Box Score SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — Her name runs on almost as long as her women's basketball career at Dominican University of California.

New Zealand native Te Manu Whakataki "Taki" Te Koi played her final home game for the Lady Penguins Saturday and her teammates nearly sent her off with an upset victory. The Lady Penguins led by seven points in the first half and were within two points of the University of Hawai'i, Hilo with 6:46 to play but the Vulcans managed to extend their winning streak to five games by outlasting Dominican 52-42 in a Pacific West Conference contest.

Freshman Ariana Flynn scored a team-high 14 points and, with back-to-back 3-pointers, narrowed Hilo's lead to 40-38. But Dominican (4-23/3-14),which shot 25 percent from the floor in the second half,  couldn't convert on three straight possessions with a chance to stay close thereafter. The  Vulcans (13-11/10-6) responded by scoring  10 of the next  12 points in the game before Te Koi netted the game's final basket. She finished with four points, four rebounds and a team-high three steals.

“It was a bitter-sweet night,” said Te Koi who delivered an emotional post-game speech to the team. “I know my teammates really wanted to come out and play well for me tonight. I'm so proud of them.”

Teammates Melissa Wise and Kayla Valentine each scored 10 points and 6-foot-4 freshman Sarah Nelson had seven rebounds and four blocked shots for the Lady Penguins. But Dominican couldn't stop Hilo center Hillary Hurley who had 28 points and 14 rebounds.

Te Koi spent her first year at Dominican living with Mike and Rochelle Dibley and their family in San Rafael. Dibley, a former Redwood High School basketball coach, and his wife escorted Te Koi onto the court in pre-game ceremonies Saturday. She was surprised when Dominican's Department of Athletics displayed a New Zealand flag and had a pre-recorded rendition of the New Zealand National Anthem, “God Save New Zealand,” played prior to the traditional Star Spangled Banner.

Once the game began, the Lady Penguins struggled. Dominican didn't score for the first five minutes until a Valentine basket. Trailing 8-2, the Penguins were wondering if this game with Hawai'i-Hilo would be similar to the last one on Feb. 19 on the Big Island where the Penguins missed 23 of their first 25 shots to fall behind 28-4 en route to a 76-55 loss to the Vulcans.

But Wise, a junior, and a pair of freshmen, Flynn and Nelson, came off the bench to spark a Dominican rally. Wise hit her first three shots and, following a Te Koi defensive rebound, gave the Penguins their first lead, 10-9. A Te Koi steal and pass resulted in a couple of Flynn free throws that broke a tie and ignited an 11-4 run capped by a Flynn 3-pointer and a hook shot by Nelson.

Wise and Flynn (who had six rebounds in the game) combined for 15 of the Penguins' 23 first-half points and Nelson had four rebounds and four blocked shots.

Te Koi will play her 88th and final game for Dominican this Saturday, March 3, when the Penguins end their 2011-12 season in Riverside playing California Baptist, the newest member of the 10-team PacWest. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 p.m.