KALAHEO — Kaleo Cummings lit up for 14 of his game-total 16 points in the second half as the Lihu‘e Bloodline wrapped up a 43-40 win over Southside Thursday night in the county’s 14 and Under Boys Basketball league. Plagued
KALAHEO — Kaleo Cummings lit up for 14 of his game-total 16 points in the second half as the Lihu‘e Bloodline wrapped up a 43-40 win over Southside Thursday night in the county’s 14 and Under Boys Basketball league.
Plagued by rained out games, the league took advantage of fair skies to run three games Thursday night at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
Bloodline finished with a 22-12 showing in the fifth and sixth periods for the win, coming back from an 18-6 deficit after the first two periods.
“It’s not overtime, but almost as exciting,” Bloodline coach Fred Sasan said following his team’s victory. Sasan was intently watching the Lihu‘e Enforcers/Laukona game in anticipation of their matchup against Laukona on Apr. 6.
Kyle Wong pulled Bloodline into the lead for the first time in the fourth period as he sank a charity pair. Scott Sasan answered a Southside bucket to keep the lead intact.
But, both teams exchanged leads throughout the final two periods with Bloodline’s Anderson Baloran pulling the redshirts into the lead 39-38 on a trey with 1:02 remaining.
Ralph Alacar sank a charity pair for the 41-38 lead with :47 showing.
Southside went to beyond the arc, but came up empty as Cummings snatched up a rebound with just seven seconds showing.
A Cummings charity pair sealed the contest 43-40 with just one tick remaining.
“You live and die by the three,” Karen Matsumoto, former KYBA coordinator and wife of Southside coach Steven Matsumoto said while watching the ensuing contest.
Following Cummings, Jordan Tottori added nine points, and Alacar added eight for Bloodline.
Cole Parongao led the Southside effort with 11 points followed by Sean Inouye and Kalen Kakutani each finishing with six points. A.C. Fernandez added five in the effort.
Kyson Curammeng nailed a charity pair to pull the Lihu‘e Enforcers to a 23-23 stalemate, but Laukona turned on the turbos in the sixth period to take a 44-34 win behind 18 points from Cameron Largusa.
Paleku Yasay, in addition to being a formidable force on the court, aided the win with nine points.
Kalapaki Ellis topped the Enforcers’ effort with 13 points with Sheldon Sakai adding nine points.
Rilen Bayot finished with 15 points, and Austin Simao added 10 as C-Town overpowered Papalina 52-26 in the finale.
Isaac Tehero, Mikeo Rita, and Puna Hanohano each finished with six points for Papalina.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) and dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
