Vulcans host Hawai`i schools to cap season
 
Hawai`i Hilo (6-19/5-13 PWC) vs. Chaminade (15-10/10-8 PWC), Thursday, Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m., Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium, Hilo, Hawai`i.
Hawai`i Hilo vs. Hawai`i Pacific (14-12/9-9 PWC), Saturday, Feb. 24, 7:30 p.m., Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium, Hilo, Hawai`i.
Live Stream/Live Stats at www.hiloathletics.com
Live radio broadcast at AM 670 KPUA-Hilo
 
Hilo Headlines: Back home after a grueling road trip that saw the Vulcans play five games in eight days, they will now wrap up the 2017-18 season at home against Hawai`i rivals Chaminade and Hawai`i Pacific.
 
Fearsome Fivesome: In Utah and SoCal, the Vulcans played the top five teams in the Pacific West Conference standings, and as it turns out after last week's first official NCAA West Region poll, five of the top ten teams in the region. While all five scores look like blowouts in the box score, in three of those games UH Hilo was within just a couple of points or led at halftime. Lack of depth would ultimately wear the Vulcans down in the second half.
 
Senior Salute: The Vulcans will honor four seniors after the completion of Saturday's game with Hawai`i Pacific. Playing their final games will be Ryley Callaghan and Randan Berinobis, and also saluted will be injured seniors Trey Ingram and Arnold Silva. Callaghan and Ingram teamed to be one of the most dangerous backcourts in the conference. They combined to nail nearly 100 three-pointers between them and are the top two scorers on the Vulcan team with Callaghan at 12.5 ppg and Ingram at 16.1. Local product Berinobis (Hilo HS) led UH Hilo in games started this year (23) and was a consistent force night after night, averaging nine points a game and six and a half boards a contest. Silva missed the entire season with an illness, but played in 26 games as a junior as a back-up post player.

Stat Story: Senior guard Trey Ingram leads the Vulcans in scoring at 16.8 points per game, with Ryley Callaghan next at 12.5. Post Devin Johnson is in double figures (12.2) and is tied for first on the Vulcans in rebounds (6.5). He also has 23 blocked shots. Randan Berinobis has 6.4 boards a game and 8.8 points. Callaghan leads in assists with four per outing.
 
PacWest Listings: Senior guard Ryley Callaghan ranks sixth in the PacWest in assists (4.0) and seventh in three-pointers made per game (2.4). As a team, the Vulcans are second in the conference in three-pointers made per game (9.2) and fifth in percentage (.359).
  
Chaminade Chatter: The Silverswords are fighting for their post-season lives, and need wins over the Vulcans and Azusa Pacific on Saturday. Chaminade gave the Vulcans a beating back on Dec. 16 (101-72) in Honolulu when all-star Austin Pope nearly had a triple-double with 13 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists. Pope is currently 12^th in the PWC in scoring (14.6), fourth in assists (4.6) and sixth in field goal percentage (.461). When the Silverswords beat the Vulcans, that tipped off a seven-game win streak for them. CUH just recently snapped a three-game losing streak with a 71-59 win over Biola.The Vulcans and Silverswords have played 107 games all-time, with Chaminade holding a 64-43 edge.
 
Shark Sentences: Defending PWC regular season and tournament champion Hawaii Pacific is now fighting for its playoff life, with must-win games against Azusa Pacific and the Vulcans this week. At 9-9 in conference play, the Sharks needs two wins and a little help to get into the PacWest tournament. Last year, HPU finished 29-3, reaching the semi-finals of the regional tournament before a season-ending loss to Chico State. This year, they are led by San Diego State transfer Niksha Federico, who leads the PacWest in scoring (21.5) and rebounding (10.3). These two teams met earlier this month, with the Sharks pulling away late in the game for an 88-75 win. All-time, the Vulcans leads the series, 59-51.

A Look Back: UH Hilo finished 10-16 last season and were 8-12 in the PacWest. Senior guard Parker Farris averaged 23.3 points a game and was a Second Team All-PacWest pick. The Vulcans played most of the season with just eight players.
 
Around the Loop: With the end of the regular season this weekend, the Pacific West Conference tournament field is almost set (March 1-3). Dixie State (16-2), California Baptist (15-3), Point Loma (15-4) and Azusa Pacific (14-4) are in, with Concordia (11-7), Chaminade (10-8), Academy of Art (10-8) and Hawaii Pacific (9-9) still battling for the last two spots. In the west region, the top team and apparent host for the region tournament is Western Oregon (23-1), followed by California Baptist (20-4), Cal Poly Pomona (18-5), Dixie State (17-6), UC San Diego (17-9), Point Loma (19-7), Chico State (17-6) and Saint Martin's (18-6). Outside looking in at this point are Cal State San Marcos (17-7) and Azusa Pacific (18-8).
 
When it Rains, it Pours: The Vulcans and head coach GE Coleman have had a hard-luck year like no other in terms of injuries and just plain bad luck. Their top four scorers on the season have missed time at one point or another this year because of injury or illness. Make that five players when you add in Brian Ishola, (hamstring) last year's second leading scorer (15.5) and leading rebounder (8.9). Senior guard Ryley Callaghan (ribs) missed games in December and was held out of the Feb. 6 game at Hawaii Pacific (PWC suspension), Eric Wattree (illness) sat out four games, Devin Johnson (ankle) missed two games in January, and post Arnold Silva (illness) like Ishola, is sitting out the entire season. Leading scorer Trey Ingram will miss the final 11 games of the year with a broken wrist. Additionally, Coleman lost Denhym Brooke at the break (grades), who was averaging 10.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and was second in the PacWest in blocked shots (25), along with seventh man Cameron Howell and shooter Mike Golden.
 
Coleman's Quotes: "I have been around basketball a long time, going back to hanging out with my Dad's teams when I was a little kid at Central Washington. I have never experienced anything like this in terms of injuries. There are life lessons to learn from this of course, that is what we are trying to focus on. You have to just keep getting up every morning and bring your lunch bucket to work. Our guys are really mentally tough."
 
Trey's Treys: Senior guard Trey Ingram had a final game to remember when he busted out for a career-high 33 points against Holy Names on January 18, hitting 6-of-11 three-point attempts. He also had seven rebounds, three steals and four assists in the monster effort. A three-year starter at St. Martin's University (Lacey, Wash.), Ingram's previous career-best came during his sophomore season against Concordia (Ore.), 28 points. He had tallied 25 points twice as a Vulcan against Fresno Pacific and Tampa.
 
Top 25 Love: Two of UH Hilo's six wins have come against teams in the Top 25. The Vulcans are 2-0 in such games this season, having topped Western Washington earlier this year (then ranked No. 19) and No. 22 Concordia. For sure, it is the first time in recent memory that UH Hilo would have two wins over Top 25 teams.
 
Head Coach Vulcan head coach GE Coleman is wrapping up his fifth season in 2017-18 as the leader of the program. Prior to arriving on the Big Island, Coleman was the associate head coach at Central Washington for six seasons, and an assistant with the Wildcats for another five years prior to that. He was an assistant for two seasons at Eastern Washington.
 
For more information, contact sports information director Russ Blunck at blunckr@hawaii.edu.