LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Hawai'i Hilo Men's Basketball fell to Rollins College, 89-69, on Saturday evening as part of the Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic at the South Point Arena.
The Vulcans had a slow start falling behind 11-0 early on after shooting 0 of 6 from the field against three 3-pointers landed by the Tar. Charles Higby Jr. got Hawai'i Hilo on the scoreboard with a converted free throw at the 14:59 mark, but Rollins continued to roll with a 9-2 scoring response through the next 12-minute media timeout.
Hawai'i Hilo started to settle in and were outscored by just six points through the remaining 32 minutes of play. Rollins extended a 21-point halftime advantage by opening the second half with a 14-4 run for its largest lead of 31 points. The Vulcans answered back with a 15-4 run but the early-game deficit was just too deep to overcome.
Julio Montes II led with 17 points (5-9 FG, 6-6 FT) while Alex Horiuk collected a second-career double-double with 12 points (6-7 FG) and 11 rebounds. Other double-digit scorers: Jessiya Villa (11 points) and Jamal Entezami (10 points).
Hawai'i Hilo shot 6 for 24 from beyond the arc while Rollins managed to land 15 3-pointers (.469). Rollins' Jah Nze shot 6 of 9 on perimeter attempts.
GAMES NOTES
- Hawai'i Hilo: 0-8 Overall (0-3 PacWest Conference)
- Preseason Coaches Poll No. T2
- Rollins: 7-4 Overall (1-3 Sunshine State Conference)
- Winter Park, Florida
- Preseason Coaches Poll No. 6
- Other Teams in Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic: Colorado School of Mines, Dominican (New York), Lubbock Christian (Texas), Montana State Billings, West Liberty (West Virginia)
UP NEXT
- Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic at South Point Arena
- Sunday, Dec. 21 (1:45 PM) vs Angelo State (Las Vegas, NV)
- Saturday, Jan. 3 (1:30 PM) vs Jessup (Rocklin, CA)
- Monday, Jan. 5 (2:15 PM) vs Fresno Pacific (Fresno, CA)
- Thursday, Jan. 8 (5:30 PM) vs Dominican (San Rafael, CA)
- Saturday, Jan. 10 (NOON) vs Menlo (Atherton, CA)
- Thursday, Jan. 15 (7 PM) vs Dominican (Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium)
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.
