The UH-Hilo men’s basketball team kicks off its longest homestand with three games, playing two of the PacWest’s best teams.
The Vulcans (3-5, 1-3 PacWest) host Fresno Pacific (3-8, 1-4) Thursday, Point Loma (8-3, 4-1) Saturday and Biola (8-3, 4-1) Monday. All games start at 7:30 p.m. at Afook Chinen Civic Auditorium.
Before Christmas, UHH defeated Saint Martin’s 77-70, a team that reached the NCAA West Region final a year ago, and fell to No. 4 regionally ranked Alaska Anchorage 66-64.
UHH has relied on its defense, which averages 8.9 steals per game and forces opponents into 17.1 turnovers per game.
UHH senior Kupaa Harrison leads the team with 19.3 points per game, followed by Sasa Vuksanovic (14.0 ppg), Jordan Graves (13.3) and Elisha Duplechan (11.0).
Fresno Pacific is led by Aamondae Coleman, who averages 17.3 ppg. Defending champion Point Loma lost four starters, including national player of the year in Dalton Hommes, but beat UHH 82-68 on Dec. 12.
Despite being picked fifth in the preseason poll, Biola has been an early surprise and is led by guard Marquise Mosley (16.9 ppg).
Through nearly a half-dozen games each, 11 of the 12 PacWest teams already have at least one loss. Only Concordia (3-0) is unblemished. There are three teams currently at 4-1:Biola, Point Loma and Chaminade. Biola and Point Loma will both travel to Chaminade this week.
In the last West Region poll released on Dec. 17, the PacWest had three of the top 10 teams (records are through December). (1) UC San Diego (11-1), (2) Point Loma (8-3), (3) Cal Poly Pomona (8-3), (4) Alaska Anchorage (9-4), (5) Simon Fraser (9-2), (6) Concordia-Irvine (9-3), (7) Cal State East Bay (9-4), (8) Azusa Pacific (9-3), (9) Chico State (9-3), (10) Cal State Dominguez Hills (8-5). Nationally, UCSD is No. 4 and Point Loma is No. 24.
Women
UHH (1-7, 0-4) has played four nationally ranked teams in its first eight games and is led by Allie Navarette, who is the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,002 points. She is on the verge of setting career marks in blocked shots and rebounds.
She leads the team in scoring averaging 12.9 ppg and 7.8 rpg, followed by Kim Schmelz (9.9 ppg), Mandi Kawaha (7.3) and Sara Shimizu (6.1).
The Vulcans host Fresno Pacific (5-5, 3-2) Thursday, Point Loma (9-2, 5-0) Saturday and Biola (8-3, 4-1) Monday. All games start at 5 p.m. at the Civic.
Fresno Pacific’s Cassie Pisik averages 18 ppg and 10 rpg. Point Loma earlier beat the Vuls 78-46 and is led by Carley Hillard Onjalise, who averages 16 ppg. Biola walloped the Vuls 61-34 on Dec. 10 and is led by Danita Estorga, who averages 13.5 ppg and 7.2 rpg.