KALAHEO — Cherilyn Kua and Brytney Yadao-Lanning came up with critical field goals in the waning moments of their game to fuel a 17-13 Westside Hornets win over the Kaumakani Supersonics on Monday night as the KYBA summer league began
KALAHEO — Cherilyn Kua and Brytney Yadao-Lanning came up with critical field goals in the waning moments of their game to fuel a 17-13 Westside Hornets win over the Kaumakani Supersonics on Monday night as the KYBA summer league began its playoff series for the 12 Under girls basketball program at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
As the Sonics’ defenders swarmed over the two Hornet forwards, Kua launched the stale-mate shot with 2:35 left in the game followed by Jondelle Aceret-Ipac pulling the Hornets out of the melee with the go-ahead bucket.
Supersonics’ player Sera Pascual answered on a putback from Britnelyn Palacio to deadlock the contest only to have Kua retaliate on a second effort of a Aceret-Ipac shot attempt with less than a minute to play as the Hornets went up 15-13.
Yadao-Lanning iced the victory with eight seconds showing on a feed from Aceret-Ipac for the four-point win.
Pascual led the Sonics’ scoring with eight second-half points while Kua paced the Hornets with three critical fourth-quarter field goals towards a game-total seven points with Yadao-Lanning adding six points in the win.
In the evening’s opener, the third seeded Waimea Minihunes held the second seed Lihue Comets to just three field goals as the Minihunes exploded for a 15-4 second half enroute to a 24-13 upset.
Whitney Cachero came up with six of the Minihunes’ second-half 15 points to lead the charge through heavy Comets’ defensive pressure sparked by the body battering effort of Kierra Barba who was held to just a point in the outing.
Sparked by baskets from Natalie Mata and Wailana Durant, the Minihunes held a 5-3 first quarter, but a Comets’ bucket by Kelsey Cadiente with a second left on the clock stale-mated the contest 9-9 at the half, the Comets coming back 6-4 in the frame behind a pair of field goals from Sanoe Keliinoi.
Josey Jacinto pulled the Minihunes out by capitalizing on a three-point play, sinking the bonus after being fouled on a drive by Rachel Hamamura in the third quarter.
A Jacinto launch from 3-pointland sealed the win as the tenacious Minihune defense limited the Comets to just three field goals in the entire outing, limiting the second seeded Comets to just a digit in the third quarter.
The championship game for the Girls 12 Under, featuring the top seeded Westside Hornets going against the third seeded Waimea Minihunes, tips off on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
The third place contest featuring the Supersonics against the Comets tips off at 6:30 preceded by the Boys 14 Under contest at 5:30 featuring the Kapaa Warriors against the Kalaheo Pistons.
KYBA also launches the season for their Boys 17 Under program today with games at Kalaheo and Kilauea Neighborhood Centers.
The Westsiders will tangle with SSB (Southside Boys) at Kalaheo starting at 6:30 p.m. while the Lihue Kings will travel to Kilauea for an 8 p.m. contest.
Lihue Comets 3-6-1-3 13 Waimea Minihunes 5-4-8-7 24
Lihue Comets Rachel Hamamura 0-0-0-1 (1/2FT) 1 Sanoe Keliinoi 3-4-0-1 (2/4FT) 8 Kierra Barba 0-0-1-1 (2/8FT) 2 Dolly Jane Cubangbang 0-2-0-0 2
Waimea Minihunes Josey Jacinto 0-0-4-3 (2/4FT) 7 Natalie Mata 2-0-0-0 (0/2FT) 2 Wailana Durant 2-0-2-0 4 Shana Mandi-Resinto 0-2-0-0 (2/2FT) 2 Whitney Cachero 1-2-2-4 (1/6FT) 9
Westside Hornets 2-2-1-12 17 Kaumakani Supersonics 2-2-5-4 13
Westside Hornets Jondelle Aceret-Ipac 0-0-0-2 2 Tori Espino 0-0-0-2 2 Cherilyn Kua 0-0-1-6 (1/2FT) 7 Brytney Yadao-Lanning 2-2-0-2 6
