HONOLULU — Hawaiʻi Pacific rode a dominant defensive effort and a balanced scoring night to secure its first win of the season and for Head Coach Brent Gibson, defeating Cal State East Bay 63–55 on Wednesday evening at the Shark Tank.
The Sharks (1–3) controlled the game from the opening tip, leading for more than 39 minutes and building a 20-point advantage midway through the third quarter. HPU outworked the Pioneers on the glass, 52–45, and turned 25 offensive rebounds into 17 critical second-chance points.
"Really proud of the ladies tonight," said Coach Gibson. "After not getting the results we wanted in the first few games, they buckled down in practice and showed a lot of maturity in focusing on the things they could control. We talked about improving pressure on the defensive end and held them to under 20% shooting in the first half, which was fantastic. Really loved our effort getting on the floor and battling the boards."
Freshman Guard
Mia Frye led HPU with 16 points, nine rebounds, an assist, and a steal in an efficient all-around performance.
Lucia Ricci anchored the interior, grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds to go with six points, two assists, and three steals.
Alana Roberts added five points, nine rebounds, three steals, and two blocks, while
Kyra Tanabe posted an energetic stat line of six points, three assists, and five steals.
Coach Gibson emphasized, "
Mia Frye again showed what type of competitor she is. She accepts any challenge that is in front of her and is fearless on both ends of the ball. Lu Ricci has done a great job coming in and filling some spots down low due to some injuries. Tonight, double-digit boards showed how tough she is."
HPU seized control with a 10–1 run in the first quarter and held East Bay to 10 points in the opening period and just seven in the second, taking a 32–17 lead into halftime. The Sharks' defense held the Pioneers to just 30.2% shooting for the game and only 20% from beyond the arc.
East Bay was led by Sierra Morris with a team-best 11 points off the bench.
HPU returns to action next week, Tuesday at 5 p.m., as it opens conference play against crosstown rival Chaminade University, which will be featured on Spectrum Sports (Spectrum cable channel 12). The game is the first of a double header with the Men's team also facing Chaminade at 7 p.m.
