The Dixie State women's basketball team dropped a 70-61 decision Saturday evening to the Hawai'i Pacific Sharks inside the Burns Arena.

The Storm (4-14, 4-8 PacWest) went nearly three minutes scoreless before senior forward Brianna Jessop (Hyrum, Utah/Mountain Crest) hit a free throw at the 7:23 mark of the first quarter. The freebie took the lid off the basket for DSU and sparked an 11-2 run over the next seven minutes. Senior guard Chermayne Moore (Pinole, Calif./Hercules) knocked down back-to-back triples and another jumper to give Dixie State a 14-6 lead with 1:51 to go in the first quarter. Hawai'i Pacific added a basket in the final minute to pull to within 14-8 after one quarter. And then the Sharks smelled blood.

HPU exploded out of the gates to start the second quarter, forcing seven DSU turnovers and hitting three 3-pointers as part of a 19-2 run to open the quarter. Sophomore center Ashlee Burge (Riverton, Utah/Herriman) and junior guard Aliya Davis (Everett, Wash./Woodcreek) combined for a 5-0 run at the 3:24 mark to pull the Storm within four points at 25-21, but the Sharks responded with a 9-0 run to take a 31-21 lead into the halftime break.

The teams traded baskets through the first six minutes of the third quarter until Hawai'i Pacific pushed the lead to a game-high margin of 16 points at 46-31 with 3:14 remaining in the period. The Storm responded when redshirt freshman guard Tramina Jordan (Las Vegas, Nev./Centennial) nailed a triple and senior center Taylor Mann (Castle Dale, Utah/Emery) went to work inside, completing back-to-back old-fashioned 3-point plays. Junior guard Tomorie Sangster (Vacaville, Calif./Will C. Wood ) then beat the buzzer with a trey to pull DSU within 52-43 after three quarters of play.

Mann picked up where she left off in the fourth quarter and scored the first nine points of the quarter for Dixie State, capped by a 3-pointer from the top of the key to pull DSU within 60-52 halfway through the period. The Storm used a 9-0 run to close the gap to 60-56 two minutes later and had an opportunity to add another basket, but a turnover gave the ball back to HPU. The Sharks capitalized on the turnover and answered with a 5-0 run to push the lead back to nine points at 65-56, a deficit the Storm could not overcome.

"The team played hard, but we have to shoot better from the free throw line," head coach Jenny Thigpin said. "We had some key runs in the second half, but the drought in the second quarter hurt us."

Dixie State shot 37 percent (22-of-59) from the field, 30 percent (7-of-23) from 3-point range, and 50 percent (10-of-20) from the free throw line. Mann led the way for DSU, finishing with 26 points (24 in the second half) and 15 rebounds for her 14th double-double of the season. Moore added 10 points and Jordan chipped in seven points.

The Storm return to action next Saturday at 5 p.m. when No. 4 California Baptist comes to town.