Box Score HILO, Hawai'i -- Junior Natalie Diaz surpassed 1,000 career points to lead Dominican women's basketball to a 73-60 victory over Hawai'i Hilo at the UHH Gymnasium to finish off its Hawai'i road trip.
 
Diaz led the Penguins (15-7, 9-5 PacWest) with a double-double of 31 points and 14 rebounds. Junior Anjelica Collins recorded her first career double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Junior Alanna Scott scored 14 points and freshman Sydney Larocca added 11 to join Collins and Diaz in double-figure scoring. Allie Navarette led the Vulcans (6-9, 4-8 PacWest) with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Diaz scored early and often as she put up six points in the first five minutes to keep Dominican even with Hilo 8-8 entering the first media timeout of the game. With two minutes left in the quarter, Collins drew a foul and made both her free throws to start a 7-0 Dominican run, capped off by a 3-pointer from Scott and the Penguins took a 20-12 lead into the second.
 
Diaz continued the offensive surge into the second quarter with a layup and a free throw to extend the lead to 11. Scott scored six points in the final five minutes in the quarter to help maintain the Dominican lead, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to send the Penguins into halftime leading 33-21.
 
The Penguins carried their potent offense into the second half, as back-to-back layups by Larocca put Dominican ahead of the Vulcans by 16 in the third quarter. The Penguins went on an 8-0 run with five minutes left in the quarter as another Scott 3-pointer extended the Dominican lead to 21 points. Diaz's hit a jumper with a minute left to surpass 1,000 career points and the Penguins led 57-37 heading to the final period.
 
Dominican never allowed the Vulcans to get back in the game. Hilo attempted a comeback in the final five minutes with a 12-0 surge including five points from Navarette and a 3-pointer from Kailaini Jones to trim the deficit down to 13 points, but were unable to get back within single digits down the stretch.
 
The Penguins return to California to take on Azusa Pacific Saturday at 5:30 p.m. PST at the Felix Event Center. Live stats and video will be available online.