Mahea Hanie-Grace of the Kamikaze had leading double-digit scoring in all of the team’s games en route to taking the title during the 6th Annual Kaua‘i Youth Basketball Association 14 Under Basketball Invitational, Sunday with a 49-28 win over Kalama
Mahea Hanie-Grace of the Kamikaze had leading double-digit scoring in all of the team’s games en route to taking the title during the 6th Annual Kaua‘i Youth Basketball Association 14 Under Basketball Invitational, Sunday with a 49-28 win over Kalama Basketball.
Opening with 10 points in the Kamikaze’s 34-29 win over the Kula Stars, Hanie-Grace, upgraded to the Kapa‘a High School varsity girls program during the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation season, continued to lead the redshirts through the weekend.
On Saturday, Hanie-Grace led the Kamikaze with 14 points in its 43-16 win over Kaulupono White, which got six points from Nicole Palacio, celebrating her birthday Friday night, and five points from Jenaiah Banasihan.
In the championship battle that pit the Kamikaze against Kalama Basketball out of Maui, Hanie-Grace finished with 13 points, tying Ashley Tanoue-Singson of Kalama for high-point honors.
In that matchup, Hanie-Grace led the Kamikaze to a 49-28 win over Kalama for the invitational championship despite the Kamikaze missing the services of Shaylee Huni, who was injured earlier in the tournament.
The Kamikaze had two MVP’s on the team because the girls could not decide between Mahea and Kristle Henry, states an e-mail from the Kamikaze program.
From the onset of the three-day tournament, Kalama showed itself to be one of the strong challengers, Tanoue-Singson taking the lead with 13 points in its opening night win 46-35 over Kaulupono Blue, which was led by Cheyanne Duarte’s game-high 15 points.
But the visiting Kalama Basketball was not to be stopped as Singson paced the Maui squad with seven points under heavy Gee’s Angels pressure, Saturday. With the aid of Daysa Tavares and Ariana Valdez adding six points each, the Kalama program pulled off a 34-31 win over the Angels, who came back from a 21-11 deficit.
In that Saturday game, Lauren Claypoole, a veteran Gee’s Angel, finished with a game-high 17 points followed by Reggie McCabe adding six points as the Angels outscored Kalama 20-11 while holding Tanoue-Singson scoreless through the second half and limiting Kalama to just four field goals.
Princess Lauvao finished with 14 points, Brooks Carillo added 11 points and Taylor Fernandez finished with 10 points to lead the Kula Stars to a 55-6 showing over the Kilauea Hui in one of the Saturday games. Karla Tuzen Kande Kuwabara and Marina Mireles each netted a pair for the Hui effort.
In the final Saturday matchup, Mickey Banasihan finished with 13 points with Casey Anacleto and Cheyanne Duarte adding eight points each to lead Kaulupono Blue to a 36-13 win over Hawaiian Hearts, visiting from Molokai, which got six points from Ilana Meyer and four points from Tiara English.
With the completion of the invitational tournament, KYBA resumes play in its 14 and Under season with a game on Thursday night at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
