HPU watched as Holy Names Edward “Tre” Gray made an 18-foot jumper with 1.7 seconds left on the clock. This gave HNU a PacWest Conference win, 68-66, at The Shark Tank on Sunday.
The Sharks (3-8 and 0-4) began the new year with a loss. Meanwhile, the Hawks (4-7 and 2-2) moved to.500 in PacWest play.
Senior Rodney Hounshell was the Sharks’ leading scorer with 18 points. Junior Elijah Martinez scored 15 points, while Tucker Pellicci contributed 12 points and seven assists.
Holy Names Gray was their leading scorer with 20 points, followed by Damin Lindo with 14 points, and Babacar Thiombane contibuted with 12 points and seven boards – both coming off the bench.
After Hounshell scored HPU’s first five points with a jumper and a 3 pointer, the Sharks took an early lead. However, HNU responded quickly with a 12-3 run to take an 11-point lead.
With 1:04 remaining in the period, the Sharks had cut it to five after Hounshell scored a fast break 3-pointer. However, the Hawks scored another field goal to increase their lead to 39-32 at halftime.
HNU led by nine points with the first score in the second half. The Sharks responded with six points to make it a six point game with 16 minutes left. After allowing a HNU bucket, Hounshell scored a 3 pointer to start the HPU rally, a 10-0 run, to take the lead., Hawaii Pacific took it to a 16-2 run to maintain an eight-point advantage at 56-48 Senior Domantas Sakickas made a free throw with 8:59 left.
HPU was up by 58-50 when Jason Cibull hit a jumper for the HNU Hawks. This started a 10-point run. With 3:41 remaining, the HNU took the lead on a Thiombane layup. To regain the lead, the Sharks responded with a Hounshell jumper in the lane on the next possession down floor to make it 61-60.
The Hawks took the lead again on Lindo’s follow-up on the next possession. But it looked pretty good for the Sharks, when Martinez hit a 3-pointer to give them a 64-62 advantage. This was at the 2:26 mark. With 2:14 remaining, the Hawks returned with a Gray jumper that tied the game at 64.
Both teams missed chances until Hounshell had a rare turnover in the last minute which resulted in a quick break away layup by Austin Carter that put the Hawks on top 66-64. The Sharks were not to be outdone when Martinez scored a right-side jumper to tie the game at 66.
The HNU Hawks called their final timeout. With the ball in the hands of Gray he drained a 3 from 18-feet out with only 1.7 remaining on the clock to win 68-64.
