HILO, Hawai`i.—Play-off bound Dominican, eager to halt a two-game losing streak, used 31 points and 14 rebounds from all-star Natalie Diaz to take a 73-60 Pacific West Conference women's basketball win over Hawai`i Hilo on Saturday night at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.

The third-place Penguins improved to 15-7 with the win and to 9-5 in the PacWest. The Vulcans dropped to 6-9 on the year and to 4-8 in conference play.

Diaz, who came into the game averaging over 24 points a game, had a double-double early in the third quarter. She had 15 points and seven rebounds at the half.

UH Hilo, again playing without second leading scorer Safia Sheikh, took an early lead (8-4) on a Danielle Dacosta three-pointer. But Diaz scored the next nine points for the Penguins to give them back a lead that they never relinquished. An Alanna Scott three-pointer at the first quarter buzzer gave Dominican a 20-12 lead.

The Vulcans played the Penguins close to even in the second quarter, trailing 33-21 at the break, when Scott again hit a trey at the horn.

But the Penguins added to their margin in the third period. Scott hit two more treys in the quarter as Dominican outscored the Vulcans 24-16 in the ten minutes. In the fourth period, trailing by as many as 20 points, the Vulcans cut the margin to 13 points before the final horn.

Freshman Allie Navarette had another productive night, leading the Vulcans with 21 points and 10 rebounds.  Sara Shimzu was also in double figures with 15 points. The short-handed Vulcans played with just seven players in the game.

Diaz got to her 31 points by hitting 12-of-23 shots from the floor and 7-of-9 from the free throw line. Scott finished with 14 points and six rebounds.

The Vulcans will now hit the road for a stretch of six games, beginning with a Tuesday night contest at Hawai`i Pacific.