Friday the 13th in women’s basketball was headlined by a spooky scoreline between Hawaii and Saint Mary’s, with the game going to triple overtime. While Grand Canyon delivered one of the biggest results against a perennial NCAA tournament side in Gonzaga, we also witnessed some brilliant individual performances. Houston’s Esmeralda Enriquez continued her impressive start with a career-high scoring performance, while Oregon freshman Brooklynn Haywood stepped up in a crucial road victory. Monmouth’s Sanai Tyler made the most of her opportunity off the bench, contributing to a historic night for the Hawks.

Below, we take a closer look at the biggest and best performances coming out of November 13 in women’s basketball.

Best Game of the Day: Hawaii 93 – 89 Saint Mary’s (3OT)

Needing a triple overtime to secure your first win as Rainbow Wahine head coach would have been the last thing Khaliah Mitchell would have guessed, but here we are, as they somehow overcame the Gaels 93-89 after well over 40 minutes of action.

The result of ending up with 3OT was far from straightforward. Hawaii mostly played catch-up with the Gaels in regulation, trailing by nine points at the end of the first quarter. Saint Mary’s continued to threaten in the second quarter, but the Rainbow Wahine gradually fought their way back to level the contest at 37-37 by halftime.

The second half continued the back-and-forth between the two teams, with Saint Mary’s once again gaining control. They opened the third quarter with a 7-1 run to carry a seven-point lead entering the final quarter.

With less than four minutes remaining in the fourth, the Gaels had a comfortable nine-point lead, and it all looked done and dusted. However, Hawaii had other plans, gradually chipping away at the deficit before Kyra Webb drained a corner three-pointer with just 31 seconds remaining to tie the contest. Lucy Aherne’s missed attempt at the buzzer sent the game into overtime.

But neither team managed to get separation in the first two periods. According to The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, nine schools brought approximately 620 students from grades 2-6 to watch the game. Unfortunately, they left before the game ended. Finally, the third overtime broke the deadlock. With 33 seconds remaining, Ritorya Tamillo banked an 18-foot three-pointer to give Hawaii a 93-89 win over the Gaels.

Hawaii will now take on its second straight WCC opponent in LMU for the second and final day of the Bank of Hawaii Classic on Sunday, while Saint Mary’s will play Alabama A&M Bulldogs.

Best Performer of the Day: Esmeralda Enriquez

Houston’s Esmeralda Enriquez had a night to remember in an 81-73 road victory against Montana. The junior guard was unstoppable with a career-high 35 points on 11-of-19 shooting. She scored 14 of those points in the final frame. The Dahlberg Arena also witnessed Enriquez’s proficiency on both ends of the floor, as she contributed nine rebounds, narrowly missing a double-double.

“It’s been hard, but hard isn’t always a bad thing,” Enriquez said about the transition from junior college to Division I basketball in September. “There’s a lot to learn and a lot to get used to, but being in uncomfortable situations helps you grow. I’m trying to embrace that.”

Safe to say, Enriquez has transitioned well in a short span of time, as she is averaging 19.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in four starts for Houston. With her career-best scoring display, Houston improved to 4-0 for the first time since the 2023-24 season. The Cougars will now return to Fertitta Center on Tuesday to take on Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for Family Game Night.

Top Freshman of the Day: Brooklynn Haywood

It seems Oregon has made a habit of comeback victories, as the game against Maine was the third in the last five games they trailed at halftime. But thankfully, freshman Brooklynn Haywood came to the rescue at the right time.

In 28 minutes, Haywood scored a career-high 24 points, converting 10 of her 14 field-goal attempts, including four of seven from beyond the arc. Her most important contribution came in the final period. She scored five quick points in the opening two minutes of the fourth quarter, including a three-pointer that gave the Ducks their first lead since the opening period.

Apart from Haywood, guard Katie Fiso also stepped up big time, dropping a career-best 32 points. The duo combined for 56 of Oregon’s 79 points.

“Thank goodness for our two guards,” Oregon coach Kelly Graves said. “Brooklynn and Katie really carried us in that second half. (Katie) is our heart and soul. And then Brooklynn, to be in an environment like this when things aren’t going well and have a freshman step up and do what she did, that’s huge.”

Upset of the Day: Grand Canyon 82 – 62 Gonzaga

While the Bulldogs matched Grand Canyon with 37 points in the second half, the game was basically over for them by halftime after they suffered a 45-25 deficit. While the Antelopes are a solid team, picked to finish second in the Mountain West, the Bulldogs made them look unbeatable.

Entering the contest, the Bulldogs were the more established name, having built a strong reputation after regularly competing for NCAA Tournament opportunities. While the Antelopes are a solid team, picked to finish second in the Mountain West, the Bulldogs made them look unbeatable. Grand Canyon controlled the game for three quarters, including 26-7 and 23-7 in the second and third quarters, respectively.

To Gonzaga’s credit, they refused to go down quietly. The Bulldogs produced their best offensive quarter in the fourth, scoring 30 points and matching Grand Canyon’s second-half production with 37 points. However, the damage had already been done, and the Antelopes comfortably secured a 20-point victory.

One of the biggest differences between the teams was their outside-the-arc shooting. Grand Canyon converted 17 of 32 three-point attempts while the Bulldogs managed just five from 23 attempts.

Sixth Woman of the Day: Sanai Tyler

Monmouth had plenty to celebrate after producing a historic 125-31 victory over Bryant & Stratton College, setting the program record for points in a single game. Senior forward Sanai Tyler was among the biggest contributors after delivering a fantastic off-the-bench performance.

Tyler recorded a career-high 23 points in just 22 minutes, converting 11 of her 13 field-goal attempts. She also grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out three assists, and recorded two steals.

Improving to 3-1 this season after suffering their first loss on Wednesday night against Rutgers, the Hawks will host Marist College on Tuesday night in the HMAC.