Seth Yamamoto’s apparent illness may have sidelined the Kapa’a forward for much of last night’s game, but the nasty turnover bug is what hampered the Warriors’ offensive production all night long. There were 21 of those little bloopers in total,
Seth Yamamoto’s apparent illness may have sidelined the Kapa’a forward for much of last night’s game, but the nasty turnover bug is what hampered the Warriors’ offensive production all night long.
There were 21 of those little bloopers in total, and it helped hand the Warriors (0-2) a 56-38 drubbing at Clem Gomes gym. The Waimea Menehunes, now at 2-0, are the only undefeated team in the KIF.
The Warrior offense sputtered all night long.
Four turnovers at the waning minutes of the first quarter helped spark a 10-point Waimea run. Both Chesley Barba and Winnie Arios hit clutch threes – a byproduct of the four steals the Menehunes nabbed in the opening period. Waimea led at the half, 14-4.
Things didn’t get much better for Kapa’a in the second.
Another five Warrior turnovers and a guy named Desmond Rodrigues put Kapa’a in a 14-point hole going at the half. Rodrigues, who had 8 points on 3-4 shooting with five rebounds, three assists and one emphatic block, sparked a Menehune run mid-second quarter with two back-to-back clutch plays: A plush shot that banked off the glass, and a sweet assist that led to a six-point Menehune charge with 3:07 left in the quarter. The score was 27-13 at the half.
Winnie Arios and Jordon Dizon sealed the deal for the Menehunes in the third. The two combined for nine points in the period and provided much of Waimea’s offensive production in the game. Arios, who is starting to find his jumper, especially beyond the arc (4-7 from three-point range), had a team high 18 points, four boards, four steals and four rebounds in the game. Dizon, coming off a 16-point game in last week’s game against Kaua’i, scored 15 on Kapa’a, along with three rebounds, one assist and two steals.
By the end of the third, Kapa’a was down 43-23.
Waimea capitalized on their momentum through the fourth quarter, played smart basketball and held on to win their second consecutive win of the KIF season.
The Menehunes defense swarned the Warriors all night long, especially at the top of the key. They didn’t allow Kapa’a’s guards time to breathe, and recorded 10 steals on the evening.
A healthy Yamamoto’ would definitely have helped the Warriors on both ends of the court. Kapa’a was out-rebounded 20-14 in the game, and the four points he score in just under two-minutes of play proves he is a threat on the offensive side as well.
