HILO, Hawai'i – Hawai'i Hilo Men's Basketball fell to Vanguard, 72-70, Saturday evening in Pacific West Conference play at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.

The Vulcans led through the opening half before battling back and forth with the Lions through the final 20 minutes of action. Jayden Hosein splashed a 3-pointer to tie the game at 70-70 with under 30 seconds to go, but Vanguard's Erik Howlin managed to get inside to drop in a two-point score with one second on the clock.

Hawai'i Hilo had one last heave attempt but couldn't connect as the Lions escaped with the win.

GAME NOTES

• Julio Montes II dropped a (NCAA D-II) career-high 25 points (8-10 FG, 3-5 3PT, 6-8 FT) with four rebounds, one assist and one steal.
• Jamal Entezami and Dre Nobles each totaled 12 points.
• Brody Davis collected 12 rebounds and seven points (3-5 FG).
• Hawai'i Hilo: 1-14 Overall (1-8 PacWest)
  • Preseason Coaches Poll: No. T2
  • Current Standing: No. 13
• Vanguard: 9-6 Overall (5-4 PacWest)
  • Preseason Coaches Poll: No. 9
  • Current Standing: No. T6

UP NEXT

• 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.