LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Red Raiders opened their 2010 KIF regular season with a 47-43 comeback win over the Kapa‘a Warriors, Saturday night at the Kaua‘i High School Gym. The Raiders closed the game on a 27-13 run that they
LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Red Raiders opened their 2010 KIF regular season with a 47-43 comeback win over the Kapa‘a Warriors, Saturday night at the Kaua‘i High School Gym.
The Raiders closed the game on a 27-13 run that they created by increasing the tempo and getting opportunities in transition.
Kapa‘a’s inability to make free throws, in addition to a few freebies they gave Kaua‘i on two technical fouls, will be a large part of the team’s recollection from this season-opening loss.
The Warriors were in control for the whole first half, using a packed in zone that seemed to be a mix of a 1-2-2 and 3-2 formation. Their obvious size advantage with Duke Pauli and Sean Shigematsu manning the paint allowed their perimeter players to force the Raiders to create from the outside.
The slow tempo worked to their advantage early on, as Kaua‘i managed just five points in the opening quarter.
Pauli was aggressive in the early going, drawing double teams and getting to the free throw line. He was also a force on the offensive glass, which put a clamp on Kaua‘i’s ability to get into the fast break, as it would like to do.
Devone Florence had a layup for Kaua‘i just before the halftime buzzer to make it a 23-12 Kapa‘a edge at the break.
The first Warriors technical came at the 3:03 mark of the third quarter, with Kapa‘a holding a 33-26 lead. Kaua‘i closed to a four-point deficit entering the final quarter.
Kaua‘i’s Cameron Largusa finished an alley-oop layup in the lane to give his team a 40-39 lead with just under four minutes to play.
From that point on, Kapa‘a missed eight of its next nine free throws, all of which figured greatly into the outcome.
The Raiders were able to extend to a 46-40 lead and held on from there, putting themselves at 1-0 in the KIF.
In the other varsity boys action to start the season, the Waimea Menehune knocked off the Island School Voyagers, 52-37 at Island School.
Though trailing at halftime, Waimea managed to come back and start its regular season with a victory.
The Menehunes’ Bransen Agu led all scorers with 21 points, while the Voyagers’ Canaan Higa paced his squad with 15.
The two winning teams Saturday will tangle on Wednesday, as Kaua‘i hits the road to take on Waimea at the Waimea High School Gym. JV action will begin at 5:30, with the varsity taking the court following that contest.
Kapa‘a and Island School will each be looking for their first wins of the young season as Kapa‘a will host Island, Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
