From start to finish, the University of Hawaii at Hilo men’s basketball team closed out the 2016 portion of the Pacific West Conference season just the way they hope to open the new year.
From start to finish, the University of Hawaii at Hilo men’s basketball team closed out the 2016 portion of the Pacific West Conference season just the way they hope to open the new year.
The Vulcans (4-6, 3-2 in the PWC), raced out to an 11-2 lead and never looked back Monday night at Hilo Civic when they put together their most complete game of the season in a 78-41 romp over Dominican (3-8, 2-3) that nudged them over to the winning side of the conference schedule one-fourth of the way through the season.
Last year, UHH didn’t get its second conference win until the second week in January and that team had a chance to gain the conference’s final tournament berth on the last day of the season.
This time, the Vulcans hope to secure a playoff berth without all the last-game drama, but that story will unfold over the last 15 games of the conference schedule.
“This is what happens sometimes with college kids,” said Dominican coach Booker T. Harris. “We’re on a three-game trip to Hawaii, it’s our last game, they’re going home for Christmas, making arrangements with their families and we have to remind them, there’s a game to play.
“We weren’t prepared to play tonight,” he said, “that was pretty obvious, but they deserve the credit, GE has them selling out, playing hard and they dominated us, we have no excuses, no whatsoever.”
Excuses don’t count, as Harris knows, and that extends to former community college players earning their way at the Division II level, players like Ryley Callaghan, the UHH junior transfer from Peninsula (Washington) Community College. He had his best game of the season with 14 points and 9 assists, only 5 turnovers blemished his night.
“It’s a transition, no question,” Callaghan said of the jump to DII competition. “Everybody you see here who was in community college was the best player on their teams, but this is a step up.
“It feels like it’s finally slowing down for me,” he said. “We are getting better at driving and kicking (passing out to a wing), and we just need to keep the momentum going.”
Brian Ishola again led the Vulcans with another double-double, 19 points and 13 rebounds, tops in those categories for both teams. Parker Farris had 16 points, Callaghan 14 and Darius Johnson-Wilson added 10 points.
Between them, Ishola and Randan Berinobis had 24 rebounds, two more than the Penguins had in the games. The Vulcans shot a blistering 62 percent in the game on 31-of-50 field goal attempts.
“You look at the 62 percent and it really started all from defense,” said UHH coach GE Coleman. “We got on the boards hard and we really play good defense.
“It’s a good place to be,” he said, “but after the break when we come back we have two-time defending champ Azusa Pacific and then Concordia, which is playing as well as anyone right now.
“But for the Christmas break,” he said, “I’ll take 3-2.”
By halftime, three Vulcans had already scored in double figures with Farris and Callaghan leading the way with 12 each, followed by Ishola who nearly had his double-double with 10 points and seven rebounds.
The first half field goal effort by the Vulcans shooting 64 per cent on 18-of-28 attempts, was believed to be the best mark for a first half in the four years Coleman has coached the team. UHH started out 16-for-18 from the floor and Callaghan opened the game by going 4-for-4 from the floor with 5 assists and no turnovers.
PENGUINS 85, VULCANS 66: The UHH women were swamped again, falling behind early with little energy against an aggressive opponent.
It was the most points allowed by the Vulcans (1-7, 1-4 Pacific West Conference) this season as well as the most scored by Dominican (7-5, 3-2 PWC), which was led by the 22 points and 17 rebounds by junior Sandra Ikeora, who had more offensive rebounds (8) than any Vulcan had in total rebounds. It could have been worse because Ikeora was in foul trouble and played only 22 minutes, barely more than half the game.
It was the fifth consecutive defeat for Hawaii Hilo and came 48 hours after a lopsided defeat Saturday to national ranked Alaska Anchorage.
Three Vulcans acored in double figures, led by freshman Amber Vaughn who scored her first basket of the season in the first half and wound up making three of her five 3-point shots to finish with 11 points. Vanessa Mancera and Sydney Mercer each had 10, Kim Schmelz led the way on the boards with seven rebounds.
“In the first half we didn’t play as hard as we needed to,” said UHH coach David Kaneshiro. “We looked two steps slow, but that’s their game, pushing it like they did, driving the ball.
“They deserve a lot of credit,” Kaneshiro said. “Our effort wasn’t consistent.”
Dominican coach Tim LaKose was pleased with his team’s effort.
“Our effort level was up where it needed to be,” he said. “It was a good thing to see because this is not an easy trip, it was good to see them play hard.”
Mancera was whistled for her third foul with 4:58 left in the second quarter at a time she was off to an impactful game. She was 1-2 from the floor, 2-2 from the foul line with a rebound, assist and a steal when she had to sit down.
By halftime, Dominican had a 49-30 lead, the most points allowed so far in a first half this season by Hawaii Hilo. The Penguins controlled the game in every statistical category, with a 24-16 rebounding advantage, a big edge in field goal percentage and advantages in assists, turnovers, blocks and steals.
Lauren Hong, slowed by a knee injury, left the team prior to Saturday’s game and returned home to California to see her doctor. She is expected back later this week and Kaneshiro said he expects her to play when the Vulcans get back in action Jan. 3 against Azusa Pacific.