FRESNO, Calif.--Visiting Hawai`i Hilo overcame a 10-point first half deficit and dominated play after the break on their way to a 56-46 women's basketball victory on Friday night over Fresno Pacific at the Special Events Center.

The Vulcans stayed in sixth place with the victory (top eight go to conference tournament), improving to 13-8 overall and to 10-7 in the Pacific West Conference. The victory guaranteed a spot in the tournament for the Vulcans with just two games remaining in the regular season. Fresno Pacific, who currently occupies that eighth spot, dropped to 4-10 in the PacWest and to 7-12 overall.

UHH outscored their hosts 32-14 in the second half. The Vulcans clamped down on the defensive end, allowing FPU just three field goals after the break (3-22). It was UH Hilo's third win in a row, and they have now also won five of their last six games. They came into the week ranked No. 9 in the first official NCAA West Region poll.

In the first half tonight in Fresno, it looked like that win streak might come to a close.

Both teams were stone cold in the first quarter when FPU took a 12-11 lead into the second period.Then Sunbirds got things cranked up, burying a pair of three's to start the stanza and they would go on to push their lead out to ten points (32-22) after a 10-2 run. Mandi Kawaha knocked down a shot right before the end of the half to cut the deficit to 32-24 heading into the halftime break. The Sunbirds scored 20 points in the quarter in building their largest lead.

In the third quarter, the Vulcans began chipping away at the deficit. Two baskets by Bree Olson cut the margin to two points (38-36) and Mandi Kawaha's trey with 3:10 left in the quarter gave UHH its first lead since early in the first quarter. There would be two ties shortly thereafter, but after a pair of Sara Shimizu free throws, the Vulcans went into the fourth period with a 43-41 lead.

The Vulcans would never trail again. They began the fourth on a 6-0 run and would stretch that to 9-2 before the Sunbirds finally scored (4:28). UHH would control the pace the reminder of the contest, outscoring the 'Birds 13-5 in the fourth quarter to win going away.

Kawaha finished with a game-high 21 points and also had five assists. Olson had a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards off the bench. 

In their last three games, the Vulcans have held their opponents to 47, 46 and 46 points respectively. 

"We really stepped up the defensive effort in the second half," said Vulcan head coach David Kaneshiro. "The shots were not falling for us in the first half, but I told the girls that if we kept applying the pressure on defense, the offense would come around."

Maesyn Rix led FPU with 10 points and 13 rebounds. The Vulcans home game against Fresno Pacific scheduled for earlier this season was canceled, so is the only game between the two schools this season.

UH Hilo, who has already played four games in six days on this road trip, will wrap up the excursion on Sunday with a 1 pm PT game at Dominican.