There was an omen the day before its game last week that the University of Hawaii men’s basketball team might do something special.

“We broke a record in a shooting drill we’ve been doing all seven years here,” coach Eran Ganot said of practice on Tuesday.

And, then on Wednesday, they shattered a school mark in the actual game, the one for 3-pointers made, with 18 in their 88-52 win against Hawaii Pacific to improve to 4-3.

I have to admit to being taken by surprise, figuring that the Predrag Savovic-Carl English-led bomb squad must have poured in more than that.

It’s probably because the UH barrage on Wednesday was so steady, and all or nearly all of the 31 3-point tries came within the framework of their normal offensive structure and principles — or, in simpler language, not jacking up 3s early in the shot clock.

One of Ganot’s key principles is moving the ball quickly and efficiently to force the defense out of position, creating open shots. Often it’s done by an inside-out attack, with the ball being passed to the center.

“The game is about making decisions in the paint under duress.” Ganot said, which also covers what a guard might do after dribble penetration, or a wing coming in along the baseline.

Do you put it up, or do you kick it out? Depends what the defense gives you, of course.

In this game, it was open guys beyond the arc more often than not. All kinds of guys.

Noel Coleman, who scored 23 points in just 22 minutes off the bench, led the way by making six of seven, and Junior Madut was 3-for-4, with Kamaka Hepa and Jerome Desrosiers both 3-for-5. Center Mate Colina was the only starter not to attempt a long shot.

Ganot was certainly stoked about the shooting, but even more about the passing. He’s a big fan of players who have good shots identifying that with a quick pass a teammate will have an even better one. The ’Bows put on a clinic in that Wednesday.

It was the kind of game where the shooting was so hot and the chemistry so solid that you figure the team would want to play again as soon as possible, in case the magic wears off.

“They all feel like they can get the ball from each other at any time,” Ganot said.

But they have a long break — no game until their opener in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic on Dec. 22 against Vanderbilt. Although the Commodores are 5-4 and on a three-game skid, they still figure to be a tougher challenge than the Division II Sharks.

“There are finals, and we do have some banged-up guys,” Ganot said. “We simulate games to try to keep sharp.”

This group is still getting to know each other, but there’s plenty of potential and they appear to collectively possess those sometimes paradoxical qualities of talent and unselfishness. With Coleman missing most of two previous games and center Bernardo da Silva out, too, others, including Desrosiers, JoVon McClanahan and Amoro Lado, have helped picked up the slack.

Practice drills include some designed to reinforce the concept of making that one extra pass to set up your teammate with a great shot, even though you’re hot yourself and confident with the one you have available.

“It’s an art,” Ganot said. “When it’s being played right, there’s nothing like sharing the ball. Or, on defense, when everyone has each other’s back, making the right help moves.”

That unselfish streak is also reflected and modeled by Ganot, through his leadership role in Coaches vs. Cancer. He’s part of the 52-member leadership council that includes some of the biggest names in the game.

“You study your craft, you study your game. But you also at some point realize that you’re put in a position where you can help people. And it’s something you want your guys to learn to do, too,” he said. “When you’re in this position you have an opportunity and an obligation.”

When he became the UH head coach, Ganot wanted to be more involved. But he struggled with how to do so, because of Hawaii’s distance from the rest of the Division I college basketball world and all those other coaches fighting cancer.

Then it clicked, like it did for the ’Bows on the court Wednesday. Ganot realized that the Diamond Head Classic, an eight-team tournament that concludes annually on Christmas Day, is a great opportunity to bring seven more coaches into the fold every year.

“Even though it’s a stressful time and we’re all competing, everybody always agrees to help out,” he said.

This year’s fundraiser reception featuring the coaches will be Dec. 21 and benefits Hope Lodge, which helps neighbor island families of cancer patients. For more information call 800-227-2345 or go to espnevents.com/hawaiian-airlines-diamond-head-classic/coaches-vs-cancer.

“Eran continues to make a difference in our community and has become a leader in the Coaches vs. Cancer fight against this disease,” UH athletic director David Matlin said.