah led the entire first half, by as many as eight points. The Vulcans couldn't buy a three-point shot, going 0-11 in the first half, and shooting 23 percent from the field. The saving grace was the Lions didn't shoot any better from the floor, but were able to get to the free throw line, nailing 13 of 16 opportunities for a 27-21 lead at the break.

The Lions increased their lead to 35-27 a few minutes into the third quarter, but the Vulcans then began to find the range. An 8-0 run, capped by a Shimizu trey, tied the game at 35-35, and UHH took their first lead of the contest moments later on a Shimizu basket in the paint (37-36). The Vulcans would close the third quarter on a 15-4 run, taking a 44-43 margin heading into the final ten minutes.

The home team scored 23 points in the third quarter. 

UH Hilo then opened the fourth quarter with another 8-0 run, using a three by Mindy Kawaha, a three-point play by freshman Heaven Samayoa-Mathis and a basket by Jenna Waki to push the margin to 52-43. The Lions would get no closer than seven points after that as the Vulcans pulled away for the 61-53 win.

The Vulcans, who will square off with the Lions against on Saturday, had just six turnovers in the game. They were 5-of-11 from 3-point range in the second half and warmed up to 33 percent shooting for the game.

UH Hilo and Multnomah match-up on Saturday at 1 pm, again at Vulcan Gymnasium.