HONOLULU – Hawai'i Pacific University won its home opener on Friday night with a 99-70 victory in the first of two games against Northwest Indian College at The Shark Tank.
 
The Sharks (2-1) and Eagles (0-4) tied twice and swapped the lead in the first four-and-a half minutes before the Sharks broke the game open with an 11-2 run and never trailed again.
 
HPU spread out the scoring, with 13 of the 14 players putting points on the scoreboard. Sophomore center Tucker Pellicci of Portland, Ore./Franklin came off the bench to score 15 points in 15 minutes, while redshirt freshman Jackson Young of Kerrville, Texas/Tivy hit four 3-pointers for 12 points. Junior Trey Chapman of Healdsburg, Calif./Healdsburg collected 11 points with a game-high eight rebounds, and junior Colton Martin of Flower Mound, Texas/Flower Mound came off the bench with 11 points. Junior Trey Miller of Mukilteo, Wash./Archbishop Murray also tallied eight boards.
 
NWIC was led by Kobe Johns with a game-high 18 points, with Malachi Rogers adding 15 points and a team-high five rebounds. Nick Valencia and Mitchell Carlos both scored 12 points.
 
The Sharks shot 47 percent from the floor (39-of-83), including 11-of-39 (28 percent) from the 3-point arc. HPU made 10-of-15 free throws (67 percent). The Eagles hit 47 percent from the field (28-of-60), but that included 11-of-30 (37 percent) from the arc. NWIC made 3-of-9 (33 percent) from the charity stripe. The Sharks dominated the glass 56-27 and turned the ball over just eight times to the Eagles 16.
 
The Eagles held close to the Sharks until HPU took a double-digit lead with six minutes to play in the first half on a 3-pointer from freshman Max Topham of Paragonah, Utah/Real Salt Lake Academy as part of a 7-0 run. HPU never led by less than double-figures again, building a 17-point lead before allowing a NWIC triple for a 50-36 lead at the half.
 
HPU extended the lead to 20 points in the second half and continued the expansion throughout the period eventually notching the 29-point difference for the 99-70 final.
 
The Sharks and Eagles play again on Saturday night at The Shark Tank. Tipoff time is slated for 7 p.m.