HILO, Hawaii – The Fairmont State women's basketball team (8-3) trailed by 15 points in the second quarter but rallied in the final minutes to knock off Hawaii Hilo (4-5) on Saturday (Dec. 17) at Afook Chinen Civic Auditorium in Hilo, Hawaii.
 
Katy Darnell picked up her third double-double of the season, scoring 25 points and securing 13 rebounds. Jalen Gibbs finished one rebound shy of a double-double, posting 17 points and nine rebounds. Alyssa DeAngelo and Aaliyah Brunny each tossed in nine points. Brunny led the team with five assists and two blocks. Darnell, Brunny and Jertaya Hall each forced a pair of steals.

The Falcons outrebounded the Vulcans 43-33 and collected 18 offensive rebounds. The Falcons recorded 17 second-chance points. Fairmont State won the turnover battle by eight and scored 18 points off turnovers. Fairmont State outscored Hawaii Hilo 21-10 in the final quarter and shot 42.9% from the field in the fourth quarter.
 
The Vulcans scored 12 of the first 15 points and led 12-3 in the opening acts of the contest. Hawaii Hilo led by 10 points after the first quarter of play. UHH continued to roll on offense in the second quarter and increased its lead to 15 points with 8:05 left in the second quarter. The Falcons began to chip away at the deficit when Brunny hit a three that ended a 4-0 run for the home team. Darnell and Gibbs both made twos to complete a 7-0 Fairmont State scoring run. The Fighting Falcons trimmed the Vulcans' lead to four points twice in the first half. Hawaii Hilo led 39-33 after the first 20 minutes of play.
 
The Vulcans scored four-straight points and brought their lead back up to double-digits. Hawaii Hilo led by as many as 12 points in the third quarter. Fairmont State closed the third quarter on a 4-0 run following layups by Gibbs and Brunny that put the Falcons down 57-50 heading into the last quarter. 
 
Darnell and Gibbs continued the run into the fourth quarter and the Falcons trailed by one possession after one minute of play. Darnell drained two free throws with 4:01 to go which gave the Falcons their first lead since the 9:14 mark in the first quarter. Hawaii Hilo responded on the next possession and regained a one-point lead. Darnell would not be denied, as she completed a three-point play that pulled the Falcons ahead, 65-63. Gibbs scored her 16^th point of the contest that pulled FSU ahead by three points with less than two minutes remaining. The Vulcans hit a shot beyond the arc that evened the score at 67. 
 
Gibbs drew a shooting foul and converted a shot at the line to give the Falcons a one-point lead. On the ensuing Vulcans' possession, Gibbs drew an offensive foul that forced a Hawaii Hilo turnover and provided a key stop for Fairmont State down the stretch. Hall sank a free throw that padded the Fairmont State lead. The Falcons prevented UHH from scoring and DeAngelo secured a defensive board with 10 seconds left. Darnell iced the game with two made free throws and Fairmont State won its first game in Hawaii, 71-67.
 
The Fairmont State women's basketball team will play one more game in Hawaii on Sunday (Dec. 18). The Fighting Falcons will travel to Honolulu and face Western Washington at 10 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. HT on Sunday evening.