Coveal double-double not enough in Grizzly season opener

Hawai'i Pacific takes rematch with Adams State, 92-72

HONOLULU - In a battle of teams that advanced to the NCAA Division II national tournament last season the Adams State women's basketball team opened its 2010-11 regular season schedule in the islands on Saturday, facing defending PacWest champion Hawai'i Pacific. Four Grizzlies scored double-digits and senior Kendra Coveal (Albuquerque, N.M.) recorded a double-double, but the Sea Warriors shot 70 per cent from the field in the second half to hand ASC a 92-72 loss.

Hawai'i Pacific (1-0) travelled to Alamosa last season where the Grizzlies turned the Sea Warriors away by a 90-68 final score. But on Saturday the Sea Warriors, picked to finish second in the PacWest, got out to a fast start and never looked back, taking a 44-31 advantage into the half and scoring another 48 points in the second half.

The 92 points was the most the Grizzlies have allowed since they scored that many in a 93-92 overtime loss to Regis on Dec. 13, 2008.

Senior guard Vera Jo Bustos (Las Vegas, N.M.) drained a jumper with 8 minutes and 22 seconds remaining in the first half to bring the Grizzlies (0-1) even at 18-18, but HPU took the lead back just seconds later on a free throw from Taiyande Huskey and would never relinquish it.

A turbo-charged end to the first half saw the Sea Warriors outscore ASC 26-13 over the final 8:10. Of those 26 points, 11 came from free throws, as HPU made it to the line 22 times in the first 20 minutes and hit 17 (77.3 per cent).

Coveal opened her season on the right foot, tallying a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds in the game, and connected on all four of her attempts from the charity stripe.
Junior Chloe Cable (Glendale, Ariz.) was the leading Grizzly scorer in the game, racking up 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting and added four rebounds and four assists. In the Grizzlies victory over the HPU last season, three players scored 19 points or more.

Bustos chipped in for 13 points in the effort and hit the Grizzlies' lone 3-pointer of the contest, and junior Kelsie Kruger (Alamosa, Colo.) put up 10 points and grabbed four boards in the effort as well.

After shooting just 32.1 per cent (9-of-28) from the field to open the game, Adams State shot 55.2 per cent (16-of-29) in the second half, but HPU came out of the locker room more on target as well, hitting an impressive 19 of 27 shots (70.4 per cent) in the second half, including connecting on three 3-point buckets.

Hawai'i Pacific increased its advantage to 16 points less than a minute into the second half, but three straight baskets by the Grizzlies brought Adams State within 10 points of the Sea Warriors, as close as they'd get the rest of the
game. Immediately following the six-point ASC run, HPU went on a 12-0 run of their own.

ASC freshman Danielle Lewis (Kim, Colo.), seeing her first collegiate action on Saturday, scored six points and dished out four assists in 17 minutes of action.

Paris Gravely led all scorers in the game with 19 points for the Sea Warriors, while preseason All-PacWest selection Jazzmin Awa-Williams recorded 12 points and five assists for HPU.

Adams State will be in action in Hawai'i again tomorrow afternoon as the Grizzlies will face Chaminade at 3 p.m. MDT. The Lady Swords were picked to finish ninth in the PacWest this season after posting a 1-23 record during the 2009-10 season.

Fans who can't make it to Honlulu can follow the action from afar via live stats or by listening to a live broadcast of the game at www.kspk.com.

Visit ascgrizzlies.com for the latest news and info on Adams State College Athletics.