KALAHEO – Wailua A’s Emmalia Donigen had a chance to tie, but her desperation lunge from outside the three-point circle bounced off empty at the buzzer on their 27-24 attempt. Lihu‘e On Fire’s Brandi Gomes capitalized on a Wailua A
KALAHEO – Wailua A’s Emmalia Donigen had a chance to tie, but her desperation lunge from outside the three-point circle bounced off empty at the buzzer on their 27-24 attempt.
Lihu‘e On Fire’s Brandi Gomes capitalized on a Wailua A inbound with the clock ticking at 1:00. A quick move to the inside broke a see-saw stalemate, 24-22 as the clock continued to tick on the county’s Girls 14 game Tuesday night at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
A critical backcourt call against Wailua A gave the ball back to Lihu‘e, but the scoreboard didn’t budge despite On Fire’s Sanoe Keliinoi having a shot at the free throw line with 36 ticks remaining.
“Some nights are like that,” parent Karl Ubongen said as he watched the ball bounce harmlessly off the rim.
Sera Pascual added the insurance for On Fire at the 27-second mark, 26-22 only to have Mai‘lika Napolean answer with a pair at the 19-second mark.
Ashlyn Ubongen chalked the final digit for On Fire with eight seconds showing as Donigan’s final desperation lunge from three-point land bounced off, empty, 27-24.
In game two, Waimea Boys and Girls Club clobbered Wailua “B” 49-15. Natalie Mata led the way for Waimea with 21 points, followed by Jamie Jacinto with nine markers. Kira Kupehia led Wailua with 11 points.
Earlier in the evening, On Fire’s coach, Billy Ramos noted that this was a game of the unbeatens in the one-week old series that will run until Dec. 30.
Ramos said that he encompassed four of the Kaumakani Supersonics into his team, drawing from the Lihu‘e Comets. “When you add Comet and Sonics, you come up ‘On Fire,” he said.
The remaining four Supersonics who were left without a coach after he was deployed to Iraq.
Gomes led the victorious On Fire with 10 second-half points followed by Supersonic-turned-On Fire’s Aiko Grande chipping in another four second-half points.
Ubongen and Pascual each finished the night with three points apiece for On Fire.
Napolean led the Wailua effort with a game-high dozen markers balanced between the halves, with guard Kira Nakamura adding three.
Leilani Laranio and Chelsie Villatora each finished with a pair in the effort.
The tail end of the twinbill saw the Waimea Boys & Girls Club outdistance the Wailua B squad, 49-15 behind a 21-point contribution from Natalie Mata, 15 of those points coming in the first half.
Jayme Jacinto added nine points to help the effort.
Kaira Kupihea led the Wailua movement with 11 points.
The girls 14 league features five teams that play twice a week through Dec. 30.
Dave Hamamura coaches the Lihu‘e A which is made up primarily of girls from the Lihu‘e Comets, Ramos coaches the Lihu‘e B who don the On Fire jersies, Bobby Kamakele leads the Waimea B&G squad, and Talbert Tacbian coaches both the Wailua A and B teams.
