Box Score LAIE, HI (November 21, 2014) – The Hawai'i Pacific Men's Basketball Team (1-1) lost a defensive battle to 22nd ranked Seattle Pacific (3-1) in the first game of the PacWest/GNAC Challenge. Close at the half, SPU got separation late and won 61-49.

The first half was a clinic on good defensive basketball, HPU held SPU to just 8-29 (27.6%) shooting from the floor. The Sharks also took away the three-pointer, limiting the Falcons to only 2-9 (22.2%).

The game was tight throughout the half, neither team led by more than four points. HPU took a 25-22 lead with 3:21 to go on a Colfax Nordquist basket. SPU closed the half on a 4-0 mini-run to lead by one (26-25) at the break.  

Early in the second half, Justin Long hit a three-pointer to keep it a one point game. However, over the next five minutes SPU went on a 10-0 run to make it 39-28 with 13:28 to play. SPU showed why it is a ranked team and grew the lead to as many as 17 points.

HPU didn't go away; the Sharks went on a 10-1 run to pull to within eight at 53-45 with 2:45 to go, but the comeback ended there.

Luke Hager was again active for the Sharks stuffing the stat sheet with 18 points, five rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Long, despite being the shortest player in the starting lineup, grabbed a team-high nine rebounds to go with his 11 points.

HPU plays Central Washington in game two of the PacWest/GNAC Challenge tomorrow on the campus of BYU-Hawaii at 5:00 pm.