Darius Johnson-Wilson marked his return in the opening minute and Parker Farris got going a little while later. ADVERTISING Darius Johnson-Wilson marked his return in the opening minute and Parker Farris got going a little while later. At that point,
Darius Johnson-Wilson marked his return in the opening minute and Parker Farris got going a little while later.
At that point, UH-Hilo was off and running toward a season-opening victory, 88-73 against Simon Fraser on Friday at the Sodexo Tip-Off Classic in Seattle.
There will be no infamous 0-10 start to the season this time for Vulcans’ men’s basketball, not after Farris went off by matching his career high with 32 points. Johnson-Wilson, a 6-foot-6 forward who missed all but two games last year with an injury, made 9 of 14 from the field and scored 22 points with nine rebounds.
UH-Hilo didn’t claim its first victory last season until Jan. 9.
“It feels very good to begin with a win,” fourth-year coach GE Coleman said in a university release. “I feel good about a lot of the things we did, but of course there is plenty to work on. It’s just really great to finally get out on the floor and get started.”
More so for Johnson-Wilson. A key missing ingredient last year as UH-Hilo fell short of making a late-season run to the postseason, Johnson-Wilson scored nine points in the first nine minutes Friday, allowing Farris time to get going.
And when he gets going, boy, does he get going.
The 6-4 senior sharpshooter made six baskets and scored 19 points during the final nine minutes of the first half, including a four-point play that gave the Vulcans the lead for good and fueled 29-18 run to halftime.
“We were nervous early, and the refs called the game very tight in the first half,” Simon Fraser coach Steve Hanson said in a release. “(The Vulcans) were definitely rewarded for being more aggressive in the first half.”
Farris hit six 3-pointers, grabbed six rebounds and added five assists. Making their Vulcans debuts, Ryley Callaghan (14 points) and Eric Wattree III (10) also scored in double figures.
Simon Fraser shot just 3 of 18 from 3-point range and 39.7 percent overall. Kedar Wright led the Clan – who were coming off a 2-24 season – with 23 points, making 11 of 13 from the floor, and grabbing 12 rebounds.
The Vulcans took their biggest lead at 79-57 on a Wattree III 3-pointer with 7:32 remaining in the game to cap a 16-2 spurt.
UH-Hilo shot 43.5 percent, held a 44-43 rebounding advantage and committed only seven turnovers.
Seattle Pacific beat Humboldt State 102-90 in the other game at Brougham Pavilion and will host the Vulcans at 5 p.m. Saturday.
