SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — Hawai'i Pacific University won its fourth straight as the Sharks women downed Dominican (Calif.) 64-51 Saturday evening in PacWest Conference play at DUC's Conlan Center.
 
The Sharks (10-3, 7-1) used a 14-0 first quarter run to put away the Penguins (9-8, 5-5) and never looked back.
 
"Our defense was strong tonight," said HPU head coach Reid Takatsuka. "We shot well in the first half to take control of the game and just held on from there."
 
The Sharks were led sophomore guard Janessa Manzano from San Francisco, Calif./St. Ignatius who collected 15 points off the bench. Junior guard Breanna Mackenzie from Melbourne, Australia/Box Hill racked up her second double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while junior center Sarah Liva of Mililani, Hawai'i/Mililani scored 11 points as well. Senior center Aminata Cole of Anchorage, Alaska/Dimond joined Mackenzie with 10 rebounds.
 
Dominican was paced by Taylor Donnot with 14 points and eight rebounds, while Carly Holboke added 10 points.
 
HPU shot only 29 percent from the floor (20-of-68), with 15 percent (4-of-26) from the 3-point arc. HPU did connect on 20-of-34 from the foul line (59 percent).
 
The Sharks held the Penguins to 25 percent from the floor (15-of-59), including 36 percent from the arc (5-of-14). DUC hit 64 percent from the stripe (16-of-25).
 
HPU dominated the Penguins on the boards 63-40, but suffered 22 turnovers to DUC's 20.
 
The teams traded the lead early in the game before the Sharks went on a 14-0 run capped by a Cole layup. HPU carried an 18-7 lead after the first period.
 
HPU opened the second period with a 7-0 run and eventually built a 20-point lead with Mackenzie collecting eight of her 11 points in the quarter. The Sharks took a 17-point 41-24 lead into the locker room at halftime.
 
The Penguins saw HPU extend the lead back to 19 when they made push and cut the Shark lead to 10 on a pair of Donnot free throws with 1:25 left in the period. Liva answered with a layup and HPU went on to an 11-point 55-44 advantage after three.
 
Manzano opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer for HPU then the Sharks dialed up the defense. Dominican never threatened again as HPU closed out the game 64-51 while holding the Penguins to shooting just seven percent in the final frame.
 
The win gives HPU the season series against Dominican, after the Sharks won 85-51 in Honolulu in December.
 
The Sharks have one more game on their four-game Northern California trip. On Monday, HPU meets Notre Dame de Namur for a 3:30 p.m. Hawai'i time contest (5:30 p.m. Pacific) at Gleason Gym.