Women's Basketball Weekly
Hawai`i Hilo Overall Record: 4-4       Hawai`i Hilo PacWest Record: 1-3
 
Vulcans Return to PWC Play with Bay Area Games                                         
Monday, Dec. 31 @Dominican (7-2), 2 p.m. PT, San Rafael, CA, Conlan Center
Wednesday, Jan. 2 @Fresno Pacific (8-3), 2:30 p.m. PT, Fresno, CA, Special Events Center
Friday, Jan. 4, @Academy of Art (1-6), 5 p.m. PT, San Francisco, CA, Kezar Pavilion
Live Stream/Live Stats at www.hiloathletics.com

Hilo Headlines: With the holiday break in their rearview mirror, the Hawai`i Hilo women's basketball team returns to work this week with a tough slate of games in northern California. The Vulcans will play two teams that are tied for second place in the Pacific West Conference (Dominican and Fresno Pacific) and will finish the trip at Academy of Art.
 
Home for the Pre-Holidays: The Vulcans played three games in three nights prior to the Christmas break, all at home. They played their best basketball of the year in taking down Holy Names (72-56) in a PacWest game and St. Martin's (71-62), before continuing their strong play in a loss to nationally ranked Alaska Anchorage (71-60).
 
Even Steven: The Vulcans sit at 4-4 overall (1-3 PacWest). The Vulcans were 6-6 overall and 4-6 in conference play in 2017-18 through the middle of January.
 
Allie's Averages: Sophomore post Allie Navarette has scored in double figures every game, including a career-high 27 points in two games (Chaminade and Fresno Pacific). She has scored over 20 points in four of her eight outings, and now averages 19.9 points a game, second best in the PacWest. In half of her contests to date, she has also pulled down double-figure rebound totals, including a career-best 19 against Holy Names. That 19 boards tied the UH Hilo single-game record, now shared with Vulcan great Hillary Hurley who had the same total against Hawai`i Pacific in 2012. The 2017-18 PacWest honorable mention selection is averaging an even ten boards a game and is shooting 79 percent from the free throw line.
 
By the Numbers: Freshman guard Mandi Kawaha is also averaging double figure scoring numbers at 13 points a game, hitting double-figure numbers in all but two games. She hit for a career-high 22 against Fresno Pacific. She leads the Vulcans with 3.5 assists per contest…Alyssa Movchan adds 10.4 points a game, hitting for a career-high 23 versus St. Martin's, while also leading the team with 15 three-pointers made.
Those three and sophomore guard Sara Shimizu have starter all eight games this year for the Vulcans.
 
Around the Loop: Two squad are still unbeaten in PacWest play—Azusa Pacific (7-0) and Hawaii Pacific (4-0). Dominican and Fresno Pacific, both at 4-1, are next in the conference standings. Biola is the only other team with a winning record in league action (3-2).

Regional Rankings: The unofficial D2SIDA West Region rankings for Dec. 18 look like this: (1) Northwest Nazarene 9-0, (2) UC San Diego 8-0, (3) Alaska Anchorage 8-1, (4) Cal Poly Pomona 7-1, (5) Central Washington 6-2, (6) Dominican 6-1, (T-7) Western Washington 6-2, (T-7) Azusa Pacific 8-3, (9) Simon Fraser 5-2 (10) Chico State 7-1.

A Look Back: The Vulcans suffered through an injury-plagued year to finish 7-16 overall and 5-15 in the Pacific West Conference in 2017-18.
 
She's Back! And So is She, and She: One big bright spot last season was the play of freshman post, Allie Navarette. The 6-footer earned honorable mention All-PacWest honors, averaging a school-record 16.7 points a game. Her 383 points was also a Vulcan single-season record, as was her free throw percentage of .842. Also returning are the backcourt tandem of Alyssa Movchan and Sara Schimizu, who started 39 games between them last year. 6-0 senior Patience Taylor started 17 games last year and guard Amber Vaughn started five before her season ended with an injury. Still injured is 2016-17 PacWest honorable mention pick Kim Schmelz and freshman Mikayla Tablit (Konawaena HS).

PacWest Prognosticators: The PacWest coaches predicted Azusa Pacific to win the conference this year, with defending champ Hawai`i Pacific slated to take second. The Vulcans clock in at ninth.
 
Dateline Dominican: The Penguins of Dominican are 7-2 overall and 4-1 in conference. They lost their season opener to Chico State, but then ran off six straight wins before falling to first place Azusa Pacific. Ranked No. 6 in the west region, they will play Division I UC Davis on Dec. 29 before the Vulcans visit on Dec. 31. 6-0 Natalie Diaz, the 2018 PacWest Conference Player of the Year, is averaging an astounding 30.8 points a game, and had 41 this year against Concordia. She also pulls down 8.8 rebounds a game and is shooting 52 percent from the field. Alanna Scott adds almost 13 points a game and has had hit 21 three-pointers in nine games. Dominican won both games versus the Vulcans in 2017-18, and the Penguins lead the all-time series, 11-7.
 
Salute to the Sunbirds: The Vulcans will face another of the PWC's top teams when they travel to Fresno Pacific on January 2. The two squads already met on Dec. 3 in Hilo with FPU taking an 83-64 verdict. Bree Alvarez averages 16.5 points a game for the Sunbirds, sixth best in the PacWest, while Cassie Pisik is fourth in the conference in rebounding (9.3). FPU's only losses this year have been to regionally ranked Hawaii Pacific and Western Washington, along with Cal State Dominguez Hills. They have won their last two PacWest games, defeating Point Loma and Concordia. With the Sunbirds' win in December, the all-time series between the Vulcans and FPU is tied at 5-5.

Knight Notes: Academy of Art is looking for their first PacWest wins of the year (1-6 overall), with Hawaii Pacific and Chaminade visiting San Francisco before the Vulcans arrive on January 4. Their lone win was solid, a 77-65 verdict over Western Oregon. 5-8 junior guard Brianna Cates is tough to stop, averaging 17.5 points a game—fourth best in the conference. The Pima CC transfer has scored over 20 points in three game for the Urban Knights. Three other Academy of Art players average above 10 points a game, led by Chanel Stuart's 13.2 points and 7.5 rebounds. The Vulcans won last year's lone match-up in overtime, but the Urban Knights lead the all-time series, 8-7.
 
Free, Free, Free!!: From here on and forever more, all UH Hilo and Hawaii Community College students will receive free admission to all Vulcan home events. Just show your student ID, and you are in!!
 
Watch, Listen: All Vulcan home women's basketball games will be available via video stream (and Live Stats). Improved coverage, which includes audio play-by-play, through Out of the Sea Media on the Vulcan website. Additionally, home games beginning in January will be broadcast on AM 670 KPUA-Hilo.
 
Head Coach David Kaneshiro: Vulcan head coach David Kaneshiro enters into his ninth season as the leader of the UHH program in 2018-19. Prior to his arrival at Hilo, he was the head coach for three seasons Blackburn College (Ill.), where he twice won conference championships and in 2006 was named the St. Louis Athletic Conference co-coach of the year. He also spent two seasons as the head coach at Webster University (Mo.). He served one season as the lead assistant at Stanislaus State.