HILO, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Hilo Men's Basketball took a season-opening 71-49 victory over Nobel on Wednesday evening in a non-conference exhibition at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.

Julio Montes II led the Vulcans with 20 points, shooting 7 of 12 from the field while splashing 5 of 7 from beyond the arc. Jessiya Villa followed with 13 points and Isaiah Hinds with 10 points (5-6 FG). Alex Horiuk totaled 11 rebounds and finished with six points.

Jamal Entezami was the fifth member of the Vulcans' season-opening starting lineup, totaling five rebounds and four points.

Mykale Mundy led the way for Nobel, scoring a game-high 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting.

The Knights were held to just 1 of 10 on 3-pointers.

PACWEST PRESEASON POLL

Hawai'i Hilo was voted No. 2 in the Pacific West Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, tying with Fresno Pacific. The Vulcans finished the 2024-25 regular season in a three-way tie at No. 4 in the conference standings and was one of six teams to qualify for the PacWest Conference Championships postseason tournament, falling to defending champ Point Loma in the semifinal round. The 2025-26 PacWest Championships will be hosted by PLNU on March 5-7 in San Diego.

PURCHASE TICKETS

Season and individual tickets for the Vulcans' 16 home matches at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium are available for purchase at HiloAthletics.com/tickets. Season tickets are $135 ($70 for seniors 65+ and middle/high school students) and also includes admission to an additional 13 Vulcans Women's Basketball home events.

BUY LIVESTREAM PACKAGE

Video livestreaming will be available for all home events this season through the PacWest Network, powered by Hudl TV. More information is available at HiloAthletics.com/livestream. Single-game passes are offered at $15 with a season-package price of $180.