A sudden power-outage preceded a controversial non-call in last night’s KIF showdown at Bernice Hundley gymnasium, and it turned the lights out on the Kapa’a Warriors (1-3), who fell to first-round champion Waimea 51-50. In the most exciting KIF outing
A sudden power-outage preceded a controversial non-call in last night’s KIF showdown at Bernice Hundley gymnasium, and it turned the lights out on the Kapa’a Warriors (1-3), who fell to first-round champion Waimea 51-50.
In the most exciting KIF outing of the season, the Menehune’s Jordon Dizon hit the game-winning bucket with 13 seconds on the clock to push Waimea to its fourth straight victory.
Kapa’a forward Eric Robbins tried to answer with two seconds left in the game, but what Warrior coaches and fans thought was a blatant non-call by the referees turned into a win for the Menehunes – and an emotional turn to a rather dynamic finale.
It was all Kapa’a in the first quarter.
Garrett Danner, who lit up Waimea with 18 points on 5-10 shooting, 11 rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal, led the Warriors to an early 7-1 lead on a pretty three-point bucket-and-foul and two rebounds. Waimea’s Darwin Tutop (12 points, 4-15 shooting) hit a shot beyond the arc with under four-minutes in the period, and the Menehunes would trail 11-8 going in the second.
Waimea would scrape their way to a 24-21 lead before half-time. Kapa’a would commit seven-turnovers in the second, and Dizon hit a put-back bucket with 2:58 left in the quarter to propel Waimea to a 20-18 lead. Kapa’a was down three at the half.
The Warriors stormed back in the third. They outscored the Menehunes 10-2 in the period and led 37-31 going into the final quarter. Kapa’a couldn’t miss. An Asher Cole assist and bucket and another two from Kaili Panui capped the 10-point run and put Kapa’a in command.
Then came a rather bizarre fourth.
Kapa’a forward Seth Yamamoto’s six points and four rebounds within two minutes was marred by a sudden interruption by a seemingly weather-induced power-outage. And while the Warriors held on to the lead until the final moments of the game, Waimea guards Winnie Arios and Tutop hit consecutive threes to climb to within one.
And then the non-call.
Robbins’ non-foul caused an uproar among the crowds at Bernice Hundley – one woman even verbally attacked Waimea coaches and referees – and the game was decided in the most controversial finale in KIF sports this year.
