KALAHEO — Fresno Masaniai fouled out with 1:21 left in the game and so went the wind out of the Kaua‘i Ballers’ sails in the county’s 13 and Under boys basketball league, which opened Monday at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
KALAHEO — Fresno Masaniai fouled out with 1:21 left in the game and so went the wind out of the Kaua‘i Ballers’ sails in the county’s 13 and Under boys basketball league, which opened Monday at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
Masaniai, although not the high scorer, was the man in the middle for the Ballers, his height coming into play in getting the ball to the guards on breakaways.
With the foul-out, the Kaua‘i Ballers fell to the Wailua Boyz, 40-31 in the second of two games played in the season opener.
Peterson Lahip scored 18 points, Duke Yadao netted 17 points and Austin Salvador added 14 as the Papalina Basketball Club-Grey outdistanced Ho‘ouila, 62-31 in the first of two games played Monday night.
Following the scoring leaders, PBC got nine points from guard Tystin Gummerus and four from Kelson Andrade.
Kelvin Ganotisi topped the Ho‘ouila scoring with 17 points, followed by Michael Kaneko adding a dozen points in the effort. Marcus Carvalho rounded out the effort with a pair.
“It was not bad, considering we only had six players,” said Kaua‘i Ballers coach Cecil Gee. “We have nine players, but only six came tonight.”
Wailua Boyz took the lead and held on for most of five periods before the Ballers closed the gap when Willo Batol took a feed from Leslee Aki with just ticks remaining in the period.
The bucket pulled the Ballers into the lead, 25-24 for the first time in the game as the buzzer sounded.
But Wailua answered on a Denmark Aladin three-point play to regain the lead in the final period, knocking down the free throw and putting Wailua up 27-25.
Two costly Baller turnovers sealed the match after Masaniai fouled out late in the game. Matthew Cummings put on the finishing touch with just seconds remaining in the 40-31 win.
Cummings topped the Wailua scoring with a dozen points, followed by Aladin marking all of his game-total seven points in the final period. Turtle Kuhaulua and Kealli Colipano, whose older brother Kekoa plays for the Kapa‘a High School varsity, each netted five points.
Tyler Fernandez topped the Kaua‘i Ballers’ shooting with a game-high 15 points, followed by Masaniai adding seven before fouling out. Cody Palmer added four, Junard Meita and Aki each finished with a pair and a digit from Batol rounded out the effort.
The county’s 13 and Under girls take the floor Thursday night at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center when the Angels tangle with the Kamikaze starting at 6 p.m. Kaulupono matches up against Westside starting at 7 p.m.
The boys next meet Saturday starting at 10 a.m. when Hanakila, watching intently as both games unfolded, takes on the Westside starting at 10 a.m. Papalina Basketball Club’s Grey and Blue teams square off starting at 11 a.m.
