Controversy isn’t the only way to pump excitement into KIF basketball. Waimea barely edged the Kaua’i Red Raiders 47-44 in another regular season nailbiter last night to take the first game of the second round and maintain its perfect 5-0
Controversy isn’t the only way to pump excitement into KIF basketball.
Waimea barely edged the Kaua’i Red Raiders 47-44 in another regular season nailbiter last night to take the first game of the second round and maintain its perfect 5-0 record.
This time there was no argument. Waimea did win.
But the lasting effects of last Friday’s nightmare in Kapa’a were unavoidably apparent in the first half of last night’s game – the referees called a total of 26 fouls in the half to ensure the excitement was kept on the floor.
But what many thought was going to be a systematic bore turned into a late fourth-quarter fiasco – a wild series of plays that put the Kaua’i Red Raiders in a game-tying situation with four seconds on the clock.
Kaua’i’s Koa Navarro hit a bucket-and-foul runner to bring the Red Raiders to within one in the waning moments and nearly brought the game into extra minutes.
Navarro fell short of the game-tying free-throw, and Waimea’s Josh Vinzant hit two free-throws at the other end to seal the Menehune victory with one second on the clock.
It was a valiant effort for the Red Raiders, who only led twice throughout the game.
Kaua’i fell to a five-point deficit early in the first on seven turnovers and poor shot selections. The Red Raiders had six points on 2-7 shooting in the opening period.
But they would pick it up in the second on two Raider steals and six consecutive points from guard Lionel Tomacder, who led all scoring with 22 points on 8-15 shooting. T-Mac also nabbed nine boards and recorded three steals.
The Raider took a 12-11 lead with 6:42 left in the second.
Then came Menehune strong-man Austin Alquiza, who missed the last three games of the first round due to extenuating circumstances. Proving he’s not there just to give Jordan Abbatiello Dizon a breather, Alquiza knocked in seven points in under two minutes and recorded one emphatic block to reclaim the Menehune lead, 22-18, with 1:10 left in the period.
Free throws evened the score at the break, and it was 23-23 heading into the third.
Waimea surged through the third on key buckets from Abbatiello, Desmond Rodrigues, and Winnie Arios. They swarmed Kaua’i’s guards and caused three consecutive Red Raider turnovers to notch a 6-point cushion heading into the final period.
T-Mac wouldn’t let the Red Raiders roll over. His bucket and foul and put-back shot with 3:29 left in the fourth brought the Red Raiders to within one.
Alquiza extended the Menehune lead to 45-40 with :48 seconds left in the game, and just when everyone thought it was over, Navarro came through with his two-point floor-runner to nearly even up the score.
The Red Raiders fell short, and drop to 1-4 in KIF play. They will host the Kapa’a Warriors on Friday at the Raiderdome.
