WAIMEA — Kauai High School’s Kaimani Tecson finished with 18 points and Christian Manera added 13 points Saturday night as the Red Raiders held off a strong Waimea challenge, 46-42, before a crowd that nearly filled the Clem Gomes Gym in Waimea.
“We had a good game tonight,” said Waimea coach Dino Pabre. “We missed a few shots and free throws, but we put them on the line early.”
The Menehune charged out of the locker room, getting six points from Jacob Delos Reyes and four from Joel Soriano. That was answered by the Raiders going to the long ball as Manera drained one from outside the three-point arc, and Tecson marked a trey in his nine-point effort that gave Kauai a 14-13 lead after eight minutes of play.
“Waimea played a real good game,” said Kauai coach Ipo Yoshioka. “They gave us a scare, but we just played the way we can to win.”
The Menehune answered the long ball with Taylon Yadao in the second quarter, the Menehune netting three treys to stay close and end the half chasing down by three, 27-24.
“I’m proud of what the boys did,” Pabre said. “Our goal was to have the boys give 100 percent, and they did that. Success is if you accomplish what you set out to attempt.”
Tecson and Burkman were followed by Shaun Paglinawan’s seven points, with Gunnar Burkman and Nehemiah Sanchez recording four points each for the Raiders.
Waimea came back to outscore Kauai in the fourth period when DJ Pabre found the net from the outside, netting a pair of treys toward his 13-point game total. Delos Reyes, fighting off bouts of cramping in the final frame, finished with 10 points, and Yadao added nine points. David Sabo Jr. ended with six points, including a fourth-quarter trey, and Soriano left the floor with four points, all dropping in the opening frame.
‘The Kauai Interscholastic Federation boys basketball season is long,” Pabre said. “We play them four times, and every game should be different. I’m proud of how our boys performed tonight.”
In the junior varsity matchup, Waimea held a 29-27 lead at the half, fueled by Ellen Jamoraban netting eight points and John Arnie Fernandez and Alden Ringor adding six-point contributions.
But the Red Raider JV roared back for a 24-8 second half to wrap up a 51-37 victory behind 14 points from Jaron Ruiz-Acantilado, who dropped 10 points in the first half, including a pair of treys. Keane Tibon added 10 points, eight dropping in the second half, and Xaerys Dela Cruz finished with seven points, including a first-half three ball.
Waimea next hosts Kapaa Wednesday at the Clem Gomes Gym, with the JV match tipping off at 5:30 p.m., followed by the varsity match getting under way approximately 30 minutes following the JV game.
Kauai will host the Island School Voyagers in an exhibition JV match, also starting at 5:30 p.m.
