HONOLULU – The University of Arkansas at Monticello men's basketball team rolled past Hawaii Pacific University on Friday from the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu. The Weevils won the contest 80-63 after shooting 50.9 percent from the floor and outrebounding the Sharks, 37-31.
 
The Weevils and Sharks battled for the first 10 minutes of the first period, but UAM eventually pulled away and never looked back. With 8:34 left to play in the first, UAM began an 12-0 run.
 
Following a jumper from Marcus Gilbert, KJ Lesure drained back-to-back threes. Lesure would then show his defensive skills snagging a steal and dishing it to Justin Slocum in the paint for a basket. To conclude the run, Slocum got open again and drilled a basket in the paint to put UAM up 11.
 
The Weevils eventually swelled the lead up to 18 points when Lesure hit a pair of free throws. The Sharks made a minor run, but UAM kept its lead at 14 going into the break with the 38-24 advantage.
 
The second half of the game almost mirrored UAM's game with Alaska-Anchorage on Thursday with the Sharks battling back to cut it back to single-digits. With a little over 12 minutes left, HPU cut the lead to seven points at 45-38. However, the Weevils responded with at 10-3 run.
 
Lesure got it started with a jumper, and Slocum followed with a basket of his own and drawing a foul. He then hit the free throw, and the Sharks responded with a triple. Austin Hardy then bounced the lead back to double-digits with a three-pointer of his own.
 
UAM eventually got its biggest lead of the day with 4:43 minutes remaining. Denzel McDuffey would get in on the action with a basket in the paint to make it 71-52 in favor of the Weevils.
 
UAM flirted with a 20-point advantage for the remainder of the contest but had all it needed going on to win the game, 80-63.
 
Lesure had another outstanding game finishing with a season-high 29 points also adding three assists and two steals.
 
Slocum was UAM's next top scorer with 17 points. He also finished two boards short of a double-double with eight while also tallying three blocks and a steal.
 
Gilbert also registered a solid game recording 14 points three assists and three rebounds.
 
With the win, UAM is now 10-2 overall and is 2-0 in the DII Power Invitational, while Hawaii Pacific is now 3-6 overall.
 
UP NEXT
UAM will conclude its DII Power Invitational with a matchup against Saint Martin's University on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:15 p.m.