SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — Dominican University of California (9-8, 5-5 PacWest) fell to third place Hawaii Pacific 64-51 (10-3, 7-1 PacWest) in a contest that was not decided until the final three minutes.
 
The Sharks came out of the gate with a defensive mindset, holding the Penguins to just 26.7 percent shooting from the field in the first half. However, after allowing a 7-0 HPU run to begin the period, the Penguins responded with a 7-point run of their own. The streak, highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers from Jade Castro and Carly Holboke, cut the deficit to 13 points with 3:56 remaining. In the following minutes, Dominican's defense remained steady, eventually holding Hawaii Pacific to a .371 field goal percentage.
 
To start the second half, HPU extended their lead to 18 points, but Dominican would not go down easily. In a run which included three consecutive triples from Castro, Holboke, and Taylor Donnot, the Penguins trimmed the deficit to nine points, trailing just 49-40 with 2:29 to play in the third quarter. However, their late surge was not enough as the Sharks held on for a 64-51 victory.
 
A pair of Dominican players scored in double-digit figures in Saturday night's effort. Donnot nearly double-doubled with 14 points and eight rebounds, while Holboke finished with 10 points and two rebounds.
 
The Penguins will now head to San Francisco on Thursday for a rematch with the Urban Knights after defeating ART U 96-82 on January 7.