CALIFORNIA – Hawai'i Hilo Men's Basketball's Nadjrick Peat was selected as Pacific West Conference Defender of the Week for Feb. 24 - March 2 to close the final week of regular season play.

The Vulcans went 1-1 but claimed a huge victory over Academy of Art on Feb. 24 to close out four-game road trip through Northern California. The win helped position the Vulcans toward claiming one of six spots in the PacWest Championships postseason tournament, which was solidified early on Saturday with Fresno Pacific's loss to Jessup prior to Hawai'i Hilo's final contest against HPU.

Against the Urban Knights, Peat totaled 15 rebounds and three blocks while sinking two game-sealing free throws in overtime.

In Saturday's affair with HPU, Peat finished with three more blocks, eight boards and 13 points (5-9 FG) while becoming the program's new all-time career leader in rebounds with 622 and counting. Peat is also ranked both No. 2 and No. 3 for single-season blocks, and No. 5 for single-season rebounds.

From PacWest Release:

Hawai'i Hilo's Nadjrick Peat pulled down 15 rebounds and had three blocks in the Vulcans' improbable comeback win over Academy of Art in San Francisco, 70-65. ART U led by as many as 12 points in the second half before Hawai'i Hilo roared back to force overtime. Peat had two big free throws in overtime to help clinch the win. In a Saturday loss at home to HPU, the 2023 PacWest Defender of the Year had 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, giving him 23 rebounds and six blocks for the week. Peat leads the PacWest in blocks with 64 — 22 more than the next leading shot-blocker in the conference.

The Vulcans claimed the No. 4 seed for the PacWest Championships postseason tournament and will begin action this Thursday, March 6 against fifth-seed Concordia at 5:15 p.m. (7:15 p.m. local Pacific Time) at Dominican University's Conlan Center in San Rafael, California.