Collapses were so 2018.
UH-Hilo’s men’s basketball team would be happy to make this the year of the comeback.
Larry Bush scored a career-high 24 points Wednesday and the Vulcans picked Fresno State’s pockets in storming back for a 77-72 victory after trailing by as many as 17 points on the road.
The Vulcans (5-5, 3-3 Pacific West Conference) forced 27 more turnovers – a season-high for the Sunbirds – and added 19 more steals in winning for the second time on the road after the holiday break – which UHH limped into after blowing an 18-point halftime lead against Holy Names at home.
The Vuls flipped the script after falling behind Fresno Pacific (5-7, 2-5), which led by as many as 17 points in the first half and 47-33 at the break.
It’s not often a team can survive an 18-0 run, but UHH did, playing suffocating defense in the second half and shooting 6 of 10 from 3-point range to sweep the season series.
“We battled and showed grit and toughness,” coach GE Coleman said in a school release. “We could have folded after trailing by that much. But we kept saying that our pressure would prevail and it finally did.”
Bush had a hot hand, shooting 10 of 15 and 3 of 6 from long range, as did Denyhm Brooke (15 points, 7 of 14) and both grabbed nine rebounds. Kupaa Harrison added 12 points before fouling out, and leading scorer James Griffin wasn’t 100 percent but came off the bench and scored 11 after missing the past three games with an ankle injury. Griffin also fouled out.
Including a 75-54 win at Dominican on Monday, the Vuls have 39 steals and have forced 65 turnovers in their past two games.
Layups by Bush and Brooke sandwiched around a 3-pointer by Harrison gave UHH the first seven points of the second half. Trailing 56-51, Harrison’s steal and layup and Bush’s layup and 3-pointer gave the Vuls the lead to start a 12-0 run. They held it by allowing Fresno Pacific to shoot just 36 percent in the second half.
Cleo Cain (10 points) hit a 3-pointer with 1:18 remaining to give the Vuls their largest advantage, 75-67.
“Winning any game on the road in this conference, well you can’t take that for granted,” Coleman said. “To come back like we did today was impressive.”
Bush, a senior guard, had twice scored 23 this season, and he also added a season-high six steals.
Adrian Antunez scored 12 points for the Sunbirds, who shot 72 percent in the first half, including 8 of 11 on 3-pointers. Toby Christensen missed a potential game-tying 3 pointer with 9 seconds left and Jordan Graves’ free throws sealed the game.
The Vulcans played without senior post Devin Johnson, who suffered an injury against Dominican.
UHH will look to go above .500 in conference play when it closes the three-game trip Friday at Academy of Art (3-8, 3-3), which earned a nice home win against Chaminade on Wednesday, 71-69.
Fresno Pacific women 75, UHH 42: The Sunbirds placed four players in double figures and held the Vulcans to just 25.4 percent shooting to sweep the season series.
Fresno Pacific (10-3, 6-1) didn’t shoot much better from the field (21 of 58), but it go to the line and converted, going 28 of 32.
Allie Navarette shot 4 of 13 from the field and led the Vulcans (4-6, 1-5) with 10 points, and Makamae Gabriel added eight points, grabbing five rebounds along with Navarette and Maddie Beck.
UHH, losers of three in a row, trailed 38-22 at the half and watched the Sunbirds go on a 19-3 run to start the third quarter.