With her partner in crime in the backcourt sidelined with a season-ending injury, there figured to be a time this season when Safia Sheikh simply took it upon herself to carry UH-Hilo’s women’s basketball team to victory.
As luck would have it for the Vulcans, that time came Friday night.
Sheikh scored 23 points including a highlight show that saw the senior transfer account for 13 of her team’s final 16, and UHH outlasted Academy of Art 68-63 in overtime at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.
Sheikh hit a three-pointer to put the Vulcans (4-4, 2-3 Pacific West Conference) up for good, 64-62, with 1:45 left in overtime, and then she drained another basket as the shot clock expired with 15 seconds left to seal the victory, UH-Hilo’s second in three contests.
Sheikh made five 3-pointers and scored all but two of her points in the second half, finishing with six rebounds and three assists.
The Urban Knights (2-14, 1-7) made up a five-point deficit late in the fourth quarter, tying the game 61-61 on Ines Medina’s 3-pointer with 51 seconds remaining.
In the early-going, the contest featured an enticing inside matchup between UH-Hilo’s Allie Navarette (22 points, nine rebounds) and Pre’Franz Dominic, who posted a monster effort with 26 points and 17 boards. The post players combined to score the game’s first 15 points. Navarette, a freshman, was 8 of 17 from the field.
Eventually, UHH’s Danielle Dacosta joined the fun as well, posting 10 of her 12 points in the first half as the Vulcans, who are playing without 2017 leading scorer Kim Schmelz, went to the break with a 32-25 lead.