HILO, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Pacific University held a lead for all but 34 seconds on Saturday as the Sharks women posted a 65-49 PacWest Conference victory over homestanding neighbor Hawai'i Hilo at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.
 
The defending PacWest Conference Champion Sharks (9-5, 7-1) remained in third by percentage in the PacWest standings while sweeping the regular season series from the Vulcans (4-8, 1-7).
 
The only time HPU trailed was at 6-5 in the first quarter and regained the lead on the very next possession to never trail again.
 
Senior Brianna Mackenzie of Melbourne, Australia/Box Hill led the Sharks with 18 points to go with four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Sophomore Alysha Marcucci of Melbourne, Australia/Marist-Sion scored 11 points with three boards, a block and two steals. Senior Samantha Lambrigtsen of Oregon, Ill./Oregon HS and freshman Amy Baum of Melbourne, Australia/Rowville Secondary each grabbed nine rebounds with Lambrigtsen adding seven points and Baum six.
 
Allie Navarette paced the Vulcans with 18 points and four rebounds, while Sara Shimizu added nine points with three assists. Alyssa Movchan pulled down five rebounds and five points.
 
HPU shot 40 percent from the floor (21-of-52), including 32 percent (7-of-22) from the 3-point arc. The Sharks hit 16-of-25 shots (64 percent) from the free throw line. The Vulcans hit only 36 percent from the field (16-of-45), with 33 percent (7-of-21) from the arc. UH Hilo made 10-of-17 (59 percent) at the charity stripe. HPU clobbered UH Hilo on the glass 44-to-21, and both teams turned the ball over 21 times.
 
The Sharks started with an early lead, but the Vulcans came back to get the 6-5 advantage on a 3-pointer from Amber Vaughn. The Sharks answered on the next possession when Marcucci drilled a 3-pointer and HPU never trailed again. HPU went on a 7-0 run in the last three minutes of the quarter with junior Starr Rivera of Honolulu/Roosevelt ending the period with a jumper for a 17-9 lead after one.
 
The Sharks opened the second quarter with a Baum layup to key an 11-0 run capped with a triple from Marcucci to account for an 18-0 run from the end of the first through the midpoint of the second quarter. HPU kept a double-digit lead for the rest of the game. UH Hilo got a 3-pointer from Shimizu to send the game to halftime at 34-18.
 
HPU pushed the lead to 20 during the third period, and held a 48-31 lead after three.
 
The Sharks continued to keep UHH at bay and got back-to-back 3-pointers from freshman Lauryn Hippolite of Nelson, New Zealand/Middleton Grange and Mackenzie to go up by 23 at 63-40 with 3:32 remining. The Vulcans ended the game with a 9-2 run, but it was too little, too late as the Sharks finished with a 65-49 triumph to give HPU another score in the PacWest Hawai'i Challenge.
 
Following four consecutive road contests, the Sharks return to Honolulu for a two-game homestand next week starting on Tuesday when they host Point Loma at the Neil S. Blaisdell Center. Tipoff is slated for 4:30 p.m.