Focused? Check.
Motivated? Of course.
Uptight? Nah.
With experience comes a sense of calm as the Hawaii Pacific University women’s basketball team enters its fifth consecutive NCAA Division II tournament appearance.
Even with a head-scratching seeding in the West regional and a matchup against a Pacific West Conference rival in the opening round, HPU coach Reid Takatsuka hasn’t seen much of a change in demeanor among the Sharks heading into the postseason.
“It’s a pretty loose group,” HPU coach Reid Takatsuka said in a phone interview from Grand Junction, Colo., where HPU (13-0) faces Azusa Pacific (10-4) today in a first-round matchup.
“The nice thing about them is that when it’s time to play, it’s time to perform I obviously have a lot of confidence in them, knowing that they’re going to show up and they’re going to give their best.”
The six-team regional bracket was shaken up on Thursday with the announcement that top-seeded Colorado School of Mines withdrew from the tournament due to COVID-19 and contact tracing protocols. The winner of the HPU-Azusa Pacific game was scheduled to face the Orediggers (17-3) in a semifinal game on Saturday but will instead advance directly to the regional final on Monday. The region champion earns a spot in the D-II Elite Eight in Columbus, Ohio.
HPU enters the postseason with the nation’s longest winning streak as one of two undefeated teams in Division II and ranked No. 2 and No. 4 in the national polls. Yet the NCAA’s seeding committee slotted the Sharks fifth in the six-team West regional when the bracket was released Sunday.
The Sharks embarked on their first mainland road trip of the season Monday with memories of having a home regional canceled a year ago and the challenges of playing a season in a pandemic fostered an appreciation for this week’s opportunity.
So rather than dwelling on a disappointing seeding, “we’re actually pretty excited about being here right now, because I think last year’s letdown was so significant,” said Takatsuka, who was named the PacWest Coach of the Year for the second straight season on Wednesday.
“We weren’t even sure we were going to have a season. We got through the season, we weren’t sure we were going to have a postseason. And I think all of it leads to excitement that we’re able to play a tournament and try to prove ourselves in spite of everything that happened last year (and) just kind of give us that chance to play at this level again.”
Led by a veteran quartet of Australians, HPU has run off 38 consecutive wins since a home loss to Sioux Falls on Nov. 27, 2019. Three victories last season came against Azusa Pacific, including a 68-57 win in the PacWest tournament championship game last March.
The Sharks opened this season by knocking off Division I Hawaii, which plays in the Big West tournament semifinals today, and rolled through the PacWest’s Hawaii pod with six wins each against Chaminade and Hawaii Hilo.
The PacWest coaches voted HPU junior guard Amy Baum the conference Player of the Year after she averaged 14.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and nine assists per game this season. Olivia West leads the Sharks with 18.4 points per game. Ally Bates is their leading rebounder with 7.8 per game while averaging 15.6 points and Alysha Marcucci averages 12.5 points and 7.1 boards.
Azusa Pacific also has four players averaging double-figure scoring, led by guard Kayla Shaw’s 17.8 points per game. Shaw was named the PacWest Newcomer of the Year and Alex Lowden was the defensive player of the year after making 3.4 steals per game to help the Cougars win the PacWest Southern California pod.
“It’s obviously a different challenge,” Takatsuka said. “Azusa’s extremely talented, they have a lot of returnees back, all-conference players, the whole deal. … The girls know what they’re up against and we have to come out and just give it everything we’ve got understanding it’s a one-and-done situation.”
NCAA Division II women’s basketball tournament
West Regional At Grand Junction, Colo.
Hawaii Pacific (13-0) vs. Azusa Pacific (10-4)
>> When: Today, 2 p.m.
>> TV: none
>> Radio: 760-AM/95.1-FM
