University of Hawaii at Hilo coach GE Coleman gave Randan Berinobis the opportunity to walk on to the men’s basketball team in 2013, and then he gave him a word of advice: work hard.
According to Coleman, Berinobis hasn’t stopped doing so since.
Berinobis’ reward was a spot in the rotation, and he played starters’ minutes Thursday off the bench, scoring 15 points as four Vulcans reached double figures during a 97-80 victory against undersized Northwest Indian College at their campus gym.
“The time he’s put in and his work ethic is why he’s playing,” Coleman said of the 2011 Hilo High graduate. “We can put him in against anybody and he’s going to give us the same production. Everybody loves playing with him.”
The Eagles (0-5) have only one player on their roster listed above 6-foot, and they were overmatched for the third consecutive game as the Vulcans Thanksgiving Classic came to a close.
Led by 6-foot-8 Tre Johnson (23 points, 9-of-11 shooting), UH-Hilo (3-2) shot 55.1 percent and held a 50-29 rebounding advantage.
The rescheduled 9 a.m. Thanksgiving tipoff was sparsely attended. And after watching the Vulcans commit 26 turnovers, Coleman wasn’t sure his team showed up at times either.
“I was hoping that we’d avoid the (letdown), but we did not,” Coleman said. “We’ve got to get to the point where we don’t play down to the level of competition.”
“We should have had half the turnovers we had today.”
But the Vulcans were never in trouble, at least not after they shared the ball and went on a 19-0 run late in the first half. Guard Marcello Campbell provided three baskets and three assists during the spurt, which Berinobis capped with a jumper that gave the Vulcans a 42-19 lead with 2:39 remaining before the half.
“We came out kind of sluggish, and I think we took (them) kind of lightly,” said Berinobis, who shot 6 of 9 with six rebounds in 23 minutes. “But coach got on us and we had to pick it up.”
The athletic Johnson surpassed 20 points for the fourth time this season and grabbed seven rebounds. Forward Darius Johnson-Wilson neared a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds, and Campbell was active with 11 points, seven rebounds and seven assists before he fouled out midway through the second half.
Berinobis grayshirted for a season after suffering an injury at Santa Rosa Community College and redshirted last season at UH-Hilo. His effort Thursday was his easily longest and most productive in his first season back on the court since high school.
“I waited a long time, and it felt great to be back home playing in front of family and friends,” said Berinobis, a 6-3 sophomore guard.
He said the work ethic that has made Coleman such a believer traces back to his days with the Vikings.
“Whether I’m in the weight room or the gym, I’m always going to work hard to compete with other players,” Berinobis said.
Point guards Joey Rodriguez and Vandyon Lockett each scored nine points for the Vulcans, who led 44-22 at the break. Berinobis’ basketb gave UH-Hilo its largest lead, 87-55, with 4:45 remaining in the game.
The Vulcans host Division III Carleton College at 2 p.m. Sunday at their gym.
Kacy Green scored 16 points and was 4 of 5 on 3-pointers for Northwest Indian College, which is operated by the Lummi tribe of Native Americans and located in Bellingham, Wash.
The Eagles scored 58 points in the second half on 58.6 percent shooting — both numbers irked Coleman.
“It takes one bad spurt and it costs you a game,” he said.
Northwest Indian Col. 22 58 —80
UH-Hilo4453—97