A great way to start what many predict will be a toss-up season: the Kapa’a Warriors break out to a 23-8 half-time lead before the Kaua’i Red Raiders storm back to cut the deficit to just nine points. Of course,
A great way to start what many predict will be a toss-up season: the Kapa’a Warriors break out to a 23-8 half-time lead before the Kaua’i Red Raiders storm back to cut the deficit to just nine points.
Of course, this is where it ended for the Red Raiders.
Although Kaua’i sent fans to the edge of their seats, they couldn’t bounce back from a dismal three-point second quarter and fell to Kapa’a 57-49 in Saturday night’s Kaua’i Interscholastic Federation opener at Bernice Hundley gymnasium.
Danielle Hill and Jasmine Stevenson combined for 21 points and 17 rebounds for the Warriors – a down low, low down presence that might have been the difference for Kapa’a in the long run. Sharlene Carillo added 11 points, one rebound and one steal, and Tania Tasic notched nine points (seven free-throws) and seven rebounds.
Erin Garlie paced the Red Raiders with a blistering 16 points and six rebounds, and Belinda Butac hit three treys in Kaua’i’s third and fourth quarter bursts to notche 16 points and one assist. Holly Iloreta had 10 points and three rebounds, and Farren Higley brought down nine rebounds along with her two points.
Kaua’i only led 5-4 despite causing four Kapa’a turnovers in the first period, and the low score would haunt them in the second.
Seemingly unable to break down the Warrior’s swarming defense, the Red Raiders would only score three points to Kapa’a’s 19, led by Hill’s three consecutive buckets.
The Red Raiders were able to get 13 points up on the board in the third, but they were down 42-21 heading into the fourth, a deficit they would never recover from.
Although Butac’s three treys and a mess of Warrior turnovers closed the gap to nine points in the final minute of the fourth, the Warriors took their home opener.
