Pack gets to 5-0 with win over Hilo

By Anthony Sandstrom

Pack gets to 5-0 with win over Hilo

PUEBLO, Colo. - It might not have been the prettiest performance in the world, but the scoreboard didn't know the difference, as the ThunderWolves were able to get a 72-49 win over Hawaii-Hilo despite only shooting 35 percent from the field.

Early on, it looked like an upset was in the cards for Hawaii-Hilo. The Vulcans, playing their first game of the season and coming off a 6-18 year, took advantage of early ThunderWolf misses and took a 9-5 lead. But once the Pack finally took a 13-11 lead after a three by Michelle Ambuul eight minutes into the game, the ThunderWolves didn't look back.

In the first half, in which the Pack held a 35-30 lead going into halftime, they were shooting only 29 percent. They remedied that somewhat in the second half, going on an 18-6 run to open the half.

For most of the game, it was the Pack defense that carried the load, taking down 46 boards as a team to Hawaii-Hilo's 34. The Pack also forced 13 steals, with freshman Rachel Espinoza leading the way with five takeaways, two of which coming the game's final 30 seconds.

The Pack was led by a hot-shooting night from Mary Rehfeld, who went 5-for-9 from beyond the arc, turning in a game high 15 points. She was joined by Lindsay Black, who had twelve points, in helping to rain down threes. Black sank two threes, but was only 3-for-11 overall from the field.

Defensively, the Pack also had five players take down five or more rebounds, led by Rehfeld with 7