OAKLAND, Calif. – Holy Names Rob Fuller hit a 3-pointer with 6.5 seconds to play to snap a 61-all tie and lead the Hawks to a 66-61 PacWest Conference win as Hawai'i Pacific University dropped its first game on its Bay Area trip at Tobin Gym.
 
The Sharks (2-4, 0-2) had overcome a 17-point second half deficit to tie the Hawks (4-4, 2-0) on a 4-point play by sophomore Jacob Foy of Newcastle, Australia/St. Francis Xavier with 35.5 seconds remaining.
 
However, Holy Names came down and used a screen to open Fuller for the game-winning trey.  After an HPU foul Anthony Dennis hit two free throws with 2.4 seconds left to ice the contest.
 
The Sharks were paced by the play of senior Ronald Blain of McDonough, Ga./Union Grove who scored 21 points with three steals. Foy collected 14 points and led the Sharks with eight rebounds, while senior Neema Namdar of Sandy, Utah/Alta also scored 14 points.
 
Justice De Corsi posted 15 points off the bench to lead the Hawks, while Fuller scored 12 points with five rebounds and Dennis 10 points and five boards.
 
The Sharks hit 44 percent from the floor (20-of-45), including 8-of-25 (32 percent) from the 3-point arc. HPU made 13-of-16 free throws (81 percent). The Hawks shot 41 percent from the floor (23-of-56), but just 2-of-21 (10 percent) from the arc. Holy Names connected on 18-of-22 (82 percent) from the charity stripe. The Sharks outrebounded HNU 31-22, but suffered 26 turnovers to the Hawks 12.
 
HPU jumped out to an early lead, opening with a 3-pointer by Namdar, and building a seven-point lead on a Blain layup for an 11-4 advantage. The Hawks used a pair of free throws to start a 14-0 run to take the lead they held until tied in the last 35 seconds.
 
HNU built its first half lead to 12-points late in the frame, only to have HPU fight back and cut the lead to nine at 36-27 on a Blain free throw just before intermission.
 
The Hawks used a 10-2 run to build a 17-point lead and kept the advantage to the 13:27 mark. That's when the Sharks went on a 7-0 run capped by a 3-pointer by Namdar to pull within 10 points midway through the half. After exchanging points, the Hawks went back up by 13 at 55-42 with 8:22 left.
 
HPU found the opportunity to strike. Starting with a layup from senior Daniel Melifonwu of San Diego, Calif./Lincoln, the Sharks went on a 10-0 run to trail by three at 55-52 on another Melifonwu layup with 4:13 remaining. Holy Names pushed the lead back to seven following a Zamaria Odom layup with 2:46 left to lead 61-47.
 
Foy took it on his shoulders for the next seven points, hitting a 3-pointer with 2:29 to play, then burying the top of the key triple with 35.5 seconds left and drawing a foul. Foy hit the shot to tie the game, but that would be it for the Sharks.
 
HPU is back in action on Saturday night when the Sharks visit Notre Dame de Namur's Gleason Gym. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. HST (7:30 p.m. PST) following the HPU-NDNU women's contest.