ELLENSBURG, Wash.  – Hawai'i Pacific University cut a 21-point fourth quarter deficit to just three with three minutes remaining, but No. 4 Alaska Anchorage kept HPU at bay and held on for an 82-74 win Friday afternoon at Central Washington's Wildcat Crossover Classic.
 
The Sharks (0-1) opened the season with the loss to the team they closed the 2016-17 season to in the NCAA Division II West Regional. The Seawolves (2-0) picked up their second win in the season.
 
Junior guard Janessa Manzano of San Francisco, Calif./St. Ignatius, led all scorers with 24 points. Junior guard Samantha Lambrigtsen of Oregon, Ill./Oregon, who redshirted last season with an injury, added 20 points and led the Sharks with seven rebounds and seven assists.
 
The Seawolves were paced by Hannah Wandersee who double-doubled with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Shelby Cloninger scored 14 points and Rodericka Ware 13 for UAA.
 
The Sharks never led the in the game, but used a fourth quarter spark to put a scare in the fourth ranked team in Division II.
 
HPU trailed by 21 at 71-50 with 9:40 to play after a layup by the Seawolves Kian McNair. A 3-pointer by senior guard Spencer Gray of Centerville, Ohio/Centerville, jump started a 9-2 HPU run in the next two minutes.
 
After allowing a UAA layup, the Sharks used a free throw from freshman forward Jessica Harley of Melbourne, Australia/Caulfield, that started a 12-0 run against the No. 4 Seawolves as Lambrigtsen's layup with 3:34 to play made it a four-point contest at 75-71.
 
UAA answered with a layup from Wandersee to pull it back to a six-point lead, and the Sharks answered with a Gray 3-pointer to pull within three at 77-74 with 3:13 to go.
 
The Seawolves turned the ball over to the Sharks on the next possession, but a tying attempt was off the mark and the foul line parade started with 2:18 remaining. Alaska Anchorage went 5-of-6 from the line down the stretch and HPU did not score again for the 82-74 final.
 
The Sharks are back in action for the second day of the classic on Saturday, when they meet host Central Washington in a 1:30 p.m. HST (3:30 p.m. PST) game at Nicholson Pavilion.