Once again Sunday night Brocke Stepteau was money in the bank for the University of Hawaii.

Now, we’ll see if the Rainbow Warriors do as they should and stuff some back in his wallet.

Stepteau contributed a career-high matching seven assists and a couple of crucial prime-time baskets among his seven points off the bench to help guide the men’s basketball team to a stirring 70-69 victory over Utah Valley.

“Here’s the man right here,” teammate Gibson Johnson said by way of introducing Stepteau at the postgame press conference. “(Our) Mr. Clutch.”

It was nothing new, of course. The ’Bows are 7-2 and if not for the composure and clutch performances by the walk-on guard from Dallas UH’s record would likely look a lot more like 5-4 or even 4-5 entering the Diamond Head Classic.

A lot of what makes Stepteau’s prime-time performances noteworthy is that he is paying the school to play for it. Upwards of $44,000, in fact, for the 2017-18 school year when you take into consideration out-of-state tuition, rooms, board and the multitude of required fees.

UH is in a position to alleviate some of that burden for his parents, Torrence and Kristi, for the spring semester that begins next month. The abrupt departure of scholarship guard Jaarun Stallworth, who bagged last month, leaves UH with an open scholarship at the semester and it is hard to imagine a more deserving pairs of hands in which to place it.

Stepteau showed up in Manoa in 2015 asking only for an opportunity to show what he could do and, over the intervening period, has shown plenty.

He’s been in 57 games over parts of three seasons, including last year when he played in all 30 games, starting 22 of them at point guard while leading the team in assists.

This year he was supposed to take a seat well down the bench behind Drew Buggs and Stallworth. But with the game on the line Sunday on California Hotel and Casino Night at the Stan Sheriff Center, UH’s dealer of choice in the second half was Stepteau.

Never more so than when UH trailed 56-52 in the final eight minutes. Stepteau made good on two key free throws and then, as assuredly as if he were playing a game of “HORSE” and calling “bank,” bounced in a shot off the glass to tie it at 56.

That was followed by a floater from the baseline for a 58-56 lead. Then came a well-threaded pass to Ido Flaisher for a layup.

“We like the ball in his hands (with the game on the line),” Johnson said.

For Stepteau who, at 5 foot 9, is invariably the smallest player on the court when he takes the floor, clutch performances are nothing new. In high school he was known as “Brocke Solid.”

Last year when the NCAA retroactively returned a scholarship to UH, reversing one of the sanctions from its three-year inquiry, coach Eran Ganot gave it to Stepteau.

But when school started in August this year and the ’Bows’ scholarships were passed out elsewhere, Stepteau said he was back on his own dime.

Through the dint of his play so far this season, Stepteau has shown himself to again be worthy. Both for how the money would lessen the family’s burden and also as renewed recognition of what he has brought to this team.

As the horn sounded on UH’s latest victory, Stepteau launched the ball toward the rafters in celebration. “I feel like I’m fortunate to be here, to be at school here and playing for this team,” Stepteau said Sunday.

And, the ’Bows are even more so to have him.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529- 4820.