SAN DIEGO, Calif.—A slow start and finish were too much for the Hawai`i Hilo women's basketball team to overcome against Point Loma on Thursday night at Golden Gymnasium.
The Vulcans, finishing up a tough three-game road trip in southern California, fell to the host Sea Lions 78-46. Point Loma won its sixth straight game to improve to 7-2 overall and to 3-0 in the Pacific West Conference. UH Hilo is now 1-6 on the year and 0-4 in the PacWest.
All three teams that the Vulcans played on this trip were undefeated in conference play
.
The Vulcans outscored the Sea Lions 16-12 in the second quarter and were down by just eight points in the third period and ten in the fourth before the home team pulled away. The problem was Point Loma built a 19-4 lead in the first quarter and went on a 22-2 run late in the fourth quarter to spoil any UHH hopes.
Allie Navarette led the Vulcans with 18 points and ten rebounds. She hit 8-of-8 shots from the free throw line.
Mandi Kawaha also had a double-double with 11 points and a career-high 11 boards.
After trailing by 15 points heading into the second quarter, UH Hilo pulled to within eight point twice—once on free throws by Kawaha and the other on a basket by
Kim Schmelz. The Vulcans trailed at the break, 31-20.
In the third period, a three-pointer by
Malia Lee again pulled the visitors to within eight (35-27), but the Sea Lions answered with a 10-4 run to put a tally of 51-35 on the scoreboard heading into the fourth.
In the final stanza, a Navarette basket made it a 10-point game (51-41) with 8:22 remaining, but the Sea Lions answered with a 22-2 run before settling for the final count of 78-46.
Haylee Sourette led PLNU with 20 points and Onjalise Carley-Hilliard had 18.
The Vulcans return home and will take next week off for final exams before hosting No. 13 nationally ranked Alaska Anchorage on Dec. 22 (1 pm) at the Civic.
