HILO, Hawai'i – In the first of a five-game home stand, Hawai'i Hilo Men's Basketball fell to Dominican, 65-59, Thursday night in Pacific West Conference play at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.

It was a slow grind, but the Vulcans battled back late to make it a five-point game with under four minutes to go — overcoming as large of a deficit as 17 points. A 15-2 spurt (6-8 FG while forcing four turnovers) through the middle section of the second half put Hawai'i Hilo within striking distance, but the final seven minutes turned into a free throw contest with the Vulcans going 7 of 11 at the line against the Penguins' 11-of-15 shooting.

The Vulcans' final basket put the score at a three-point margin with seconds to go, but the Penguins managed to hit subsequent free throws to hold on for the win.

GAME NOTES

• Julio Montes II totaled 17 points (7-11 FG — 15 points in the first half) and has now averaged 16.3 points through eight conference contests, ranking No. 6 among PacWest scorers.
• Brody Davis collected a second consecutive double-double on 11 points (3-5 FG, 5-7 FT) and 11 rebounds and now leads the PacWest with 9.0 rebounds per game through seven contests played in.
• Hawai'i Hilo: 1-13 Overall (1-7 PacWest)
  • Preseason Coaches Poll: No. T2
  • Current Standing: No. 13
• Dominican: 9-6 Overall (4-5 PacWest)
  • Preseason Coaches Poll: No. 11
  • Current Standing: No. T9

UP NEXT

• Saturday, Jan. 17 (7 PM) vs Vanguard (Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium)
  • Note that parking at the Ho'olulu Complex will be limited due to shuttle service for a downtown Hilo event.
• Tuesday, Jan. 20 (7 PM) vs Westmont (Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium)
• Thursday, Jan. 22 (7 PM) vs Concordia (Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium)
• Saturday, Jan. 24 (3 PM) vs Biola (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 six-team 2025-26 PacWest Championships will be hosted by Point Loma 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.