Honolulu, Hawai'i — Hawai'i Pacific put together an efficient offensive stretch over the final three quarters, but a fast start from Vanguard proved too much to overcome as the Sharks dropped a 72–61 decision on Wednesday afternoon at the Shark Tank. HPU battled back after an early deficit, shooting 43 percent from the field and a perfect 10-for-10 at the line, but the Lions' hot first quarter made the difference.

Vanguard opened the game shooting 64 percent with five made threes to take a 27–9 lead after the first. From there, the Sharks outscored the Lions 52–45 the rest of the way, finding rhythm from beyond the arc and generating consistent scoring through ball movement and transition play.

Kyra Tanabe led HPU with 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting, knocking down a three and going 4-for-4 at the line in one of her most aggressive offensive performances of the season. Jalen Samuel added 12 points with two threes, while Lucia Ricci finished with 10 points, four rebounds, and three assists.

Mya Hatchett contributed six points and five boards, and Alana Roberts added six points with six rebounds. Kalysa Ng continued her strong perimeter play with eight points on 3-for-5 shooting, including two threes.

HPU shot 43 percent overall and 33 percent from deep while closing the game with a 22-point fourth quarter. Vanguard countered with 23 made free throws and nine threes, maintaining enough separation despite the Sharks' late momentum.

With the effort, HPU moves to 3–11 overall and 2–6 in PacWest play.