College basketball: In spirited showing, Vulcans down Chaminade

TIM WRIGHT/Tribune-Herald UH-Hilo's Randan Berinobis.
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As penultimate performances go, UH-Hilo’s men’s basketball team put on quite a show.
The Vulcans put an emphatic end to a six-game losing streak Thursday night, beating Chaminade 94-86 at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.
Relying primarily on the contributions of just seven players, Randan Berinobis was all over the court with 25 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
“That was as gutty a performance as this team has ever had,” coach GE Coleman said in a release. “It would have been easy to fold up shop after all this group has been through this month and all season (injuries), but they stepped up and played at a very high emotional level against a very good Chaminade team.”

Berinobis, a Hilo High graduate, Ryley Callaghan, Trey Ingram and Arnold Silva will be honored on senior night Saturday before UHH (7-19, 6-13 Pacific West Conference) plays its finale against Hawaii Pacific.

On Thursday, Callaghan complemented Berinobis with 21 points and eight assists. Both hit four 3-pointers. Berinobis’s 3 with 6:51 left to put the Vuls on top for good at 74-73.

“Those guys played 39 minutes (Ryley) and 36 minutes (Randan) respectively,” Coleman said. “They gave all their effort in front of their families tonight.”

Fighting to reach the postseason, the Silverswords (15-11, 10-9) were held to 38.8 percent shooting. They drilled the Vuls 101-72 in December in Honolulu.

UH-Hilo, which shot 50 percent, improved to 6-2 at home this season.

“Our crowds aren’t the largest crowds in the conference, but they get into it,” Coleman said. “Our guys love playing here.”

Women

UH-Hilo 68, Chaminade 46: Allie Navarette had 23 points and 15 rebounds as the Vulcans snapped a 10-game losing streak.

Alyssa Movchan added 15 points and five assists, and Safia Sheikh had 12 points for UHH (7-15, 5-14 PacWest).

Destiny Castro scored 21 points to lead Chaminade (2-19, 2-17).