KALAHEO — Lele Gonsalves scored six points as The Dream Team took a 13-5 win over the Kauai Lynx on Monday night in the fifth and sixth grade division girls basketball game at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
The Kauai Lynx got three points from Pua‘ala Akui-Ramos and a pair from Anaiah Mendez in the first of three matches contested in the county’s winter youth basketball league.
During the second match pairing, the Westside Girls White and Blue teams played against each other. The Blue’s Tavina Harris came in to net eight of her game-total 10 points in the third and extended fourth frames to lead the 21-3 win over the White team.
Katelyn Constantino dropped four points in the match that saw the White score all its points in the third quarter. Leah Guerrero got a bucket and Erika Ned nailed the opener of a charity pair.
John Quinones’ Rebels took the nightcap over Kaulupono, who took the floor under coach Pedro Saligumba.
The county’s winter youth basketball league launched on Jan. 8 with youth from the Westside to Kilauea and beyond, playing in the fifth and sixth grade, and the seventh and eighth grade divisions.
Eight fifth and sixth grade teams — the Hanapepe Hot Shots, the Kauai Thunder, Lihue Blue, Lihue Lakers, Lihue Volt, Na Koa 6, Papalina and Westside Hot Shots — make up the boys division. Six teams — the Dream Team, Kaulupono, Lynx, Rebels, Westside Girls White and Westside Girls Blue — make up the girls division.
In the seventh and eighth grade class, 13 boys teams — Hanakila, Isle Hoops Blue, Isle Hoops Gold, Kauai Thunder, Lihue Lakers, Lihue Warriors, Na Koa 7, Na Koa 6, Papalina Blue, Papalina Orange, Team Central, Westside Boys and Yung Swag — take the floor of the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center during the latter part of the week.
Six girls teams — the Dream Team, Kaulupono, Lynx, Na Koa Girls, Shaka Hoops and Westside Girls — complete the seventh and eighth grade lineup.
Games are played Monday through Thursday and on Saturday of each week except for Feb. 14-15. There are no games scheduled for the week starting Feb. 18 due to the President’s Day holiday and the running of the Waimea Town Celebration where a 3-on-3 basketball tournament will take place. Games start at 6 p.m. on the weekdays and 8:30 a.m. on Saturdays.
Games resume on Feb. 25 and continue until the Championship Week which starts March 19 and runs through March 22 when each division title holder will be awarded. Sportsmanship trophies will also be awarded during the week.
Next on tap will be the seventh and eighth grade boys Thursday when the Isle Hoops Gold open against the Lihue Lakers starting at 6 p.m. at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center. The game will be followed by Isle Hoops Blue taking on Team Central at 7 p.m., and Yung Swag will close the night against the Westside Boys.
