The come-from-behind loss in the Pacific West Conference semifinals did not shake Hawaii Hilo's basketball foundation.
Seniors Zoar Ned and Cameron Wall were coached by the Vulcans following a 74-69 season-ending loss to host No. 1 seed Point Loma on Friday afternoon at Golden Gym in San Diego, Calif. expressed confidence that more opportunities will come. Kaniela Iona.
“All year long, from the first guy on the floor to the last guy on the bench, everybody was bought in,” said Wall, a guard from Folsom, California. “It's special to see everyone embrace their roles and just cheer each other on.” We've been building up. Last year we lost in this position and this year we won one more game. We will continue to move forward and I think the Balkans of the future will be better and better. ”
Hilo (19-12), which won the program's first PacWest Tournament game on Thursday, capitalized on its strong basketball roots that endured a fallow period in the 2010s.
Karik Mitchell scored 16 points and Najrik Peat and Carlos Ramsey Jr. each added 12 points for the Vulcans, who led by 11 at halftime and led by eight with 8:51 remaining. Ramsey, a second-team all-conference guard for UHH, returned from an ankle injury that caused him to miss Thursday's win over Viola and played 23 minutes off the bench. He made a step-back 3-pointer with 1:09 left to bring his team within 69-67.
“Hawaii-Hilo is a really talented team, especially when you don't know if Carlos Ramsey is going to play,” Point Loma coach Justin Downer said. “We were trying to keep them out of the paint. We did a really bad job giving up 44 paint points.”
Mitchell made a putback with 19 seconds left, bringing the Vulcans within one point. But Point Loma made 4-of-4 free throws in the final half and Charles Elsey III missed a driving layup.
Forward Wynton Brown scored 23 points for PLNU (21-8), and guards Zach Paulsen and Coby Barnes showed veteran poise with timely shots. The Sea Lions will play No. 6 seed Azusa Pacific on Saturday, looking for their fourth PacWest title in five tournaments.
“I was able to go into the game with confidence,” Iona said. “They made some big shots that they should have made, but ultimately we just didn't get enough stops there.”
A transfer from the University of Manoa, Ned played a meaningful role in his sixth and final year on the varsity basketball team. He scored eight points off the bench on Friday.
He said he was impressed with the Vulcans' team culture upon his arrival.
“It's been a long journey for me,” Ned said. “I'm just grateful. It would have been really nice to finish the season with a championship, but the memories I made with my teammates and what we did as a group this year will last for years.”
Hilo bids farewell to its five seniors: Ned, Wall, Mitchell, Drew Yezbach and Charles Elsey III. Point guard will be a particular offseason target for Iona and its staff. The Vulcans had success with junior college and Division I transfers.
Underpinning UHH's success over the past three years has been its connection to and understanding of the blue-collar communities it represents. Before that, he had never played in a PacWest tournament. Iona, a native of Hawaii Island who was hired in 2020 after leading Menlo College for five years, told Spectrum News that people in town are aligning with the college circle again.
“First and foremost, no matter who is on the team, we are an extension of the community,” Iona said. “The people of Hilo are accepting and accepting of players no matter where they come from.
“Having great basketball in our town continues to drive interest in the game,” he continued. “Once upon a time, there was basketball in our town. And there is a vibrancy and energy that they and the teams before them have strived to bring back. In doing so, this game has grown in our community. It will continue.”
Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. Contact him at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.
