Samantha Murphy scored on a layup as time expired, helping Grand Canyon hand host Hawai'i Pacific its first Pacific West Conference women's basketball loss, 56-55, yesterday at Mid-Pacific gym.

HPU, which led by as many as 15 early in the second half and 55-50 with 1:21 remaining, missed its last five free-throw attempts, including a pair with six seconds to play that led to an Antelope rebound and Murphy's winning basket.

Stacy Haddow scored 13 points for GCU (13-7, 7-2). Genesis Lewis had 15 points and nine rebounds for HPU (14-5, 10-1).

Also in the PacWest:

Hawai'i Pacific 72, Grand Canyon 71: Ray Murdock had 23 points and 10 rebounds, and host HPU (18-4, 10-1) led 72-67 with 2:07 to play before holding off GCU (10-15, 4-5).

Dixie State 79, Hawai'i-Hilo 76: Tom Whitehead scored 24 points, including two free throws with five seconds left for the final margin, as Dixie (14-4, 8-1) beat host Hilo (13-8, 7-4). Justin Smith had 28 points for Hilo.

Dixie State 73, Hawai'i-Hilo 64: Deanna Daniels scored 23 points as Dixie (11-7, 7-2) beat host Hilo (6-16, 3-8). Hina Kimitete scored 16 points and Amanda Muller 15 for Hilo.

TRACK AND FIELD

SADDLETON QUALIFIES

University of Hawai'i sophomore Sarah Saddleton posted an NCAA provisional mark in winning the high jump with a leap of 5 feet, 10 inches yesterday at the University of Washington Indoor Open in Seattle.

Other top UH performances: Mariana Monasi (3:05.51) and Jessica Forrester (3:08.24) in the 1,000-meter run; TeRina Keenan (42-0.5) in the shot put; Emma MacCorquodale (51-7.75) in the weight throw; and Mallory Ramsey, Karen Guravska and Cecelia Durocher all at 11-1.75 in the pole vault.

BASEBALL

HPU SWEEPS UHH

Sean Winston and Blake Amaral hit two-run doubles in a five-run seventh, and Sergio Contreras escaped bases-loaded trouble in the bottom of the inning as Hawai'i Pacific beat host Hawai'i-Hilo, 6-5, yesterday to complete a Pacific West Conference doubleheader sweep.

After getting the first two outs of the seventh, Contreras issued three straight walks before retiring Shane Kessell, who had tripled and homered, on a grounder to short.

In the opener, Toby Inouye pitched a three-hitter with six strikeouts and one walk as the Sea Warriors (4-0) beat the Vulcans (0-4), 4-2. Keoni Manago hit a two-run homer for Hilo.