(photo by Rick Ogata)

HILO, Hawai`i--They say that close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, but certainly it had to count for more than that on Sunday for UH Hilo during their loss to No. 1 regionally ranked Hawai`i Pacific.

The final box read Sharks 69, Vulcans 56, but the game was much closer than the score would indicate (to use another cliche). UH HIlo led for much of the first quarter and again late in the third quarter. Even in the fourth, they trailed by just three (50-47) after a Kim Schmelz trey with six minutes left before the Sharks pulled away late in the game for the final 69-56 margin.

Schmelz led the Vulcans with 27 points, her highest point total since the 2016-17 season (29 vs. Academy of Art). Junior transfer Bree Olson was next with 17 points before fouling out.

Fouling out became a theme in the final portion of the fourth quarter, as four Vulcans exhausted their five-foul limit. Additionally, UH Hilo lost the services of point guard Mandi Kawaha moments into the third quarter with an injury, and she did not return. 

Ironically, the Vulcans caught fire after Kawaha's injury. Sara Shimizu hit back-to-back baskets (including a three), as did Schmelz. Olson added a basket, topping a 13-3 run for UHH to give them a 39-35 lead.

Ally Bates, who would finish with 23 points for the Sharks, hit a pair of three's to close the quarter to give HPU a 47-43 lead, and they wouldn't trail again. 

The Sharks did a lot of their damage in the fourth quarter at the free throw line, and ended up with a 17-point advantage at the charity stripe (26-34), compared to UHH's 9-12. 

Olivia West did a lot of that harm, swishing 7-of-9 free throw attempts on her way to 30 points. The Utah State transfer nailed 10 of her 15 shots from the field. Amy Baum, the PacWest and West Region Player of the Year, had seven points, eight rebounds and three assists.

In additon to Schmelz and Olson's numbers, Shimizu finished with nine points. Malia Lee had a hard-hat effort of 11 rebounds, six of them on the offensive end. 

The Vulcans will take this week to practice and get ready for their next days of back-to-back basketball on January 30-31 when they take on Chaminade in Honolulu.