Hawaii Beat Star-Bulletin staff

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HPU falls short against Chapman

Hawaii Pacific freshman guard Rishi Kakad scored all of his team-high 15 points in the second half, but it wasn't enough as the Sea Warriors fell to Chapman 69-67 in a nonconference basketball game played last night in Orange, Calif.

Ryan Walker added 13 points for HPU (9-15). The Panthers (17-5), winning their ninth straight, were led by Josh Flynn-Brown (22) and Patrick Carney (19).

HPU won the battle of the boards, 34-29, but was outshot at the free-throw line. The Sea Warriors were 7-for-16, and the Panthers were 25-for-34.

Karle, Wessberg qualify for SBS Open

Amateur Taylore Karle shot a 1-under 71 yesterday at the Turtle Bay Resort's Palmer Course to earn a berth into this week's $1.1 million SBS Open, the opening event on the LPGA tour.

Linda Wessberg's carded an even-par 72 during the qualifying round to earn the second spot among the field of 28.

Joo Mi Kim begins defense of her title Thursday. The 54-hole tournament concludes Saturday.

WAC honors for 2 Wahine softball players

Hawaii swept the weekly Western Athletic Conference softball honors yesterday with senior Tyleen Tausaga named player of the week and sophomore Justine Smethurst pitcher of the week.

Tausaga was 7-for-17 during last week's Oceanic Time Warner Cable Paradise Classic with team highs in hits (7), home runs (3), RBIs (9) stolen bases (15) and slugging percentage (.941). She also had two-run homers to lift the Rainbow Wahine to a 2-1 win over No. 24 Auburn and a 6-5 win over No. 15 Nebraska.

Smethurst had two wins in last week's tournament, including a two-hit shutout of Portland State. In the 2-1 win over Auburn, she allowed one unearned run and retired 10 Tigers in a row.

Kirov new Chaminade soccer coach

Peter Kirov has been hired as the Chaminade women's soccer coach.

Kirov was most recently at Bellevue (Wash.) Community College, where his team finished second in the conference last season. Kirov replaces Andy Gasper, who went 0-13-1 in the Silverswords' inaugural season.