Fullerton, CA — https://www.hiuroyals.com/article/2790 FULLERTON, Calif. -The Royals welcomed the Firestorm of Arizona Christian University to California to kick off Golden State Athletic Conference play. The Royals outperformed the Firestorm to improve their record to 6-0 overall and being the conference portion of their season 1-0. The first quarter started off with a back and forth struggle for control, while both teams were unable to get a bucket. The Firestorm scored first with a deep three, but it wouldn't take long before the Royals would take the lead. With seven steals in the first quarter, the Royals aggressive defense held the Firestorm at 15-12 in the first frame. In the second quarter, the Firestorm quickly took the lead with back-to-back three-pointers, but the Royals proved to be tough as they battled back to outscore their opponents 9-0 in the last three minutes of the first half. Shiane Talley led the Royals in the first half with 13 points along with Ana Resendiz with seven points to put the Royals ahead 34-26. The Royals wasted no time to stay ahead with Ana Resendiz hitting back-to-back shots from beyond the arc. The Royals quickly gained momentum to increase their lead differential to 21 points. The Royals forced seven turnovers in the third quarter bringing the score to 58-37. The final quarter started with the Firestorm hitting four three-pointers in an effort to light their fire and catch the Royals off guard. While the Firestorm outscored the Royals 20-14 in the final frame, it was not enough to push ahead. HIU showed discipline as they maintained their composure, led by Shiane Talley with 20 points and 10 boards on the night and Rhianne Omori (JR/Honolulu, HI) with 16 points. The Royals had a combined 33 rebounds contributing to their overall success and took the match up, 72-57.