HILO, Hawai'i – The Hawai'i Hilo Women's Basketball team notched its third win in a row in a victorious 53-49 down-to-the-wire battle with Biola Thursday evening in Pacific West Conference action at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.
Both teams traded shots as the Eagles just barely bested the Vulcans in shooting percentage, 36.0 percent to 29.8 percent. The score went through eight ties and five lead changes with Hawai'i Hilo temporarily building up to the largest lead of the evening with nine points early in the second half. The Vulcans opened the third period with a 9-0 run for a 32-23 lead, but Biola then managed to outscore Hawai'i Hilo, 11-5, the rest of the quarter.
But the Vulcans flexed their grit and never surrendered the lead in the final 10 minutes of play. Biola came within a single point twice down the stretch, but Keirstyn Agonias and Noelle Su'a-Godinet responded with points as Kaile Cruz sank two free throws with seconds to go to seal the victory.
The two teams previously met Dec. 30 in California with the Vulcans victorious, 74-67.
UP NEXT
Hawai'i Hilo moved to a 9-11 overall record (6-8 PacWest) while Biola moved to 7-7 in conference play (11-11 overall).
The Vulcans return for two more contests at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium to host Concordia University Irvine (Feb. 10) and HPU (March 2).
Saturday's game against CUI will be Hawai'i Hilo's annual Play4Kay game with the team sporting pink uniforms in honor of the late Sandra Kay Yaw, a former longtime women's basketball head coach at North Carolina State University and the USA National Team. Yow passed away in 2009 from stage 4 breast cancer.
The first 50 attending fans wearing pink will receive a Vulcans-branded mini foam shaka.
PATH TO PACWEST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
The top six teams at the end of the regular season will make it to San Diego for the 2023-24 PacWest Conference Tournament set for March 7-9 at Point Loma's Golden Gymnasium.
Hawai'i Hilo continues to fight for a berth, sitting just outside the bubble at No. 7 with Biola one spot ahead.
Azusa Pacific remains at the top with an unbeaten record.
