Colleges: Vulcans can’t find footing in loss at HPU

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Jonathan Janssen scored 19 points, and Ronald Blain added 15 points as Hawaii Pacific clobbered UH-Hilo 74-60 on Thursday at Moanalua High’s gym on Oahu.

Larry Bush scored 15 points while James Griffin, Kaleb Gilmore, and Kupaa Harrison added 11 points apiece for the Vulcans (2-2, 0-1 PacWest), who struggled from the start.

In the first half, the Vulcans fell into a severe cold spell, shot 18 percent, didn’t score for nearly six minutes and went 0 for 8 from the field during that stretch.

They were outscored in the paint 28-2, outrebounded 28-9 and trailed 36-16 at halftime.

UHH outscored HPU 44-38 in the second half but couldn’t make up for its cold shooting.

The Vuls shot 34 percent from the field, made just 7 of 15 free throws and sank just 9 of 31 from 3-point range.

The Sharks (3-1, 1-0) converted 57 percent on field goals, buried 20 of 31 free throws and hit 2 of 5 3-pointers.

And, Hawaii Pacific cleaned the glass and outrebounded UHH 46-24.

UHH women

• Hawaii Pacific thumps Vuls 69-48: Alysha Marcucci scored 27 points on 9 of 16 shooting to lead the Sharks, who shot 43 percent from the field. Lauryn Hippolite and Sam Lambrigtsen added 10 points each for the Sharks (2-4, 1-0 PacWest).

Marcucci, a 5-foo-11 sophomore from Autralia, drilled six 3-pointers and had 18 points in the first half. She made 6 of 10 from long distance for the defending PacWest champion Sharks.

Allie Navarette scored 13 points, and Mandi Kawaha added nine points for the Vulcans (2-1, 0-1), who shot 33 percent from the floor and were outrebounded 44-31.

UH volleyball

• Baylor defeats UH 23-25, 23-25, 25-14, 26-24, 16-14: The Wahine led 2-0 and then lost momentum and eventually the match to the Bears in the first round of the NCAA volleyball tournament.

Hawaii (18-9) got a career-high 34 digs from libero Tita Akiu and the fifth triple-double from junior setter/hitter Norene Iosia, who had 11 kills, 14 assists and 15 digs.

It’s the second consecutive year the Wahine have lost in the first round. Last season, they lost to Illinois in five sets.

Senior hitter McKenna Granato had a double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs but hit only .018 for Hawaii, which fell to 3-4 in five-set matches

Shelly Fanning slammed 18 kills and hit .400 for the Bears (20-8), who won their last five.