HILO, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Pacific University fell in its first game off Oahu this season, as Hawai'i Hilo won 79-67 in PacWest Conference action at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium on Sunday afternoon.
The Sharks (3-5, 0-3) and Vulcans (6-4, 2-1) battled early before UHH posted a 10-0 run midway through the first half to open up a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
The Sharks were led by junior
Colton Martin of Flower Mound, Texas/Flower Mound with 13 points, while senior
Rodney Hounshell of Richmond, Va./West Linn (Ore.) collected 10 points. Junior
Trey Miller of Mukilteo, Wash./Archbishop Murray led the Sharks with eight rebounds.
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones paced the Vulcans with 21 points and was one of four UHH players with four rebounds. Donald McHenry scored 16 points, with Darren Williams collecting 14 points and seven assists, and Max Kunnert posting 12 points.
The Sharks shot 44 percent from the floor (26-of-59), but 5-of-20 (25 percent) from the 3-point arc. HPU made 10-of-19 free throws (53 percent). The Vulcans tallied 49 percent (29-of-59) from the field, including 10-of-21 (48 percent) from 3-point land. UH Hilo hit 11-of-15 (73 percent) from the charity stripe. HPU outrebounded UHH 27-23, but the Vulcans only had eight turnovers to the Sharks 14.
After UHH opened with the lead, the Sharks used a 3-pointer from grad student
Roman Young of Wichita, Kan./Sunrise Christian Academy and one-of-two free throws from junior
Trey Chapman of Healdsburg, Calif./Healdsburg to take their only lead a 6-5 with 16:45 to play in the first half.
The Vulcans retook the lead two possessions later when Tait-Jones capped a steal and fastbreak into a layup and UHH never trailed again. The Sharks twice got back within a point over the next few minutes, but it was again Tait-Jones with a jumper in the paint with 13:33 to play that started a 10-0 Vulcan run that solidly established command of the game. UH Hilo led 40-25 at the end of the first half.
In the second half, the Sharks cut the Vulcans 16-point lead to eight three times, the last coming on a put-back layup from Martin with 4:40 to play. But the Vulcans expanded the advantage back to 14 points, then held off the Sharks to finish with the 79-67 win.
The Sharks have now get ready to face two strong opponents in the Hoops-In-Hawai'i Holiday Classic that will be played on their home court at The Shark Tank. HPU meets the NAIA's No. 22 team Xavier (La.) on Friday night, then takes on Division II's No. 16 team Embry-Riddle (Fla.) on Saturday night. Both contests are scheduled for 8 p.m. starts as the final game of four each day in the classic.
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