LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Center Brittany Grice played but 14 minutes and scored just six points for the University of Hawai'i in its season-ending 72-47 loss to Fresno State in the Western Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament yesterday.

But what a revealing episode it was.

By the time she hobbled out of the Pan American Center X-ray room, her fractured left foot encased in a protective boot and a tear in her eyes, she had long since earned more respect in the final game of her senior year than a 30-point, 40-minute game would have gotten her.

"I take my hat off to her," said acting head coach Pat Charity. "I have a lot of respect for her," said guard Janevia Taylor. The Bulldog players, too, saluted her in the hallway.

Because of what she said were two stress fractures in her foot — apparently suffered in the Rainbow Wahine's Feb. 24 home finale against San Jose State — Grice was not expected to play against Fresno State, just as she hadn't at Idaho or Boise State. She arrived in Las Cruces Tuesday after attending her grandmother's funeral in Oklahoma.

"It has been quite a week," Grice said.

"Brittany was hurtin'; Brittany should never have been on the floor," Charity said. "But she wanted to play. I called coach (Jim) Bolla and I asked him, 'what do you want me to do?' He said if she wants to play, let her play. So we left it up to her."

With UH trailing badly in the first half, Grice said she wanted in. She entered with the Rainbow Wahine down 28-15 and 4:50 remaining, and scored on a jumper less than two minutes later. "I didn't think I'd come in and necessarily be a savior or anything," said Grice, a co-captain. "But if my team needed me I wanted to be there. I wanted to be there with my team in case it was my last game. I just wish I could have contributed more."

"Looking back now, I'm so glad I got to play," Grice said. "I would have been upset if we had lost and I hadn't at least gone out there."

With back and knee injuries and then the foot, Grice said, "it wasn't the kind of season I wanted to have. But I learned a lot of things."

And, in her finale, a lot was learned about her, too.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com.