HONOLULU, Hawai`i—Every night it seems, Hawai`i Hilo head basketball coach GE Coleman has to change his definition of "short-handed."

His Vulcans, playing without their top two scorers and three starters overall, still put on a courageous effort, rallying back from a large deficit before falling to defending conference champion Hawai`i Pacific, 88-75 on Tuesday night at Moanalua High School.

UH Hilo senior Randan Berinobis had a career night, trying to make up for the absence of Trey Ingram (wrist), Ryley Callaghan (PacWest suspension) and Eric Wattree (illness). The Hilo High School alum had 31 points and nine rebounds. His previous collegiate best was 17 (three times).

With the loss, the Vulcans saw their modest two-game win streak snapped and fell to 5-8 in the Pacific West Conference and to 6-14 overall. The Sharks are now 12-10 on the year and 7-7 in the PacWest.

When considering all the different times that the Vulcans have had their proverbial backs against the wall this year, before this game started it appeared they were actually in the wall.

Callaghan was docked one game by the conference for his part in an altercation last week against Fresno Pacific. With the guard trio of Callaghan, Ingram and Wattree out, that adds up to over 38 points a game missing from the offense.

Still, the Vulcans, like always, came out battling. They took a 7-4 lead early, but the Sharks ramped things up with a 12-0 run that soon morphed into a 25-4 blitz. The Sharks led by as many as 23 points in the first half, and this game looked to be over almost before it started.

But UH Hilo gave a hint of things to come with a run at the end of the half, closing the margin to 15 points (44-29), thanks in part to a pair of three-pointers by Waiakea High School alum Maikai Gahan.

The Vulcans continued to roll early in the second half, thanks to baskets by Berinobis and Devin Johnson, but HPU countered with three-pointers, draining five in the first eight minutes. Still, the Vulcans wouldn't go away, staying within 14 points during that stretch.

UH Hilo then put a surge into the game with a surprising 10-0 run—with another trey by Gahan, free throws by Berinobis, a three-point play by Johnson and a leaner in the lane by Will Burghardt, cutting the Shark margin to seven points (62-55) with 11 minutes left.

But as Vulcan luck would have it, Burghardt, the PacWest Freshman of the Week, had to leave the game with an injury moments later, leaving Coleman with just seven players in uniform. His team would get no closer than that the seven points the rest of the night, although they would never completely go away until the final buzzer.

"It was a tremendous effort," Coleman said. "No matter what, we will always play hard. Randan is our poster child for that. He stepped up in a big way tonight."

Berinobis hit 9-of-16 shots from the field, nailed a career high 5-of-7 three-pointers and converted 8-of-10 free throws. Johnson also had a big game with 19 points and nine boards. Gahan also had a career night with 12 points, getting all of his digits from behind the arch (4-of-7).

Niksha Frederico, a transfer from San Diego State, led the Sharks with 23 points and 13 rebounds. The Sharks were deadly from three-point range, swishing 12 of 23.

The Vulcans will now head to the mainland for five tough road games, beginning with a Saturday game at Dixie State.