HONOLULU – No. 24 Hawai'i Pacific University opened its PacWest Conference season in style as the Sharks shocked No. 4 Azusa Pacific 86-75 on Friday night at The Shark Tank.
 
The Sharks (6-1, 1-0) saw the fourth ranked Cougars (7-1, 2-1) hit their first 3-pointer, then went on an 11-0 run and never trailed again in handing APU its first loss of the season.
 
HPU was paced by the scoring of senior Starr Rivera of Honolulu/Roosevelt and reigning PacWest Player of the Week sophomore Abbey Noblett of Morwell, Australia/Lavalla Catholic who each scored 25 points. Rivera hit 9-of-12 from the floor that included 4-of-5 from the 3-point arc and 3-of-4 from the foul line to go with five assists. Noblett made 10-of-13 shots from the field including her only 3-point attempt and was 4-of-5 from the line as she pulled down five rebounds with three steals.
 
Sophomore Amy Baum of Melbourne, Australia/Rowville Secondary posted 16 points with nine rebounds and seven assists with a steal.
 
Azusa Pacific was led by Zoe March with 14 points, while Laura Pranger and Molly Whitmore each added 13 points. Savanna Hanson scored 10 points. Cierra Roufosse led the Cougars with seven rebounds.
 
HPU shot 55 percent from the field (29-of-53), including 8-of-20 (40 percent) from the 3-point arc. The Sharks also connected on 20-of-23 (87 percent) from the free throw line. APU hit 44 percent from the floor (28-of-64), including 7-of-20 (35 percent) from the arc and 12-of-16 (75 percent) from the charity stripe. HPU outrebounded the Cougars 33-28, while the Sharks suffered 22 turnovers to APU's 20.
 
Daylee Hanson gave Azusa its only lead on a 3-pointer in the first minute of play, but Rivera answered with a triple on the next possession that started the 11-0 run to give HPU a lead it wouldn't relinquish. Noblett's jumper in the paint put HPU up 11-3 with 6:11 left in the opening frame. HPU opened a nine-point advantage in the first period, but the Cougars battled back, and a layup from Paige Uyehara trimmed the HPU lead after the first to 24-20.
 
Roufosse made it a two-point contest at 24-22 with a layup to start the second, but a return layup from sophomore Ally Bates of Melbourne, Australia/Yarra Valley, followed by a Baum triple and a layup from junior Alisha Marcucci of Melbourne, Australia/Marist-Sion put the Sharks back up by nine. HPU eventually pushed the lead to 11 at the half on a Baum jumper with 1:19 remaining and used a block by junior Makenna Gambee to keep the 37-26 advantage at intermission.
 
The Sharks opened the third quarter with a 10-2 run, opening a 19-point lead at 47-28 with 6:54 in the quarter on a Rivera layup. HPU continued to expand the lead going above a 20-point differential three times before APU got a layup with 21 seconds in the period to send the contest to the quarter break with the Sharks up 59-41.
 
HPU smashed open the contest in the first half of the fourth quarter, building a 23-point 72-49 lead with 5:08 to play when Noblett completed a layup, free throw 3-point play. It appeared a rout was on, but someone forgot to tell that to the No. 4 Cougars.
 
Azusa threw up a stifling full-court press that did not allow HPU to get to the midcourt stripe. The Cougars turned four-quick steals into points and APU went on a 26-6 run in the next four-and-a half minutes to cut the Sharks lead to 78-75 with 47 seconds remaining when Pranger hit a 3-pointer.
 
But the Cougars started fouling to get possessions. And the Sharks took advantage, going 8-for-8 from the line in the 43 seconds – with true freshman Avery Cargill of Santa Rosa, Calif./Cardinal Newman hitting 6-of-6. APU never scored again as the No. 24 Sharks came away with the 11-point 86-75 win.
 
The Sharks are idle until next week when they travel to the Bay Area for their first PacWest road contests of the season. HPU starts the three-game swing at Holy Names on Thursday in a contest slated to tip at 3:30 p.m. HST (5:30 PST).