HONOLULU – Nationally ranked Hawai'i Pacific University used a 22-1 run to start the third quarter on the way to a 98-74 PacWest Conference triumph over Academy of Art on Sunday afternoon at Kezar Pavilion.
 
The Sharks (16-1, 11-0), ranked 11th in both the WBCA Division II Coaches poll and D2SIDA poll, extended their winning streak to 12 with the win against the Urban Knights (5-10, 3-8).
 
HPU trailed ART U 39-38 at halftime before coming out of the intermission on fire. The 22-1 run in the first 6:45 of the quarter led to a 41-point third period for the Sharks. It's the second time this season HPU has posted 40-plus points in a quarter, the other being the 45-point second quarter against Dominican on Jan. 11.
 
HPU was powered by senior Starr Rivera of Honolulu/Roosevelt, who equaled her career-high with 31 points. Junior Alysha Marcucci of Melbourne, Australia/Marist-Sion scored 18 pints with six rebounds, while sophomore Abbey Noblett of Morwell, Australia/Lavalla Catholic added 17 points with six boards. Sophomore Amy Baum of Melbourne, Australia/Rowville Secondary scored 15 points with six rebounds and seven assists, and sophomore Ally Bates of Melbourne, Australia/Yarra Valley scored 11 points with six rebounds. Junior Makenna Gambee of Hillsboro, Ore./Hillsboro led all rebounders with eight boards.
 
The Urban Knights were led by Pam Wilmore with 24 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. Tayler Bennett added 12 points, while Megan Jefferson posted 10 points. Lily Perkins joined Wilmore with seven rebounds to lead ART U.
 
The Sharks shot 55 percent for the game (36-of-66), including 52 percent (14-of-27) from the 3-point arc. HPU hit 12-of-16 (75 percent) from the free throw line. ART U hit 40 percent (27-of-67) from the floor, with 8-of-28 (29 percent) from the arc. The Urban Knights made 12-of-17 (71 percent) from the charity stripe. HPU outrebounded ART U 40-33, but suffered 15 turnovers to the Knights 13.
 
The Sharks jumped out to a 10-point first quarter lead, starting with an 8-2 run keyed by three Marcucci field goals, and stretching it to a 14-4 advantage with 5:09 remaining in the quarter on a Baum free throw. The Urban Knights responded with a 10-2 run of their own to tighten the contest. The first frame ended 21-21 after a Wilmore jumper for ART U.
 
The Urban Knights took their first lead at the start of the second quarter on a pair of Bennett 3-pointers that gave ART U it's largest lead of six at 27-21. HPU responded with a 10-0 run started by a Noblett triple and capped with a pair of Baum free throws. The teams exchanged scores until a Wilmore free throw with 36 seconds remaining in the half that gave ART U its 39-38 lead that it took to halftime.
 
HPU came out blazing in the third quarter, hitting its first three shots from the floor on the way to canning 82 percent (14-of-17) from the field with 7-of-8 (87 percent) from 3-point land. Noblett hit a jumper to start a 10-0 run for the Sharks, and after a free throw by Perkins for ART U, HPU went on a 12-0 run for a 60-40 lead with 3:15 to play on Gambee's layup. The teams combined for a 19-12 final stretch in the period as Marcucci buried a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give HPU a 79-52 lead after three.
 
HPU did get the lead to 29 points in the fourth period, but settled to finish with a 24-point triumph as Rivera hit a jumper with 58 seconds to play for her 31st point and the 98-74 win.
 
HPU doesn't have much time to enjoy the victory, traveling down to the valley to face Fresno Pacific on Tueday. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. HST (5:30 p.m. PST) at the FPU Special Events Center.