WAIMEA HEARTBREAKER

Jeremy Manuel scored 18 points and Jordon Dizon added 15, but it wasn’t quite enough as Waimea lost a seesaw battle, 48-46, to Kaimuki of the O‘ahu Interscholastic Association in the first round of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Hawaiian Airlines Boys State Basketball Championship Tournament at Blaisdell Arena on O‘ahu Wednesday.

Waimea trailed by five after one period, and by three at the half, before outscoring Kaimuki 22-21 in the second half.

The Menehunes took two fourth-quarter leads, 41-40 and 43-42, on two Dizon buckets, before Kaimuki’s Jimmy Miyasaka stung Waimea with two late daggers, countering Dizon’s shots in the fourth quarter to seal the Bulldog victory.

Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation champion Waimea (8-2) came back from a 10-point deficit in the third quarter against Kaimuki (12-4), only to see the late Bulldog rally dash any hopes of a Waimea run to a state championship.

Lanikai Kanahele had six points for Waimea, Casey Kaohelauli‘i had three points, and Akeem Allen added a deuce. Dizon, Manuel and Kaohelauli‘i each made one three-point field goal.

Both teams shot 42 percent from the floor, the difference coming on Kaimuki free throws in the final seconds.

Yesterday afternoon, Waimea got swamped by Baldwin of the Maui Interscholastic League, 62-40, as Baldwin (11-3) shot an incredible 65 percent from the floor to end Waimea’s tournament.

Dizon led all scorers with 19 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter in the Baldwin contest, in which Waimea lacked the same intensity they showed the day before against Kaimuki.

Kaohelauli‘i and Manuel added nine points each. Waimea, which averaged fewer than 10 turnovers a game in its undefeated (8-0) KIF season, committed 16 against Baldwin.

Cody Tesoro led the Bears with 17 points, and Trenson Himalaya added 14.