Vulcans Open Up Four-Game Homestand vs. Chaminade
Saturday, Feb. 20 vs. Chaminade (0-5), 1 pm, Vulcan Gymnasium
Sunday, Feb. 21 vs. Chaminade, Noon, Vulcan Gymnasium
Wednesday, Feb. 24 vs. Hawai`i Pacific (8-0), 2:30 pm, Vulcan Gymnasium
Thursday, Feb. 25 vs. Hawai`i Pacific, Noon, Vulcan Gymnasium

Home Sweet Home: After nearly two weeks off from games, the UH Hilo women's basketball team will play four games in six days in hosting Chaminade and Hawaii Pacific for a pair of doubleheaders each. The four-game homestand will also wrap up the Hilo portion of the Vulcan's 12-game schedule.

Vulcans on Video: Because of Hawai`i County protocols and for the safety of players, coaches and fans, only essential personnel will be allowed in Vulcan Gymnasium. But fans around the world can watch live via video stream through the Vulcans website at hiloathletics.com. The link to the broadcast will be on the website's schedule page 24-48 hours before the contest. The cost will be $10 per game. For more information, click here.

Ultimate Upset: For a fair amount of time back on Feb. 7, UH Hilo's last game at Hawaii Pacific, the Vulcans had the No. 2/7 nationally ranked Sharks on the ropes. The Vulcans had a stunning 18-point lead in the second quarter (47-29), thanks in part to a 11-0 run and red hot shooting. They shot a sizzling 64 percent from the field in the quarter, including 3-for-5 from behind the arch and 7-of-7 at the free throw line. But after scoring 28 points in the second quarter and 47 in the first half, the Sharks clamped down on defense the rest of the way. HPU, who was looking to win its 30th consecutive game, held UHH to just 17 points over the final 20 minutes and would pull away for an eventual 73-64 win.

By the Numbers: Senior Kim Schmelz had 18 points to lead the Vulcans in the game and Mandi Kawaha had a near triple-double with ten points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Bree Olson missed only two shots on her way to 11 points and she also had three steals. In that torrid second period, the Vulcans essentially scored 28 points in 8:30, with scoring coming from seven different players. 

Senior Salute: After the final Feb. 25 home game, the Vulcans will honor three seniors--Kim Schmelz, Malia Lee and Sara Shimizu. All three players have played at least four seasons, with Kim Schmelz playing part of six. Schmelz heads into the weekend games with 960 career points (third on UHH list), has 102 three-pointers (fourth) and 116 free throws made (second). She currently leads the Vulcans in scoring with 14.5 points a game. Shimizu has been a four-year starter and has 79 career three-pointers (6th all-time). She has 155 assists, also sixth on the UHH list. Lee has played in 75 games in her Vulcan career, the last two years as a starter. She is second on the Vulcans this season with five rebounds a game. Following the Feb. 25 game, the trio will take their traditional last shots.

100 for the Win: Vulcan head coach Dave Kaneshiro won his 100th game on Jan. 31 with a 57-38 victory over Chaminade. The Hilo native is one of only two coaches in the UHH program history (Daphne Honma is the other).

Opponent Outlook: UH Hilo's next two opponents will face each other today (Wednesday) before arriving in Hilo. Chaminade is a young team still looking for its first win (0-5). They are having trouble finding their scoring range, averaging just 42 points a game. Sophomore Jordyn Zader leads the Silverswords with 10.5 points a game, followed by freshman Emma Morris' ten points a contest. In UHH's first two meetings against CUH in Honolulu, the Vulcans won by near identical scores of 56-39 and 57-38. UH Hilo now leads the all-time series at 26-9. Defending PacWest champion Hawaii Pacific is now 8-0 heading into today's game with the Silverswords, and is ranked second or seventh in the country, depending on which poll you look at. The Sharks opened the year with a win over Division I Hawaii (82-74) and then topped the Vulcans twice in Hilo and twice in Honolulu. They have now won 33 straight games. The Sharks are coming off of a school-record 29-1 season, and were surely a national title contender had COVID-19 not stopped their season.  First Team All-American and West Region Player of the Year Amy Baum is averaging 14 points and 8.3 assists a contest, while All-PacWest guard Alysha Marcucci adds 10 and 6.6 rebounds. Ally Bates was another All-PacWest pick last year is posting14.6 points and 7.6 rebounds, while Utah State transfer Olivia West is having a monster year with 21.1 points and eight rebounds a game. The Sharks lead the all-time series against the Vulcans, 34-3.

Regional Expansion: With a reduced number of teams playing basketball this winter in the west region, the NCAA has merged the PacWest and GNAC with the RMAC (Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) for the purpose of postseason qualification. Six total teams will qualify for the NCAA tournament from the three conferences (the GNAC only has three teams competing at this point, and the CCAA doesn't have any). The PacWest and RMAC will have one automatic qualifier and the next four teams will be selected by a committee.

Around the Loop: Hawaii Pacific is 8-0 overall and 7-0 in the PacWest to easily lead the Hawaii Pod. Fresno Pacific is 4-0 in the NorCal Pod and 4-4 overall, while Point Loma is 6-2 in the SoCal Pod and 7-2 overall. 

Veteran Vulcans: Head coach David Kaneshiro, entering his 11^th season, has six letterwinners and five returning starters to send out to the floor. That includes Super Senior Kim Schmelz, who enters into her fifth year in a Vulcan uniform. She played in just two games in 2017-18 (medical redshirt) and missed all of 2018-19. She was an honorable mention All-PacWest selection in 2016-17, averaging 14.6 points a game. She ranks third on the Vulcan all-time scoring list…Fellow senior Sara Shimizu has started 65 games in her UHH career and ranks sixth on the Vulcan career three-pointers made list with 74...Senior, Malia Lee has played in 69 games over three seasons, and Jenna Waki started 23 contests in 2019-20 as a true freshman. Junior point guard Mandi Kawaha has the keys to the car, having averaged close to 10 points a game the past two seasons, while leading the team in assists and steals. Sophomore guard Mikayla Tablit returns (eight starts last year) as does redshirt junior Bree Olson (5-11 forward, Pima CC). Newcomers looking to contribute include Mindy Kawaha (Hilo HS), Noelle Sua-Godinet (Kamehameha-Kapalama), Erica Ingram (El Dorado Hills, Calif.), Kenedi Walters (Cabrillo College), Sierra Cavaletto (Santa Barbara CC) and Kayla Revelo (Vallejo, Calif.).

Last Year: The Vulcans finished 10-16 overall and 9-13 in the Pacific West Conference, good for seventh place. After an 1-8 start which included a brutal non-conference schedule, UH Hilo went 9-9 over the back half of their schedule, missing a PacWest tournament berth by just one spot.

The Coach: Vulcan head coach David Kaneshiro is in his 11th season leading the Vulcan program, one of only two Vulcan head coaches in program history. He previously spent four years as an assistant coach with the men's team at UHH, and has been the women's head coach at Blackburn and Webster. He also was an assistant at Stanislaus State.