KALAHEO — A Natalie Mata jump shot with four seconds showing kept .U..NCH. undefeated, Monday night. “These were really good games, tonight,” said Karen Matsumoto of the Kaua‘i Youth Basketball Association, host of the Women’s 18 and Over games. “Our
KALAHEO — A Natalie Mata jump shot with four seconds showing kept .U..NCH. undefeated, Monday night.
“These were really good games, tonight,” said Karen Matsumoto of the Kaua‘i Youth Basketball Association, host of the Women’s 18 and Over games. “Our first game had two teams looking for its first win. One will get a win. The second game has two undefeated teams battling. One will get a loss, and the third game has both teams with 2-2 records.”
Mata’s jump shot, coupled with a 2-for-10 Kalaheo showing at the charity stripe in the fourth quarter, gave .U..NCH. a 36-34 edge at the buzzer.
Cheyenne Poorbear notched 10 of her game-high 12 points and Sarah Tangalin launched a pair of three-balls in the third frame as the Kilauea Hui came back from a 12-11 halftime deficit to outscore the KHS Alumni 20-12 in the second half.
That gave the Hui a 31-24 win over the Alumni for their first win of the Women’s 18 and Over summer league.
Leinaala McCabe and Jessilyn Aki finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively, to pull the Kaua‘i Ballers to a 34-26 win over the Kamikaze, who got 10 points from Kristyn Lorita.
Mahea Hanie-Grace and Kristle Henry, Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation standouts, were held to eight points apiece by the tenacious Ballers defense highlighted by McCabe’s quickness in traffic.
Poorbear and Tangalin ended the night topping the Kilauea Hui scoring with 12 and 11 points in the opening game. Kapua Chandler and Lauren Wilson added four points apiece in the win.
Belinda Butac ended the night with three bombs from outside three-point land and Marycel Garcia ended with one in the fourth frame, but the effort fell short.
Butac, finishing with high point honors for the Alumni on 13 points, fired her pair of treys in the opening frame to help the team post its 12-11 halftime edge.
Following her, Kira Taylan finished with four final-period points, Garcia added her 3-pointer in the final quarter and Cliflynn Bukoski and Cissy Dennis were held to just a second period pair.
Free throws made the difference in the highly-anticipated showdown between .U..NCH. and Kalaheo, the gym parking lot overflowing with cars and a lot of the bleacher space filled with spectators cheering for both benches.
When the dust settled with Mata’s jumper at the four-second mark, Kalaheo totaled a 7-for-19 showing at the charity stripe while .U..NCH. posted a 14-for-22 free-throw mark in the defensively physical game that had players from both teams scrubbing the floor with their bodies.
Kalaheo, holding a lead throughout the first half, outshot .U..NCH. on field goals, nine to .U..NCH.’s eight. The orangeshirts also posted three from outside the three-point arc to none from .U..NCH, the long ball being used to try and break the greenshirts’ defense in the first quarter.
Mata finished the slugfest with 12 points, 10 coming in the final period and including a 4-for-4 showing at the charity stripe. Carie Inouye, taking punishment in the paint, finished with a game-high 13 points, eight coming in the first half where .U..NCH. trailed 18-14.
Erin Garlie, the low-post anchor for .U..NCH. added six third-period points in the critical comeback frame where she knotted the contest 22-22 at the 5:14 mark for the first time in the game.
Kelsey Cadiente, notching one of the Kalaheo three-balls, and Mollie Connelly, ending with a 1-for-6 showing at the line, paced the Kalaheo effort with seven points apiece.
Aiko Grande and Kori Sakamoto each notched opening-period treys, joining Sera Pascual and Erin Connelly, ending 1-for-5 on the line, with three points apiece. Kathleen Cadiente, Janessa Grady, Leilani Laranio and Cheyanne Duarte each finished with pairs, each girl getting strong applause from the fans on their respective buckets.
The girls next take the floor on Saturday when the Kamikaze open against KHS Alumni starting at noon at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
The Kilauea Hui go up against .U..NCH. starting at 1 p.m., followed by the Kaua‘i Ballers tangling with Kalaheo starting at 2 p.m.
The Boys 18 and Over also host four games at Kapa‘a High School starting at 5 p.m.
