HONOLULU – Senior center
Tennae Voliva scored 16 points and freshman guard
Malie Marfil had a career-high 10 points Tuesday to lead top-ranked Alaska Anchorage to a 70-55 women's basketball victory over Hawaii Pacific at The Shark Tank.
Ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Div. II top-25 media poll and No. 5 by the coaches, the Seawolves (7-0) tied their program record with a 31-point second quarter as they overcame an early deficit and improved to 11-0 all-time against HPU.
The Sharks (4-5) were led by 12 points apiece from Jordyn Jensen and Haley Masaki as the hosts stayed close with 5-of-9 three-point accuracy.
"We really hit our stride offensively in the second quarter," said UAA head coach
Ryan McCarthy. "Once we were able to get Tennae going, it opened up some great looks for our shooters, who were knocking them down. Our next challenge is to keep that kind of momentum going for a full 40 minutes."
Trailing 17-15 after 11 minutes, Voliva scored five straight points and Marfil – a local product from Kamehameha-Kapalama High School – was fouled and converted her free throws for a game-changing 7-0 run. The same duo scored back-to-back again for a 34-23 lead midway though the quarter, and senior guard
Stephanie Jackson converted an off-balance jumper and was fouled to give UAA its largest lead at 40-25 with 2:24 on the clock.
The Seawolves shot 9 of 12 from the floor, 2 of 2 on three-pointers and 11 of 11 from the free-throw line as their 31 points tied the second-quarter record and equaled their sixth-most points in any quarter.
The Sharks would make a charge in the third quarter, however, and Masaki nailed a three-pointer to draw within 55-50 with 8:45 left in the game. HPU trailed just 58-52 with six minutes remaining, but Voliva scored off her own miss and Marfil converted a traditional three-point play to extend the lead.
Up 63-53 with under three minutes left,
Ra'Anaa Bey fed Hajdukovich for a clinching three-pointer as UAA finished 6 of 14 from long range.
All 11 Seawolves who played more than four minutes had at least one field goal and one rebound, and their 22 made free throws were seven more than their previous season high.
Voliva shot 4 of 8 from the field and 8 of 9 from the charity stripe, along with five rebounds and two blocks.
Playing in just her 10th collegiate game, Marfil shot 3 of 5 from the field and was perfect on three free throws, adding three assists and a career-high four rebounds.
UAA stays in Honolulu for a Friday neutral-court contest against Concord (6-3) at McCabe Gymnasium. Tip is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. AST.
Seawolf Record Book
Most Points, Quarter (any)*
1. 34 at Northwest Nazarene, 1/16/16 (4th)
2. 33 vs Holy Names, 11/17/17 (4th)
3. 32 at Western Oregon, 1/5/17 (1st)
32 vs Dixie State, 11/13/15 (4th)
32 vs New Hope Christian, 11/5/15 (3rd)
6. 31 at Hawaii Pacific, 12/17/21 (2nd)
31 vs Saint Martin's, 1/24/19 (3rd)
31 vs Dixie State, 11/13/15 (1st)
31 vs William Jewell, 10/30/15 at Anaheim (2nd)
10. 30 at Saint Martin's, 2/23/19 (1st)
30 vs Dixie State, 11/13/15 (3rd)
30 at Johnson & Wales, 11/4/17 (3rd)
30 at Alaska Fairbanks, 12/9/17 (3rd)
*NCAA Women's Basketball went to the quarter system in the 2015-16 season
