SAN FRANCISCO, California – Hawai'i Hilo Men's Basketball picked up a big late-season victory with a 70-65 overtime win over Academy of Art on Monday night in Pacific West Confernece action at the Kezar Pavilion.

With just one game to go for the Vulcans, it's still a four-team race for the final two of six total PacWest Championships postseason berths, and while the playoff picture is still clear as mud, Monday's win helps put Hawai'i Hilo a bit closer in the driver's seat to make its fourth consecutive conference tournament appearance.

Monday's victory over the Urban Knights was as tough as they come as the Vulcans found themselves down by as much as seven points with time winding down in regulation. The visiting team closed out the second half on a 7-0 run, capped by three free throws from Julio Montes II to tie the game with 16 seconds to go. Nadjrick Peat once again provided a big shot block on ART U's Rodney Munson's game-winning attempt with single ticks remaining, as Jarin Edwards was off to the races with a lane down the opposite end but was fouled on the buzzer-beating layup attempt. However, he came up empty on the attempts at the charity stripe as the game was extended an extra five minutes.

The Vulcans continued their momentum through overtime as Montes II (10 points) hit a pull-up jumper and Brody Davis (18 points) launched a rainbow-arcing turnaround jumper to take an early four-point advantage. ART U cut the lead to a single point with a minute to go, but Peat added his first points of the evening with a pair of free throws followed by two more from Davis to close out the victory.

OTHER NOTES

• Jake Kosakowski splashed six 3-pointers to lead the Vulcans with 20 points. The senior brought his Vulcans career total to 138 to move past Trevor Wright ('89-'90) to No. 5 all-time in the program record books. Kosakowski also topped 80 3-pointers this season to rank No. 5 for program single-season totals.
• Peat finished with three blocks and 15 rebounds, moving just seven boards away from tying Merriel Jenkins ('97-'99) for most in a career at Hawai'i Hilo.
• Monday's win was the first over ART U in the last seven matchups dating back to the 2021-22 season.

PATH TO PACWEST CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Hawai'i Hilo moved to 11-8 in PacWest play (18-11 overall) as Academy of Art moved to a 12-6 conference record (16-10 overall). The Vulcans are slotted in at a tie for No. 4 with Westmont. ART U is one spot ahead at No. 3.
• Point Loma (16-2), Biola (15-4), Academy of Art and Westmont (11-8) have already clinched four of the six conference tournament spots as the Vulcans are in a four-way battle for the remaining berths against Chaminade (10-9), Fresno Pacific (10-9) and Concordia (9-9).
• A Vulcans win over HPU on March 1 would clinch regardless, and a loss would still be up in the air depending on the results of other games this week and the proceeding tiebreakers. Thursday's results of Chaminade at HPU and Academy of Art at Concordia will help paint a clearer picture — a CUI loss would clinch for the Vulcans, but a Golden Eagles victory could potentially put Hawai'i Hilo at risk via the many tiebreaker scenarios.

UP NEXT: Senior Day – Saturday, March 1 (3:30 PM) vs HPU (Hilo, Hawai'i / Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium)

SENIOR DAY: Vulcans Men's Basketball will honor its three seniors prior to tip-off — Jake Kosakowski, Nadjrick Peat and Thatcher Stone.