In their first of three games in Hawaii, the men's basketball team started the trip with a 12-2 run at the University of Hawaii at Hilo but finished game one on the losing end, 91-82. The Mustangs have a chance to even the matchup on Friday when they face the Vulcans one more time.

Both teams are 1-2 on the season.

Stefan Mirabal (Albuquerque, NM, Sandia High School) led the Mustangs with 28 points with 7 of 11 shooting from three-point range. He was followed by Chuck Kempf (Chicago, IL, Lakes High School, Trinidad Junior College) who had 13 points.

Justin Williams (Phoenix, AZ, Paradise Valley High School, Phoenix College) played the entire 40 minutes and finished with ten points and led the team in assists with five.

Hilo's Justin Smith had a break-out game for the Vulcans with 30 points and nine rebounds. He was 15 of 17 from the field with two assists and no turnovers.

The Mustangs jumped out to a 12-2 after four of the five starters each recorded points. Smith quieted the Mustang fans that made the trip with back-to-back baskets to cut the Mustang lead to six. Mirabal extended the lead to eight again with a basket of his own, but the Vulcans knotted the score at 14 with 12:45 left to play in the first half.

Hilo then gained their biggest lead of the night, 14 points, when they put together a 20-7 run that ended at the 2:04 mark of the first half. The Mustangs closed out the first 20 minutes with back-to-back TJ Riley (Tyler, TX, Chapel Hill High School, Lamar University) jumpers to walk into the locker room down 49-37.


Hilo held a comfortable lead for the first 10 minutes of the second half, but then the Mustangs scored ten straight points to tie the game at 72 with 4:58 left to play. Williams then nailed a three to take the lead for the first time since 9:49 showed on the clock in the first half.

Hilo was on fire the remainder of the game. The Vulcans missed only one shot jumper and one free throw to close and win the game.

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