KALAHEO — R.J. Pillos netted a game-high 15 points to lead Mixed Plate to a 45-37 win over Illmatic, Friday.
That win gives Illmatic its first season loss and sets the stage for Tuesday night when Illmatic faces the Kalepa Hillsiders, also toting a one-loss record (that came from the Illmatic earlier in the season), starting at 8 p.m.
Sheana Mata launched four three-point bombs to lead the F-N-G to a 44-31 win over Wailua in the Kaua‘i Youth Basketball Association Girls 18 and Over game at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
A second match between the Kilauea Hui and Pop It had to be rescheduled due to the Hui not being able to get their girls out of Kilauea.
Mixed Plate came out firing from the tip-off, Levi Berton getting two buckets to lead the blackshirts to a 10-9 lead. But that came with Illmatic fighting to stay in the chase, Nouveau Naumu nailing a trey and Matthew Lindsey netting a pair of buckets.
Pillos, lending a pair in the opening frame, stirred up the Mixed Plate with a trio from outside the three-point arc, favoring the one o’clock spot, in the second period as the blackshirts pulled away 13-8 for a 23-17 halftime lead.
That never changed until the final period when Ian Clements and Tab Matsumoto tried to ignite the Illmatic effort with a pair of treys to outshoot Mixed Plate 12-9. That effort came too late as Mixed Plate stayed ahead until the buzzer.
Pillos paced the Mixed Plate win on 15 points, 11 coming in the first half, followed by Trent Thompson adding 11 points, nine coming in the second half. Berton spread his game-total 10 points through the match and Kekoa Colipano finished with six points but added value with his ability to move the ball through the quick traffic.
Matsumoto finished with 11 points to pace the Illmatic effort followed by Naumu adding nine points. Matthew Lindsey and Clements each finished with six points. Kawelo “Spam” Lindsey added five points and a lot of hustle in heavy inside traffic.
F-N-G’s Mata opened the scorebooks with a trey only to have Kira Taylan answer with one for Wailua.
But Tatum Gonsalves’ scoring flurry for F-N-G was more than Wailua could handle as the black-shirted girls pulled ahead 14-5 at the end of the first quarter.
All of that changed in the second period when Jaimee Mariano entered the fray for a pair of three-balls, only to have Mata answer with two of her own.
But that was all F-N-G could score in the period as Krystal Ijima, the reigning Miss Kaua‘i, added a trey for Wailua en route to a 16-6 period for a 21-20 Wailua edge at the half.
Kelsey Cadiente pulled Wailua into the lead with a bucket with less than a minute remaining.
F-N-G answered in the second half with double-digit scoring in both the third and fourth periods while limiting Wailua to single-digit scores in the same periods.
Erin Garlie, coming off a plane from the Mainland, picked up the pace for F-N-G, netting all of her game-total seven points in the 11-3 F-N-G showing. Rachael Taira and Mata each shredded the twine from outside the three-point arc to lead F-N-G to its final period 13-7 showing for the win.
Mata finished with a game-high 14 points followed by Gonsalves adding eight points. Taira and Garlie each finished with seven marks.
Mariano had the hot hand for Wailua, the petite guard finishing with eight points, all coming in the second period. Taylan finished with a pair of treys for six points, Kelsey Cadiente and Kayla Werner each added four points in the effort.
Wailua next takes to the floor on Monday, meeting Pop It starting at 6 p.m. at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center. F-N-G takes on Kilauea Hui starting at 7 p.m.
