ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Hawai'i Pacific University closed the DII Coast-To-Coast Classic with a 65-54 loss to the host team No. 6 Alaska Anchorage on Saturday evening at the Alaska Airlines Center.
 
The Sharks (1-3) never led over the sixth-ranked Seawolves (6-0).
 
The Sharks were led by senior Samantha Lambrigtsen of Oregon, Ill./Oregon with 12 points, a game-high eight rebounds and three steals. Freshman Abbey Noblett of Morwell, Australia/Lavalla Catholic also scored 12 points with four boards and four assists. Sophomore Alysha Marcucci of Melbourne, Australia/Marist-Sion dished out seven assists with a block and two steals to go with her five points.
 
UAA got 14 points from both Kian McNair and Hannah Wandersee, with Safiyyah Yasin adding 12 points. Kimani Fernandez-Roy and Tara Thompson each grabbed six rebounds.
 
The Sharks shot 39 percent from the field (23-of-59), but connected on only 1-of-20 (5.0 percent) from the 3-point arc. HPU hit 7-of-13 (54 percent) from the free throw line. The Seawolves shot 42 percent (22-of-53) from the floor, but was just as poor from the arc hitting only 1-of-14 (7.1 percent. UAA hit 20-of-23 shots (87 percent) from the charity stripe. The Seawolves edged the Sharks 32-31 on the glass and in turnovers 15-to-16.
 
UAA got the first score and HPU tied the game at 2-all with 7:24 remaining in the first on a layup from freshman Amy Baum of Melbourne, Australia/Rowville Secondary. HPU kept the game tied for the next minute and a half, but the Seawolves were biding their time.
 
A Wandersee layup started a 7-0 run before a 3-pointer from HPU junior Starr Rivera of Honolulu/Roosevelt. The Seawolves responded with another 6-2 run to end the quarter up 15-7.
 
The teams battled to a draw through the first part of the second quarter then UAA posted a 7-1 run to go up 14 at 30-14. The Sharks responded with a 9-0 run to close the half down seven at 30-23 after a jumper from Marcucci.
 
HPU trimmed the lead to five at the 7:36 mark of the third period after a Marcucci steal and a layup by sophomore Makenna Gambee of Hillsboro, Ore./Hillsboro that made it 30-25. The Seawolves opened it back to an 11-point difference before HPU made it a six-point game at the quarter on a Lambrigtsen jumper as UAA led 40-34 after three.
 
HPU battled the Seawolves in the final period, cutting the lead to four with 4:37 to play at 53-49 on a Noblett layup. UAA responded with a 7-0 run and the Sharks never got closer as the Seawolves closed on a 12-5 run to win 65-54.
 
The Sharks return to Honolulu to open PacWest Conference play next Thursday, hosting Hawai'i Hilo in a PacWest Hawai'i Challenge contest. Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m. at Moanalua HS Gym.