PHOENIX, Ariz. - Hope International University (11-13, 3-6 GSAC), tied for fifth-place in the Golden State Athletics Conference, led by 10 points after five minutes of play, went ahead 44-25 at halftime and led by as many as 41 points late in the second half enroute to an 91-58 GSAC victory over Arizona Christian University (4-17, 0-9 GSAC), Tuesday, February 5, in Fultz Memorial Gym on the ACU campus. 

Coached by Jerry Conner, ACU hosts its Homecoming game on Saturday, Feb. 9, in 5:30 p.m. GSAC action against number three-ranked Vanguard University (16-2, 7-2 GSAC), which is tied for second place in the GSAC with number 10-ranked Master's College (21-2, 7-2 GSAC). The ACU men's basketball team plays the 7:30 game of Saturday's GSAC doubleheader. 

In other GSAC women's basketball action Tuesday, number eight Westmont College (18-3, 9-0 GSAC), the first-place team, defeated Vanguard, 70-58, in Santa Barbara. Master's College won big, 91-63, at Concordia University (5-17, 3-6 GSAC) and fourth-place San Diego Christian College (13-12, 5-4 GSAC) dispatched seventh-place Biola University (11-13, 2-7 GSAC), 66- 57, in La Mirada, Calif. 

Hope International went ahead 17-7 during the first five minutes of the game and after scoring 18 consecutive points, the Royals led 27-7 with 13:05 left in the first half. HIU increased its first- half lead to 25 points, 44-19, with 2:01 left, before leading 44-25 at intermission. Three Royals scored in double figure in the first 20 minutes – forward Krystal Canning and guard Brittany Bauman with 12 points each and forward Andrina Rendon, the team's leading scorer (19.3 ppg), with 11. Sophomore forward Sarah Beth Hock (Gilbert, Ariz./Perry H.S.), ACU's leading scorer and rebounder (13.2 ppg and 7.8 rpg) accumulated eight points, on 4 of 5 shots, and five rebounds in the first 20 minutes, and sophomore forward Stephanie Brimhall (Gilbert, Ariz./Perry H.S.) grabbed seven first-half rebounds and scored three points. 

Hope went 20-for-36 from the field (.556) with 3 three-pointers and committed nine turnovers, while ACU went 10-for-38 (.263) with 2 three-pointers and committed 11 turnovers in the first 20 minutes. 

Hope International committed just six turnovers and made four three-pointers and 13 of 19 free throws in the second half as the Royals stretched their lead gradually to 30 points with 11:56 left in the game, 65-35, and to 41 points, its widest advantage of the game, 83-42, with 6:05 left, ACU shot 31.1 percent from the field (14-45), but made just one three-pointer in 20 tries and committed five turnovers in the second half. 

Hock posted her fifth double-double of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Brimhall finished with her first double double of the season with a season-high 16 rebounds and scored 13 points, 10 in the second half. Junior guard Jubilee Sutherland (Glennallen, Alaska/Glennallen H.S./Eastern Wyoming CC) finished with 12 points, 2 three-pointers, four rebounds and two assists, and senior guard Paula Clendaniel (Tucson, Ariz./Cienega H.S./York College, Neb./Arizona Western CC) added seven points, one three-pointer, and seven assists. Freshman forward Cheyenne Huskey (Glendale, Ariz./Mountain Ridge H.S.) scored six points, making all four of her free throws, and junior forward Jamie Heath (Phoenix, Ariz./Thunderbird H.S.) contributed four points, four rebounds, one assist and two steals. Senior guard Jessica Largo (Gallup, N.M./Rehoboth Christian School) scored two points, gathered four rebounds and stole the ball twice from the Royals. 

Bauman led all scorers with 25 points, 2 three-pointers, six rebounds, two assists and one steal, and Canning finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and four steals. Rendon scored 17 points with 3 three-pointers, nine rebounds, three assists and three steals, and forward Shawn Staves totaled seven points, nine rebounds, three assists, two blocked shots and two steals. Guard Kasey Philyaw scored eight points with one three-pointer, three rebounds and six assists, and reserve guard Briana Stewart also scored eight points and hit one three-pointer.