BELMONT, Calif. — No. 19 Hawai'i Pacific University extended its win streak to five and concluded a four-game PacWest Northern California trip with a 69-50 victory over Notre Dame de Namur at Gleason Gym Monday night.
 
The 19th ranked Sharks (17-1, 9-1) kept pace to stay on top of the PacWest with the win, a half-game ahead of California Baptist. The Argonauts (3-12, 1-8) have lost five straight.
 
"We struggled from the start and into the second half, but I was so proud of how we came back and took control of the game," said HPU head coach Darrin Vorderbruegge. "This is a long road trip and we're looking forward to getting home and some practice before going to Hilo on Saturday."
 
Forward Elliott DeFreitas, a 6-10 senior from Essex, England/County Upper, led the charge for the Sharks. DeFreitas scored 15 points with six rebounds and three blocked shots, while swingman Chauncey Orr a 6-4 graduate student from Bowling Green, Ohio/Bowling Green, added 11 points, six boards and two steals. Guard Jordan Martin, a 5-11 senior from Goodyear, Ariz./Millennium, led the team with seven boards to go with his six points, four assists and two steals.
 
Michael Karimu led the way for the Argos with 17 points and Ty Peacock added 10 as the only other NDNU player in double figures.
 
HPU shot 40 percent for the game (22-of-55), but hit 52 percent from the field (13-of-25) in the second half. The Sharks were 6-of-16 (38 percent) from the 3-point arc, but connected on 19-of-24 free throws (79 percent). HPU did step up defensively, limiting NDNU to just 36 percent from the floor (19-of-53), including 25 percent (5-of-20) from the arc. The Argonauts made 7-of-9 free throws (78 percent).
 
HPU won the battle of the boards 40-31 and forced 17 Argo turnovers while suffering just 11 themselves.
 
HPU opened the game with a trey from guard Connor Looney, a 6-2 senior from Palmer, Alaska/Palmer, to go up 3-0 and then a second from Orr three-and-a half minutes in to give the lead back to the Sharks at 6-4. The Sharks extended the lead to seven points before NDNU fought back. The gritty Argonauts cut the HPU lead all four times it went to seven and ended the half with a layup by Karimu to send the game to halftime with HPU up 27-24. It's the lowest score the Sharks have carried into the break this season.
 
The Sharks climbed back up to a five-point lead 32-27 three minutes into the half, when NDNU made a charge. Keyed by a Peacock layup the Argos went on an 8-2 run and took their only lead of the second half on a layup from Brian Ying 35-34 with 13:44 to play. Then it was HPU's turn.
 
After both teams failed on possessions, the Sharks regained the lead when forward Nikola Urli, a 6-7 sophomore from Zagreb, Croatia, got a follow tip-in of a missed 3-point attempt for a 36-35 HPU advantage. The tip-in started the Sharks 12-2 and gave HPU a 47-37 lead. Peacock cut it to seven with a 3-pointer, then HPU followed with a 13-2 run capped by a Martin jump shot to put the Sharks back in firm control.
 
The 69-50 win marked the lowest score of the season for the 19th ranked Sharks. It was also the third-fewest points allowed by HPU this season (the fewest by a Division II opponent) as HPU recorded its 12th win of 18 points or more of the season.
 
The Sharks return home for a few days before traveling to the Big Island on Saturday to meet Hawai'i-Hilo in a PacWest Hawai'i Challenge contest. Tipoff at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium in Hilo is set for 3 p.m.