ATHERTON, CA – Menlo Women's Basketball followed up its strong defensive effort against Concordia with an even more impressive collective performance on Thursday inside Haynes-Prim Pavilion as the Oaks never trailed while holding Hawaii Pacific to just 28 points on less than 10 field goals made as part of a masterful 58-28 Pacific West Conference triumph.

Oaks Highlights
-Kimberly Ceron-Romero broke out for season-highs of 12 points and eight rebounds in addition to her two blocks and one steal
-Grabbing double-digit rebounds for the fourth time this year, Mehkia Applewhite collected 10 boards and four steals

Menlo Holds HPU To Just 10 Points At Halftime, Under 16 Percent From The Field In The Game
Foreshadowing what was to come, Thursday's contest remained scoreless through the first three and a half minutes until senior guard Mehkia Applewhite converted a pair of free throws. The final six minutes of the quarter reflected more strong play on the defensive end as Hawaii Pacific missed six of its next seven shots with three turnovers while the Oaks built a 15-4 advantage highlighted by multiple 3-pointers from graduate student forward Frida Schmidt.

The momentum shift became a 24-2 run into the middle of the second quarter as Menlo kept HPU scoreless for seven minutes and 46 seconds. On both ends of the court, redshirt freshman guard/forward Kimberly Ceron-Romero was key in separating her team from the opposition, scoring six points, grabbing three rebounds, and blocking a shot in that span.

"Performing well was all credit to my teammates," Ceron-Romero said. "We've been pushing each other really hard in practice every single day. I like to do whatever I can to help my team."

A 30-10 halftime lead was pushed to 27 points midway through the third quarter after consecutive baskets by sophomore forward Zoe Carrillo came during a 6-0 surge. The Sharks managed 10 points in the final frame yet the margin never dipped below 22 with the Oaks demonstrating their depth as all 12 of their players scored in the eventual 58-28 victory.

"It's always good to play at home, get wins, and be able to stack them," Ceron-Romero said. "To build and learn from these types of wins is really good. Today, we got in a lot of our bench so having people come in and contribute will really help us toward the end of the season and in the postseason."

Up Next
One more home game remains for Menlo during this stretch to start 2026 as UH Hilo makes its way to Haynes-Prim Pavilion for a noon tip-off on Saturday, Jan. 10.