HPU Athletics
HONOLULU – Hawai’i Pacific University celebrated their home opener with their 19th straight home victory in beating Black Hills State (S.D.) 68-55 on Wednesday in the 2021 Malika Sports Tours Oahu Thanksgiving Classic at The Shark Tank.
The Sharks (3-1) struggled early against the Yellow Jackets (2-3), overcoming a seven-point first quarter deficit before using a 26-6 run in the third quarter to take a commanding lead and hold on at the end.
While junior Tavia Rowell from Langley, British Columbia, Canada/Walnut Grove led the scoring for the Sharks with 29 points, it was senior All-American Amy Baum of Melbourne, Australia/Rowville Secondary who stole the show. Baum recorded her third career triple-double scoring 11 points, and leading both teams with 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Junior Avery Cargill of Santa Rosa, Calif./Cardinal Newman collected 14 points for the Sharks.
Megan Engesser was the only Yellow Jacket in double-figures with a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds. Ashlee Beacom had nine rebounds.
The Sharks, who shot just 20 percent in the first quarter, finished the connecting on 49 percent from the field (26-of-53), including 11-of-22 (50 percent) from the 3-point arc. HPU made 5-of-6 from the foul line (83 percent). The Yellow Jackets managed just 27 percent from the floor (16-of-59) against the HPU defense, but hit 10-of-35 (28 percent) from the arc. BHSU hit 13-of-22 (59 percent) from the charity stripe. Black Hills outrebounded HPU 46-30, and turned the ball over 16 times as the Sharks gave it away 14 times.
The Sharks first quarter shooting woes led them to trailing the visitors from South Dakota by seven at 11-4 with 2:59 to play in the period after an Engesser 3-pointer. Cargill followed with a triple of her own to trail by four at 11-7 after the first.
The Sharks recovered in the second as a layup from grad student Julia Razo of Woodland, Calif./St. Francis and a 3-pointer from freshman Allison Ross of Boise, Idaho/Boise gave HPU the lead midway through quarter. The teams exchanged ties and the lead before freshman Makaela Zeldenryk of Warragul, Australia/St. Paul’s buried a trey in the last nine seconds to carry the Sharks to halftime with a 25-23 lead.
The Jackets tied the game at 25-all on their first possession of the third quarter, but that would be the last time it would be even. Baum drove the lane to put HPU in the lead, then had a put-back layup to key a 26-6 run over the next seven-and-a half minutes that finished with a Baum free throw for a 51-31 lead with 2:41 remaining in the third. After shooting 73 percent in the quarter, HPU carried an 18-point 54-36 at the period’s end.
But Black Hills State wouldn’t give up, coming up with a 12-0 run to pull back within six at 54-48, only to have Baum use another driving layup to go back up by eight and never look back. HPU rebuilt a 16-point lead before allowing a final Engesser 3-ball for the 68-55 final.
The Sharks take Thanksgiving Day off before preparing for their biggest challenge so far this season, when they host No. 2 Lubbock Christian in the final game of the Malika Sports Tour Oahu Thanksgiving Classic on Friday evening. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.