HONOLULU – No. 23 Hawai'i Pacific University overcame a five-point second half deficit to roll through 14th ranked UC San Diego 73-64 on Saturday afternoon to conclude the 2019 Malika Sport Tours Oahu Thanksgiving Classic at The Shark Tank.
 
The No. 23 Sharks (5-1) used a 7-0 run near the end of the third quarter to take the lead for good over the No. 14 Tritons (5-2).
 
The Sharks got a career-game from sophomore Abby Noblett of Morwell, Australia/Lavalla Catholic who scored 24 points with a season-high eight rebounds. Sophomore Ally Bates of Melbourne, Australia/Yarra Valley added 15 points with two assists and senior Starr Rivera of Honolulu/Roosevelt pitched in 11 points in the win. Junior Alysha Marcucci of Melbourne, Australia/Marist-Sion scored nine points, but had a career-high with 18 rebounds.
 
The Tritons were paced by Julia Macabuhay with 16 points and five assists, while Sydney Sharp double-doubled with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Tyla Turner posted 13 points with seven rebounds and Brianna Claros chipped in 12 points.
 
The Sharks shot 39 percent from the floor (22-of-57), including 6-of-19 (32 percent) from the 3-point arc. HPU made 23-of-28 (82 percent) from the free throw line. HPU held UCSD to 28 percent from the field (18-of-66), including 9-of-42 (21 percent) from the arc. The Tritons were 19-of-25 (76 percent) from the charity stripe. HPU outrebounded UCSD 50-40, but suffered 12 turnovers to the Tritons nine.
 
The defenses ruled in the first half, as neither team could shoot above 27 percent from the floor. HPU took advantage early to use a 10-point run to carve out a 12-2 lead on a 3-pointer by Bates with 1:25 in the first. The Tritons recovered to cut the lead to 12-8 at the quarter break.
 
In the second frame, UCSD completed their 10-0 run to tie the game at 12-12 with 7:00 left in the half, but the Sharks answered with a Noblett layup, a pair of Marcucci free throws and a Noblett charity toss to hold take a five-point lead with 5:33 left. The teams battled down to the half with HPU taking a four-point 24-20 lead on a Marcucci 3-pointer with 54 seconds remaining. But a jumper by Sharp, a missed HPU layup and a 3-pointer by Claros at the buzzer sent the Tritons to the half up 25-24.
 
UCSD held the early lead in the third quarter, building their advantage to five at 34-29 with 8:11 left in the period. HPU battled back as the teams tied three times and swung in a three-point range. After the Tritons tied the contest at 42-42 with 2:38 to play in the third, the Sharks took over. Noblett hit a 3-pointer and Rivera followed with a trey before a Noblett free throw and HPU was back up seven at 49-42 with 40 seconds left. The Tritons Sharp buried a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the period to cut HPU's lead to 49-45.
 
UCSD trimmed the Shark lead to a pair at 49-47 before HPU started another 7-0 started by a layup from sophomore Amy Baum of Melbourne, Australia/Rowville Secondary and capped with a Noblett free throw for a 57-47 lead. The Tritons twice reduced the advantage to five, only to have the Sharks step up in the stretch. HPU went 6-of-6 from the foul line in the last 1:05 and added a Marcucci layup to knockoff 14th ranked UCSD 73-64.
 
The Sharks take most of the week for fall final exams before opening PacWest Conference play against No. 4 Azusa Pacific on Friday evening. Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m. at The Shark Tank.