SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – Hawai'i Pacific University saw Dominican (Calif.) rattle off a 13-0 run down the stretch to force extra play as DUC stunned HPU with a double overtime 85-80 PacWest Conference win at the Conlan Center on Wednesday evening.
 
The Sharks (4-7, 1-5) dropped their second game of the three-game northern California road trip, while the Penguins (6-7, 2-5) ended a four-game losing streak.
 
HPU held an 11-point 66-55 lead with 5:13 in regulation when DUC started the run at the foul line and took the lead on a Sam Averbuck 3-pointer with 58 seconds remaining for a 68-66 lead. HPU sent the game to overtime when senior Darnell Bettis of Los Angeles/University got a layup with three seconds left in regulation.
 
The teams were even in the first extra period, but HPU never led in the second overtime.
 
The Sharks were led by senior Spencer Vering of San Diego/Mater Dei Catholic, who scored 17 points with five rebounds before fouling out with 1:34 in regulation. Junior Neema Namdar of Sandy, Utah/Alta, chalked up 16 points with four rebounds, while junior Ronald Blain of of McDonough, Ga./Union Grove, added 10 points with a team-high seven rebounds. Junior Scott Ulaneo of Rome, Italy/St. George's International, also added 10 points.
 
Averbuck paced the Penguins with 27 points and Cedric Thomas collected 19 points with 12 rebounds and five assists. Jordan Williams added 14 points with four assists in the win.
 
HPU shot 45 percent for the contest (29-of-64), including 46 percent from the 3-point arc (11-of-24). HPU hit 11-of-18 free throws (61 percent). Dominican hit 41 percent (29-of-70) from the floor, including 7-of-24 (29 percent) from the arc. The Penguins connected on 20-of-23 (87 percent) shots from the charity stripe. DUC outrebounded HPU 41-39 as the Sharks turned the ball over 25 times to the Penguins 16.
 
The Sharks and Penguins battled hard in the opening half eventually grabbing six-point lead at 30-24 with 2:13 remaining in the half on a 3-pointer by sophomore David Rowlands of Dayton, Ohio/Moorpark. The Penguins made a run late, but HPU held a 32-30 lead at the end of the half after three ties and seven lead changes.
 
Averback gave DUC a two point lead on a triple with 18 minutes to go, but then the Sharks answered with a Vering 3-pointer that keyed a 12-2 run that put HPU up eight at 45-37 after a traditional layup, free throw 3-point play by Ulaneo.
 
HPU built its lead to 11 on a layup by Blain and another Vering 3-pointer with 5:13 remaining to give HPU the 66-55 advantage. However foul trouble by the Sharks allowed the Penguins to score from the line without the clock running, and when Vering fouled out with 1:34 to play, HPU's lead was cut to one at 66-65.  After a missed HPU shot, Averbuck buried a 3 for just the second DUC lead of the half at 68-66. The Sharks were able to send the game to overtime on the Bettis layup just before the regulation horn.
 
In the first OT, a layup from sophomore Lorenze Gordon-Haynes and a Namdar triple gave HPU a five-point lead, only to have Dominican get a 3 from Averbuck to start a 7-0 run for the lead with 56 seconds remaining. The teams traded scores before Gordon-Haynes nailed a jumper with 16 seconds left to tie the game at 77-all. Averbeck had a chance at a game-winner, but was denied by the sticky Sharks defense and the contest advanced to the second extra period.
 
The Penguins opened with the lead in the second overtime with Williams hitting a jumper. HPU got 1-of-2 free throws to cut the lead to one. DUC got a jumper from Thomas to take a 3-point 83-80 lead with 2:31 left and the Sharks had two possessions to score but missed. A final foul by HPU allowed Averbuck to put the game away with a pair of free throws with 18 seconds to go.
 
The Sharks continue for the final contest of this northern California trip by visiting Fresno Pacific on Friday. Tipoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. HST (4:30 PST), following the women's contest between the schools at the FPU Special Events Center.