TAVANA LEADS THE WAY

KALAHEO — Va‘afuti Tavana finished with 29 points to lead The Southside Boys to a 53-41 win over Kalaheo in the first of three games played Tuesday night in the KYBA 19 Under boys basketball league.

Tavana’s total was the biggest of the three games played Tuesday night, and many of the fans came to the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center to watch the big man in action.

Kalaheo got a combined effort led by Jeremy Manuel and Tab Matsumoto, scoring 13 and 12 points respectively in the loss.

Lance Okasaki went 4-5 at the free throw line, and Amini Ta‘ufo‘o netted a pair of field goals in overtime to pull ZZ (Venzon) back into the winner’s column in the second game of the night as ZZ edged out the Westside Klowns (WK), 52-47 in overtime.

Holding a 26-20 lead at the half, ZZ dropped to a 22-16 run put on by WK as Akeem Allen led WK with six points in their 12-10 third quarter showing.

A backward layup by WK Chad Barba with 4:28 in regulation pulled the Klowns into the lead for the first time, 37-36 only to have ZZ’s Sam Chung deadlock the contest on a putback.

A charity pair by WK Alden Lahip pulled the Klowns ahead, 40-38 with 2:58 showing only to have Chung answer for another stalemate.

Ryan Cram capitalized on a WK turnover only to have Barba lock things up, 42-42 at the buzzer after Cram blocked a Jordan Rabot sweep into the paint.

Cram finished the night with 18 points to lead ZZ with Okasaki finishing with 14 points in the win.

Aaron Hesapene topped WK with 10 points followed by Barba, Brendon McDaniels, and Allen finishing with nine points apiece. Lahip rounded out the WK scoring with seven points.

Koa Navarro finished with a game-high 21 points to lead Lihu‘e to a 46-37 win over the Hanamaulu Boys.

Ferdinand Cadiente added ten points in the win with Chris Mundon closing with seven points.

Brandon Ballesteros led Hanamaulu with 14 points followed by Matthew Palaroan with 13 points in the effort.