KALAHEO — Matthew Cummings roared to a 24-point final period to lead Team Central to 30-24 comeback over the G-Unit in the second of two 11 and under games played Monday at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center. Chavis Garma finished with
KALAHEO — Matthew Cummings roared to a 24-point final period to lead Team Central to 30-24 comeback over the G-Unit in the second of two 11 and under games played Monday at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
Chavis Garma finished with a game-high 16 points, but the Westside Basketball squad fell short 32-27 against Papalina, which got a dozen points from Curren Dillberg.
Westside Basketball charged back from an 18-9 halftime deficit to outgun Papalina 9-3 and 7-3 in the fourth and fifth frames, pulling to a 23-23 tie on a Garma breakaway play good for three points at the 1:07 mark in the fifth period.
But Papalina responded with five unanswered points and kept the Westside team scoreless for almost three minutes in the final period.
Garma paced the Westside effort with 16 points, including a pair of second-half, three-pointers, followed by tall man Bobby Oliver adding six points. Briggs Agu, Jamin Fernandez and Cheyne Kua, playing a solid low post, each finished with a pair.
Dillberg topped the Papalina scoring with a dozen marks, including a final-period trey that put the lid on the win at the 1:24 mark. Kamea Palama-Alquiza followed with six points, and Jessam Cumlat and Nate Herbig each netted four. Asher Dillberg and Ka‘eo Palama finished with a pair and a digit, respectively.
Cummings led Team Central to a 6-0 opening frame with four points, and did not re-enter the fray until the sixth period when he netted 24 points, or 28 points of the team’s 30-point total. Lanakila Wilson’s pair belied the little man’s hustle on the court as he generated turnovers, but couldn’t capitalize on the heavy inside traffic.
From its 6-0 opening lead, Team Central never budged the scoreboard until the final period, and with Cummings on the floor, Team Central knotted the contest 24-24 at the 1:01 mark on a Cummings bucket.
But the tall man did not stop there, as he pulled Team Central back into the lead on a bucket at the 27-second mark. Another pair of Cummings field goals, including one that slipped in at the buzzer, sealed the win.
The G-Unit came back in the third period to knot the contest on a Tyler Fernandez show, and took the lead 13-6 at the half behind Fernandez, who scored eight of his game-total 10 points in the third frame.
Brooks Bethel picked up the pace in the second half, notching four of his game-total six points in the fourth frame, where the G-Unit piled up nine points, its second-best period of the contest.
Following Fernandez and Bethel, the G-Unit got three points from Michael Booth, pairs from Kayson Lalin and Mikela Matayoshi, and a digit from Tajh Mapuhi.
Following the final game until April 25, due to installation of a new floor at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center, the Lihu‘e Girls took the floor in a scrimmage matchup against the older Kaulupono Girls who were in the audience.
Karen Matsumoto of the Kaua‘i Youth Basketball Association, helping with the scorekeeping chores, said work on the new floor at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center will start this week, and there will be no games until April 25.
Sam Arashiro of the county’s Parks and Recreation department was at the center, noting that materials were scheduled to arrive Monday, with work on the floor starting Tuesday.
“The floor should be completed by next weekend and the Department of Parks and Recreation is scheduling a grand opening to celebrate,” Arashiro said.
Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com
