Kupaa Harrison scored 25 points to lead UH-Hilo to a 74-69 win over Concordia in a men’s basketball game on Friday in Monmouth, Ore.
The Vulcans (1-0) next play host and regional power Western Oregon at 5 p.m. Saturday.
“It wasn’t pretty and we struggled in some areas, but it is certainly nice to begin 1-0,” Vulcan coach GE Coleman said. “We got good play from our bench, our pressure on defense was solid and Kupaa was what I expected him to be. I believe him to be one of the best players in our league.”
Harrison, a senior wing, connected on 10 of 17 shots from the field, had eight rebounds, two assists and two steals. In the first half, he scored 19 points.
In the first half, the Vuls trailed by eight points before holding a 36-34 halftime lead.
UHH went up 51-41 with over 13 minutes remaining, but the Cavaliers tied it 57-57 with 6:10 left.
Sasha Vuksanovic gave UHH a two-possession lead with 2:10 remaining, and Jordan Grave hit two free throws for a 74-69 score with seven seconds left.
Vuksanovic finished with 16 points and six rebounds, and Graves had 12 points along with three assists and two steals.
Dakota Ayala led the Cavaliers (0-3) with 23 points and eight rebounds.
“We will sometimes struggle on offense until we figure some things out,” Coleman added. “I liked that we forced them into 22 turnovers. Koop (Harrison) is so skilled offensively, and if he gets the right match-up he is a load to handle.
“But we will have to play better tomorrow night,” the seventh-year coach continued. “Western Oregon is probably the premier team in the GNAC the last few years, and maybe the west region. We will have our hands full for sure.”
Beale snags honor
UHH junior Bria Beale has been named to the prestigious CoSIDA NCAA Division II Academic All-District Volleyball Team. Only seven players are named to the squad, selected from a pool representing the PacWest, Great Northwest Athletic Conference, and the California Collegiate Athletic Association.
Both athletic and academic accomplishments are taken into account for this award. Beale now advances to the national ballot, where she will contend for CoSIDA Academic All-American honors.
Beale, a junior from Eastvale, Calif., carries a 3.82 grade point average in her major of Communications. She is a key cog on the floor for the 20-7 Vulcans, who are contending for a spot in the NCAA Regional Tournament. She leads the conference in kills (3.76 per set) and in total points (4.28 per set).