HONOLULU — No. 8 Hawai'i Pacific University went on an 8-1 midway through the second half to take control of a tight game and go on to a 76-66 PacWest Conference victory over Dixie State Monday night at the Moanalua High School Gym.
 
The eighth ranked Sharks (25-2, 17-2) clinched a bye in the PacWest Tournament with the win and maintained their share of the lead in the conference. The Trailblazers (18-7, 15-4) solidified the number three seed with the loss.
 
"I'm proud of the way our guys played toe-to-toe with a really good basketball team," said HPU head coach Darrin Vorderbruegge. "I was concerned that our Senior Night would be a distraction, but it really did bring the guys together. And hand it to Connor (Looney) to take the lead."
 
Looney, the 6-2 guard from Palmer, Alaska/Palmer and one of two seniors to play his entire career at HPU, was going to make sure he wouldn't lose on his senior night. Looney had game-highs with 24 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals in leading the Sharks. Chauncey Orr, the 6-4 senior swingman from Bowling Green, Ohio/Bowling Green, racked up 15 points with seven boards, while Colfax Nordquist, the 6-3 forward from Elk Grove, Calif./Pleasant Grove who is the other four-year senior, added 11 points with two boards and an assists. Clayton Guy, the 6-6 senior forward from Kansas City, Mo./Rockhurst, posted the same numbers with 11 points, two rebounds and an assist.
 
Dixie State got 19 points from Brandon Simister, to go with Marcus Bradley's 17 points and seven boards and Trevor Hill's 15 points and seven rebounds.
 
HPU shot only 40 percent from the field (25-of-62), with 8-of-33 (24 percent) from the 3-point arc. Dixie nailed 48 percent (25-of-52) from the floor, but only 4-of-13 (31 percent) from the arc.
 
The game was decided at the foul line, where HPU made 18-of-19 from the stripe (95 percent). The Trailblazers hit only 12-of-27 (44 percent) from the line.
 
The two teams were even with 35 rebounds, while the Sharks turned the ball over just eight times compared to DSU's 15.
 
The first half was as exciting as the Sharks have played this season, with the teams swapping the lead 15 times with seven ties.
 
Dixie State opened with a 7-2 lead after a Simister fastbreak layup just two minutes into the contest. But the Sharks quickly responded with a pair of Guy 3-pointers and a triple from Looney.
 
From that spot, the teams battled back and forth the rest of the half. HPU got a 3-pointer from Orr with 22 seconds left to take a 44-42 advantage and the Sharks forced a 3-point miss and blocked out a tip-in attempt in the final second to take that lead to the half.
 
Dixie State opened on a 5-0 run to claim a 47-44 lead 90 seconds into the second half. It would be the last time the Trailblazers would have the lead.
 
Orr answered with a 3-pointer 19 seconds later to tie the game and start an 8-0 run that was capped by a Looney trey to give HPU a lead it wouldn't relinquish.
 
The Trailblazers cut the lead back to one with 13:53 to play when Hill made the first of two free throws, but his miss on the second kept the Sharks in the lead. HPU followed with an 8-1 run to rebuild the lead.
 
Dixie final attempt to get the lead back came with six minutes to play with a Simister 3-pointer that trimmed the lead to 66-62. After a Looney miss of a 3, Simister was fouled with 5:14 left. However Simister missed both shots. Looney was fouled 25 seconds later and buried both free throws that ended the threat.
 
HPU went 6-of-6 at the line in the last five minutes and was successful in draining the shot clock to win by 10 at 76-66.
 
The No. 8 Sharks have one regular season game remaining when they go across town to face rival Chaminade at McCabe Gym on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
 
No. 4 California Baptist (24-2, 16-2), who is a half-game behind HPU in the battle for the PacWest Championship, is at Concordia on Thursday before hosting Point Loma on Saturday.