OAKLAND, Calif. – Hawai'i Pacific University sophomore Alysha Marcucci hit a school record eight 3-point field goals as she led HPU to an 89-40 PacWest Conference victory over Holy Names on Saturday afternoon at Tobin Gym.
 
The Sharks (13-5, 11-1) rolled to their sixth straight victory and their 12th in the last 13 games. The Hawks (2-19, 2-13) dropped their 10th game in the 11.
 
Marcucci, from Melbourne, Australia/Marist-Sion, scored a career-high 28 points with the eight treys. She broke the previous HPU record of seven set last season by Janessa Manzano against Academy of Art on Feb. 12, 2018.
 
The eight 3-pointers fell one short of the PacWest record of nine by Kamille Diaz of California Baptist on March 4, 2016. The eight are also the most in the PacWest this season and the seventh most in NCAA Division II this year.
 
In addition to Marcucci's 28 points, senior Breanna Mackenzie of Melbourne, Australia/Box Hill just missed a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds to go with a game-high six assists. Senior Samantha Lambrightsen of Oregon, Ill./Oregon HS added 15 points.
 
Holy Names was led by Onjalise Carley-Hillard with 13 points and Ariana Hernandez with eight points. Monica Valenzuela led the Hawks with five rebounds and three assists.
 
The Sharks shot a season-high 56.1 percent from the floor, hitting a season best 37 field goals in 66 attempts. The Sharks hit 44 percent (10-of-23) from the 3-point arc and coverted 5-of-8 free throws (63 percent). HPU held the Hawks to 30 percent from the field (15-of-50), including 4-of-19 (21 percent) from the arc. The Hawks were 6-of-9 (67 percent) from the foul line. HPU outrebounded Holy Names 35-30 and forced the Hawks into 33 turnovers while suffering 15 of their own.
 
The Sharks and Hawks played close early with HNU holding two-point leads in the first three minutes and tying the game at 6-all on a Carley-Hillard layup with 6:46 to play in the opening quarter. A minute later freshman Amy Baum of Melbourne, Australia/Rowville Secondary got a layup and Mackenzie followed with another to start a 15-0 run and the Sharks led by double figures the rest of the way. Junior Starr Rivera of Honolulu/Roosevelt nailed a jumper down the stretch to give a 23-11 lead after the first quarter.
 
HPU all but put the game away in the second quarter, holding Holy Names to just six points in the 10 minute period. But they dominated offensively as well, using a 17-2 run in the first seven minutes of the quarter that included a 15-0 run with Marcucci using a jumper in the lane to start the run and end it with a triple. Rivera added a 3-pointer as well to give HPU a 26-point 43-17 lead at halftime.
 
HPU expanded the lead in the third quarter. A layup from Baum 100 seconds into the second half put HPU up by 30 and the Sharks kept that advantage throughout the half. HPU closed the quarter on a 9-0 run with a Mackenzie layup putting HPU up 69-27 at the horn.
 
Sharks controlled the pace in the final quarter, with the only question being if Marcucci could get the school single-game 3-point record. She tied the previous mark with a triple at the 7:37 mark after an offensive rebound was kicked out to the wing. Marcucci got the record by herself with a 3-pointer coming out of a timeout with 4:18 remaining.
 
The Sharks return home for a five-game game homestand that starts on Wednesday. HPU hosts a showdown with PacWest leader Azusa Pacific. The matchup of the league's top teams on Wednesday is set for 4:30 p.m. at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center.