Hawaiʻi men's basketball defeats Hawaiʻi Pacific, Coleman makes history

This calls for a celebration!

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The University of Hawaiʻi Men's Basketball team made easy work of the Division II Hawaiʻi Pacific University Sharks in a 78-53 decision at the Stan Sheriff Center on Sunday. Simultaneously, senior Noel Coleman made history and cracked 1,000 points.

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Juan Munoz led the 'Bows with 15 points, which all came in the first half. He was 6-for-7 from the field and 3-for-4 from 3-point range. Coleman was next in line with 14 points, and Bernardo da Silva rounded out the double-digit scorers with 13 points; both Coleman and da Silva were 6-for-10 from the field.

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"Shooting the ball with confidence helps a lot," Munoz said. "I shoot those shots almost every day."

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In 25 minutes played, freshman point guard Tom Beattie also had four points and led all players with seven rebounds.

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Diggy Winbush led HPU with 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting. He was followed by Melo Sanchez with 10 points on 4-for-12 shooting.

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JoVon McClanahan drew first blood with a fast-break layup, but McClanahan was later saddled with foul trouble and held to just four points scored.

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Coleman and Justin McKoy sparked some energy with their shooting in the paint and from 3-point range. They were able to help UH build as much as a five-point lead, but HPU was not going to settle.

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Sanchez hit a triple with 9:36 remaining to tie things at 18. He assisted a Charlie Weber bucket with 8:37 left to tie the score again at 20.

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Munoz quieted their 12-2 run with his second triple of the contest. It was Munoz's seventh consecutive if you count his five triples last Sunday against Central Arkansas.

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Hawaiʻi pulled away from then on and ended the first half up, 40-28.

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The 'Bows did not ease up going into the second half. HPU tried to get close, but 10 points was the closest they could get.

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Coleman, who needed just 12 points to break 1,000, did so with a triple with 14:55 remaining.

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I'm grateful for Hawaiʻi and the school," Coleman said. "It's a big milestone for me personally, but I'm going to keep building with the team."

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"I'm proud of Noel," Munoz added. "As long as he gets it going, he's an engine to the team, and we're grateful for him."

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Hawaiʻi ballooned its lead to as many as 27. They cruised to the easy 78-53 win. Despite the win, head coach Eran Ganot emphasizes that free throw shooting has to be improved, as UH shot 40% (6-for-15) for the game.

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"It's surprising," Ganot said. "We've always been a good free throw shooting team."

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Hawaiʻi will return to the Stan Sheriff Center next Sunday, Dec. 17 in an old Western Athletic Conference matchup between the Nevada Wolf Pack at 5 p.m. HST. You can listen to the game on ESPN Honolulu or watch the game on Spectrum Sports.