LAIE, Hawai'i — Hawai'i Pacific University saw a narrow one-point lead slip away in the final 10:01 of the game as Missouri Western State outscored the Sharks 22-15 in the fourth quarter on the way to a 70-62 win in the Hukilau Classic Friday evening at BYU-Hawaii's Cannon Activities Center.
 
The Sharks (0-1) got their first game action of the season, while the Griffons (3-1) bounced back from their first loss of the year on Tuesday.
 
The Sharks were paced by forward Jessi Reeves, a 5-11 junior from Coffs Harbour, Australia/John Paul, who  scored 15 points with four rebounds and a blocked shot, and Eastern Washington transfer Cece Pearl, a 5-11 senior forward from Peoria, Ariz./Peoria, who added 13 points with seven boards and a block. Junior Breanna Mackenzie, a 5-8 guard from Melbourne, Australia/Box Hill, also grabbed seven boards to go with her eight points and three steal.
 
Missouri Western had four players in double figures in scoring, led by Chelsea Dewey with 16 points and four steals with six rebounds. Julia Torres added 14 points with seven rebounds and Savannah Lentz added 14 points going 4-of-4 from the 3-point arc and 2-of-3 from the foul line.
 
HPU shot just 35 percent from the floor and 4-of-23 from the 3-point arc in the loss. Mo Western connected on 42 percent from the floor and 46 percent from the arc.
 
The Sharks and Griffons were fairly neck and neck through the first three quarters. HPU came back from a seven-point first half deficit to tie the game at 25-all on a free throw by sophomore Jeanessa Manzano, a 5-8 guard from San Francisco, Calif./St. Ignatius with five seconds before halftime.
 
Both teams hit only 1-of-10 from the 3-point arc in the first half, but MWSU got hot in the second half connecting on 9-of-12 shots from long range.
 
While HPU trailed by nine midway through the third quarter, the Sharks strung together a 10-0 run to take a 44-43 advantage with 1:51 remaining in the period. The teams traded the lead in the closing moments of the third before the Griffons Erin Anderson buried a 3-pointer as time expired in the third for a 48-47 MWSU lead.
 
Mo Western got a pair of quick 3-pointers to open the fourth quarter and extend the lead to seven. The Griffons extended the lead to 10 points, but HPU found the hole too deep and could only trim it back to eight for the final of 70-62.
 
The Sharks don't have much time to worry about the loss, as they are in action in the Hukilau Classic on Saturday against Cal State-Dominguez Hills who beat Hawai'i-Hilo 72-62 on Friday night. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. at BYUH's Cannon Activities Center.