ATHERTON, CA – Defending a lead across the final 24 minutes of regulation, Menlo Men's Basketball turned a season-high 21 forced turnovers into 25 points, ending with the 79-70 Pacific West Conference victory over Head Coach Jamison Montgomery's former team in UH Hilo on Saturday inside Haynes-Prim Pavilion.

"I've got so much love for Hawaii Hilo," Montgomery said. "Coach Kaniela Aiona is a great mentor, friend, and brother to me. Our guys were highly motivated and I'm just blessed to be part of a win and happy everybody stayed healthy today."

Oaks Highlights
-Kai Brown delivered a season-high 23 points with four triples, five rebounds, and four assists
-Grabbing a season-high nine rebounds for the second straight game, Nick High totaled 13 points as well
-Defender of the Game Luke Wieskamp swatted a season-high four shots in addition to drawing three fouls

Three Second-Half Dunks Plus Five Triples Demonstrate Menlo's Versatility
A 10-4 start for the Vulcans was countered by six unanswered from the Oaks, but it was not until sophomore guard Jonathan Moxie's jumper under the eight-minute mark that Menlo gained its first lead at 18-16. UH Hilo went back in front shortly thereafter, but a key momentum shift occurred when junior forward Salim Arikat knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers and sophomore guard Kai Brown followed with his own triple for the 9-0 surge.

That lead would never falter the rest of the way as the Oaks headed into halftime up 37-34 then a dunk from senior forward JaMaal Unuakhalu, back-to-back blocks by freshman forward Luke Wieskamp, and two more Brown 3-pointers were among the highlights as Menlo repeatedly fought off the Vulcans in the second half. Brown assisted an Arikat layup and a dunk by sophomore guard Quentin Thompson before his dish to junior guard Devon Woods helped grow the lead to 57-48.

Over the final eight minutes, 3-pointers from junior guard Marvin Brumfield and Brown countered comeback attempts by UH Hilo, keeping the difference in the double digits. A late 6-0 had the visitors within five at the 27-second mark, but Brown fittingly put the finishing touches on the 79-70 win with free throws and stellar defense in the final 20 seconds.

"Our bench did great from Salim to Marvin, Q, and Kai – those guys were awesome," Montgomery said. "Kai is a special player, lightning quick, hard to stay in front of, and, when he's making baskets and moving the basketball, he's one of the best players in our conference."

Up Next
Departing the Bay Area for the first time in 2026, Menlo turns its attention to Chaminade (Jan. 15 at 7:30 p.m. HT) and Hawaii Pacific (Jan. 17 at 6:30 p.m. HT) as part of the Oaks' upcoming Hawaiian road trip.