HILO, Hawai`i—With a share of the Pacific West Conference title at stake, visiting Hawai`i Pacific could ill afford to look past Hawai`i Hilo in the final regular season game of the 2017-18 season.

Stumble, they did not.

The  No. 21 nationally ranked Sharks held the Vulcans to just two first quarter field goals, racing out to a 19-4 lead to settle matters early during a 66-50 women's basketball win on Saturday night at the Afook-Chinen Auditorium. Playing 30 minutes before heavily favored co-leader Azusa Pacific tipped off against Chaminade, the Sharks secured at least a share of the PacWest title.

The Vulcans finished the season at 5-15 in the Pacific West Conference (7-16 overall), while Hawai`i Pacific heads to Riverside, Calif. next week for the conference tournament with a 23-4 overall record and an 18-2 PWC mark.

HPU, tall and long on defense, kept UH Hilo without a field goal for the first 9:20 of the game. The Vulcans broke the drought with 40 seconds left in the quarter on a three-pointer by Alyssa Movchan. Earlier in the period, UHH's Safia Sheikh hit a pair of free throws, scoring her 999 and 1,000^th points of her collegiate career.

Most of the night, the Vulcans had a hard time getting uncontested shots. They trailed 21-9 at the end of the first quarter, when most of the damage was done. They played the Sharks closer after that, trailing 34-18 at the break. HPU led 49-32 at the end of the third period, and then went on an 8-0 run to start the final stanza.

Jessi Reeves led the Sharks with 14 points and ten rebounds.

Sheikh finished with 11 points in her final collegiate game, and 1,009 in her career—which included two seasons at Pfieffer (N.C.), BYU-Hawaii and UH Hilo. Freshman Allie Navarette led the Vulcans tonight with 16 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

After the game, UH Hilo's two seniors (Sheikh and Kailani Jones) were honored on Senior Night.