UH Hilo basketball players Sasa Vuksanovic and Mandi Kawaha are the Vulcans' first Pepsi Athletes of the Week for the 2020 calendar year.

Sophomore guard Mandi Kawaha had a pair of magnificent games as the Vulcans opened 2020 with upsets of Fresno Pacific and Point Loma. Against the Sunbirds, she had 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists, and hit key free throws down the stretch for the 63-51 victory. Against then-first place Point Loma, the Hilo native (Hilo High School) had a season-high 20 points, 17 of those coming in the second half when the Vulcans were in full upset mode. Kawaha hit two big three-pointers as the Vulcans took the lead, and she again added sealing free throws. For the first three games of the homestand, including a loss to Biola, the point guard had 40 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

Vulcan versatile post Sasa Vuksanovic played brilliantly in all three contests of UH HIlo's 2020 opening homestand at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium. In UHH's upset of Biola (69-63) on Monday night, the Serbian had a career-high 26 points, hitting 10-of-14 shots while also grabbing four rebounds and handing out four assists. The 6-foot-9 junior center had 13 points, six rebounds and five assists in a 82-73 victory over Fresno Pacific, and he added 16 points, three boards and four assists in a loss to Point Loma. For the week (three games), Vuksanovic had 55 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists.

The Vulcans will continue this current five-game homestand with a Thursday (Jan. 9) game versus Dominican, and a Monday (Jan. 13) contest against Notre Dame de Namur. The women's games begin at 5 p.m., the men tip off at 7:30 p.m.