HONOLULU, Hawai'i — Azusa Pacific carried a first-half lead into the locker room but could not withstand a second-half surge from Hawai'i Pacific, falling 75–66 on Wednesday night at the Shark Tank.

The Cougars (6-18, 4-15 PacWest) led for more than 25 minutes and built an 11-point advantage midway through the opening half. APU shot an efficient 42.4 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes, knocking down 7-of-18 from three-point range (38.9 percent) to take a 40–36 lead at halftime.

Tobias Aisien provided a major spark early, scoring 11 first-half points and finishing with 14 on 5-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-8 from beyond the arc. DM Sanders added a team-high 14 points, going 6-of-7 at the free-throw line, while EJ Bryson chipped in 13 points. Shad Thomas controlled the glass with 13 rebounds to go along with 10 points for a double-double.

Hawai'i Pacific (16-9, 12-8 PacWest) flipped the script in the second half, shooting 12-of-22 (54.5 percent) from the floor and outscoring APU 39–26 over the final 20 minutes. The Sharks capitalized in transition, finishing with a 16-1 advantage in fast-break points and holding a 38-22 edge in points in the paint.

Quinton McCullough led HPU with 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Joshua West added 19 points and went 8-of-10 at the free-throw line. The Sharks shot 47.2 percent overall and converted 21-of-25 (84 percent) from the stripe.

APU finished 21-of-59 (35.6 percent) from the field and 8-of-32 (25 percent) from three-point range. The Cougars were outrebounded 41-31 and limited to just one fast-break point in the contest.

After tying the game at 44 early in the second half, the Cougars briefly regained a 57-52 edge with just over 10 minutes remaining. However, a decisive 9-0 Sharks run shifted momentum for good, and HPU closed the game at the free-throw line to seal the nine-point victory.

It will look to regroup before they return to the mainland for the final stretch of PacWest play.