Kapa‘a wins opening JV game

WAIMEA — Victoria Tuttle was the tree in the paint that Waimea just couldn’t get past in Kapa‘a’s 24-12 win in the opening contest of the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation Girls Basketball season.

Kori Sakamoto tried, but finished with 4 points to show for her efforts as she fouled out with 20 seconds remaining in the Tuesday evening opener at the Clem Gomes Gym in Waimea.

Shalyn Tupou sparked a final period 10-4 run with 4 points along with Kira Nakamura dropping another 4 points to seal the deal.

In that period, Tupou also ignited the crowd with a solid “nothing but ball” block to thwart the Menehune juniors.

But the show was the tall Tuttle tree who finished the contest with a game-high 9 points as well as a strong defensive presence in the paint.

Nakamura followed with a game-total 6 points and Tupou added her game-total 4 points in the final frame. A trio from Leinaala McCabe who was also strong in her defensive pursuit and a pair from Jodi Das, another formidable inside defender, rounded out the Kapa‘a math.

Joanna Andres got the crowd going with a third period trey, but the only scoring Waimea could get in that period was another bucket from Andres.

Arlene Valmoja dropped another bomb from beyond the three-point arc, but could only get a digit from Sakamoto in the final period.

Andres topped the Junior Menehune effort with 5 points followed by Sakamoto’s 4 marks and a lot of hustle in heavy traffic. Valmoja finished with a fourth period trey to round out the Waimea effort.

The Menehune JV travel to the Raiderdome Friday night to tip off against coach Sandi Nadatani and the JV Raiderettes following the varsity contest which starts at 5 p.m. due to an OC16 telecast.