HILO, Hawai`i--UH Hilo overcame a first half deficit with 50 second half points to rally for a 82-73 win over Fresno Pacific on Thursday night in men's basketball action at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.

The victory moves the Vulcans to within a game of .500 at 4-5 overall and 2-3 in the Pacific West Conference. The Sunbirds dropped their fifth straight to fall to 3-9 on the year and to 1-5 in conference action.

UH Hilo had four players in double figures, led by Kupaa Harrison's 24 points. Elisha Duplechan had 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists, while post Sasa Vuksanovic added 13 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Jalen Thompson came off the bench to bury 12 points, including three key baskets in a row in the second half.

The Vulcans played the game without senior guard Jordan Graves, who is out with an injury suffered in December against Alaska Anchorage.

"We did a good job adjusting to playing without Jordan against a very athletic and physical team," head coach GE Coleman said after the game. "Koop's (Harrison) minutes were limited because of foul trouble, so we needed other guys to step up. Elisha and Jalen did just that, and Sasa played another all-around great game."

Aamondae Coleman led Fresno Pacific with 17 points, but the Vulcans held FPU's leading scorer to just 5-of-16 shooting. 

The game was very physical from the start, with few fouls called. The teams traded leads in the first half, and the Vulcans led 28-23 after a Duplechan basket with 6:26 left. But the Sunbirds outscored the Vulcans 15-4 to the halftime break to lead at intermission, 38-32. 

Baskets by Vuksanovic and Duplechan closed the gap early in the second half, and soon it was a back-and-forth game again. There would be 11 lead changes and seven ties in the contest.

With the count at 54-53 in favor of the Sunbirds, with 9:52 remaining, Thompson went to work. He drained a three-pointer to give the home team a 56-54 lead, and then duplicated the feat on UHH's next possession. One Sunbird basket later, the sophomore lefty hit a fadeaway 10-footer to give the Vulcans a 61-56 margin, and they would never trail again. 

Harrison followed with another basket and then a three-point play. UH Hilo started to pull away as Duplechan scored eight of his points in the final seven minutes. Damani Whitlock nailed four free throws to seal the game in the final 20 seconds. 

"That was a good and needed win," Coleman added. "But we have a short time to enjoy it."

The Vulcans next host defending conference champ Point Loma on Saturday night, in the second game of a five-contest homestand. Start time is 7:30 p.m.