LIHU’E — Kaua’i High School head coach Buzzy Cox spells defense with a capital ‘D.’ Believing two previous losses were the result of defensive breakdowns at critical game junctures, the Raiders spent the practice week focusing on limiting opponent scoring.
LIHU’E — Kaua’i High School head coach Buzzy Cox spells defense with a capital
‘D.’
Believing two previous losses were the result of defensive breakdowns
at critical game junctures, the Raiders spent the practice week focusing on
limiting opponent scoring. The result was their best collaborative effort of
the season as they controlled the Waimea Menehunes 50-31 Tuesday night at the
Kaua’i High gym.
Waimea’s Austin Alquiza opened the scoring with a strong
baseline move to the hoop. The Raiders immediately answered with a long Mason
Ceria trey from the left wing to go ahead 3-2.
After a missed Menehune shot
and Raider rebound, guard Tyler Kobayashi found himself alone for a lay-up on a
nice assist from Brad Lum-Tucker to increase the lead to 5-2. Lum-Tucker scored
after a steal to cap a seven-point Raider run.
The Menehunes responded with
a mini-run of their own as point guard Gilroy Castro scored on a driving lay-up
and Adam Henkel hit a 12-foot stop-and-pop. Lum-Tucker scored again on an
assist from Jhewiss Cadiente to make it 9-6. Waimea forward Joey Cabatan hit
one of two free throws to close out the first quarter scoring.
The second
quarter featured hustling offensive rebounds resulting in quick scores by both
teams. Alquiza opened the scoring with a quick put-back of a missed shot to cut
the Raider lead to 9-8. Lum-Tucker countered with a Raider score by retrieving
an errant shot and going strong to the hoop. The teams traded baskets before
Lum-Tucker scored again off an offensive grab.
Menehune forward Sam
Bustillos received a deep pass in the paint, turned and scored as he was
fouled. Bustillos then hit the free throw to cut the Raider lead to
15-14.
After a three minute period of exciting-but-non-scoring action,
Kaua’i High hit the last six points of the half on two Ceria baskets and a
Lum-Tucker jumper from the top of the key to take a 21-14 lead and big “MO”
(momentum) into the locker room at half-time.
Senior guard Brandon Ramos
scored his only basket of the game after grabbing yet another Raider offensive
rebound to open the third quarter and a Ceria free throw increased the lead to
24-14. Two Bustillos baskets cut into the Raider lead but five Lum-Tucker
points off an in-bound pass lay-up and long bomb from the right wing, an R-Jay
Pillos steal and a Ceria jumper found the Raiders ahead 31-18.
Waimea’s
Adam Henkel scored on a nifty back-door cut but the Raiders responded with
another Lum-Tucker put-back of a Raider miss while being fouled. The league
scoring leader buried the charity toss, stole an ensuing Menehune pass and fed
the ball to a driving Ceria who scored to make it 36-20. Henkel’s three-pointer
from the right wing rimmed out as time expired to end the third quarter.
The final period was again a defensive struggle as the Menehunes could not
put together a run of more than four points. The Raiders opened the scoring on
two Ceria baskets, the second off a strong Lum-Tucker baseline screen to make
it 40-20. Waimea’s hustling Nikko Naumu scored to cut the lead to 18, but the
Menehunes couldn’t get any closer.
After another Lum-Tucker goal, a
flagrant foul was called on a Menehune rebounder and seldom-used senior guard
Marc Matsumura sank both free throws.
The Raiders also scored on the next
possession as Lum-Tucker was fouled and he hit the first of two free throw
attempts.
Menehune Jesse Erese scored his only points of the contest on a
field goal and free throw to make it 45-25.
After a missed Raider free
throw attempt, Waimea’s Henkel scored with 2:35 left in the game. After a
Raider turnover and a missed Menehune shot attempt, Kaua’i’s Kobayashi made his
second lay-up of the evening off a Lum-Tucker inbound pass.
Forward Jason
Kashiwabara hit the second of two free throws to make it 48-27. Two Raider free
throws (one each by Ceria and Kashiwabara) increased the Raider lead to 50-27.
After a rebound of a Matsumura miss, an Alquiza-to-Henkel pass resulted in a
Menehune score. Chesley Barba then stole the in-bound pass and fed the ball to
Cabatan who scored as time expired to make the final 50-31.
Kaua’i and
Kapa’a, both 2-1 in the second round, will play for the second round title
Friday at Kapa’a.
A Raider victory would also clinch the league
championship.
A Warrior win would force another game for the title.
Waimea finished its season with a 2-6 mark.
