Lucas Alves scored 24 points as No. 3-ranked Brigham Young-Hawai'i held off host Hawai'i-Hilo, 84-81, last night in non-conference men's basketball game between Pacific West Conference foes.

Nathan Sims added 10 points and 14 rebounds for the Seasiders (18-1), who led by as many as 13 points late in the second half en route to their 15th win in a row.

Jay DeMaeastri scored 20 points and Jacob Briggs 17 for the Vulcans (11-10), who closed to 80-79 with 18 seconds to play. Anthony Reilly sank two free throws with 17 seconds left to put BYUH ahead 82-79.

Following a timeout, Brandon Price hit a jumper with a second left as Hilo closed to 82-81. Alves was fouled as time expired, then sank two free throws for the final margin.

In other games involving PacWest teams yesterday:

HILO 78, BYUH 71: Amanda Adams scored 30 points, hitting 14 of 15 free-throw attempts, as the host Vulcans (11-7) held off the Seasiders (10-10) in a non-conference game. Mahina Gago had 18 points, and Latoya Wily added 16 points and 11 rebounds for BYUH.

HAWAI'I PACIFIC 84, GRAND CANYON 67: Mana Hopkins had 24 points and 16 rebounds as the Sea Warriors (10-12, 6-3) handed the host Antelopes (15-7, 8-1) their first conference loss. Paris Gravely also scored 24 points for HPU. Stacy Haddow led Grand Canyon with 23 points.

GRAND CANYON 66, HAWAI'I PACIFIC 64: David Cuen sank two free throws with two seconds to play, lifting the host Antelopes (11-11, 4-5) over the Sea Warriors (9-10, 3-6). Engen Nurumbi led Grand Canyon with 24 points. Jason Curtis scored 15 points and Mike Helton 14 for HPU.

NOTE: Senior guard Joel Smith, who led Chaminade to a 2-0 record this past week, was named PacWest Player of the Week. Smith averaged 16.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.5 steals in wins over Dixie State (75-65) and Grand Canyon (68-65).

SOFTBALL

PACWEST GETS BERTH

This year, maybe the Hawai'i Pacific softball team won't be left out.

The winner of the Pacific West Conference will receive an automatic berth to the NCAA Division II West Region Tournament in 2009. HPU, despite a 43-5-1 overall record and a 23-1 conference mark, didn't get an invite last year.

HPU is predicted to be a force again in the PacWest as the Sea Warriors are picked to finish first and landed five players on the preseason all-conference team, including both the player and pitcher of the year honors.

HPU senior shortstop Krystal Plunkett, the 2007 PacWest Player of the Year, was selected as the 2009 PacWest Preseason Player of the Year. Last season, she hit .434 in 49 games with a .678 slugging percentage. She had eight home runs, nine doubles and 43 RBIs.

Senior pitcher Courtney Kessell was voted to repeat as the conference's Pitcher of the Year.

In 2008, Kessell was 23-2 with a 1.27 earned-run average in 165 2/3 innings. She struck out 132 in 27 appearances, and threw nine shutouts and 19 complete games.

Other HPU players selected to the preseason team were junior outfielders Ciera Senas (.346 batting average) and Tajia Acierto (.313), and junior hurler Sherise Musquiz (19-3 record, 1.14 ERA, 7 shutouts), a two-time first team All-PacWest selection and the 2007 Pitcher and Freshman of the Year.

UH-Hilo junior Sarah Weisskopf (20-4, 1.81) was named as a pitcher on the preseason team. Also chosen were BYUH senior Melissa Lehano as a third baseman and Chaminade sophomore Skye Virtudes as a utility player.

HPU SPLITS TWINBILL

Sherise Musquiz pitched a three-hitter to help host Hawai'i Pacific beat Simon Fraser, 2-0, yesterday and salvage a split of a non-conference doubleheader.

Maile Kim had a sacrifice fly and an RBI single to account for both runs for the Sea Warriors (5-1).

In the opener, Megan Durrant hit a two-run double that lifted Simon Fraser (1-1) to a 3-1 victory. Krystal Plunkett had three hits for HPU.

BASEBALL

HPU PICKED FIRST

Hawai'i Pacific's baseball team has been selected as the favorite in the four-team PacWest for the 2009 season.

Three Sea Warriors — senior outfielder Jacob Valentine, senior pitcher BA Garner and sophomore hurler Micah Takahashi — were selected to the preseason all-conference team.

Hawai'i-Hilo, which was picked to finish third, placed senior first baseman Matt Haasenritter, junior second baseman Anthony Pilla, junior outfielder Ronel Trias and senior pitcher Clayton Uyechi.