LIHU‘E — The Red Raiders figured out how to deal with the Menehune pressure for just long enough to build up a fourth-quarter lead and picked up a 56-47 win to move to 3-0 on the season, Wednesday night at
LIHU‘E — The Red Raiders figured out how to deal with the Menehune pressure for just long enough to build up a fourth-quarter lead and picked up a 56-47 win to move to 3-0 on the season, Wednesday night at the Raider Dome.
Leading 39-36 shortly into the final period, Kaua‘i went on an 11-2 run to ice the game at 50-38 with just over two minutes to play.
Cerwinh Moreno scored a game-high 15 points for the Raiders, including three 3-pointers.
Joe Duronslet had 13 for Kaua‘i, while Brian Andres and Donavan Harrison had 12 points apiece. Dane Bautista and Nathan Wong each added two.
Vinda Carineo and Brandon Palacio each scored 13 to lead the Menehune, while Clifton Callejo and Paul Oligo had nine and eight points, respectively. Niko Delos Reyes and Garret Cadiente-Gushiken each had two points.
Andres knocked down a three off a Harrison feed to take a 42-36 lead early in the fourth, then Harrison dished out another assist to Wong for a lay-up and an eight-point advantage.
Callejo got a bucket off a Carineo pass, but Kaua‘i then scored six straight, capped by a floater in the lane by Andres for the 12-point lead, the Raiders’ biggest of the night.
Waimea never quit and came up with a few more steals to run off six quick points, slicing the defiicit to 50-44. Palacio hit a three from the corner to make it a 51-47 ballgame, but Harrison was all alone for the deep inbounds pass, which he finished with authority rising up to the rim.
Defensively, Waimea kept the pressure on all night and forced numerous turnovers in the backcourt. The full-court trap created a furious pace in the opening quarter, with Waimea taking a 20-16 lead. Palacio nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to create the four-point advantage. Carineo scored nine points in the first, including a banked 3-pointer.
The intensity led to a high number of fouls, with Kaua‘i getting into the bonus midway through the first, then into the double bonus with 7:16 still to play in the second quarter.
Both teams went back and forth with scores and Waimea held a 31-29 lead at halftime.
The third quarter saw both teams struggle to score as the pace slowed and neither was getting to the foul line. Waimea only scored three points in the period on a Palacio triple to open the action.
Kaua‘i then went on a 10-0 run, including back-to-back threes by Harrison and Moreno, to take a 39-34 lead into the fourth quarter.
In the evening’s other boys game, the Kapa‘a Warriors (1-2) picked up their first win of the young season with a 54-36 victory over the Island School Voyagers (1-2).
Kaua‘i now holds a two-game lead on all three KIF opponents with three games to play in the season’s first round.
In the junior varsity game that preceded varsity, Kaua‘i owned the fourth quarter for a 45-27 victory. The Raider JV outscored the Menehune 14-2 in the final period.
Randin Napeahi led all players with 16 points, while Trey Aguano scored 13 for Kaua‘i.
Peter Lahip led Waimea with 14.
The boys will return to the hardwood on Saturday, as Kaua‘i will host Kapa‘a in Lihu‘e with the JV getting underway at 5:30 p.m., followed by varsity.
Waimea will host Island School at the Clem Gomes Gym in a varsity-only matchup, tipping off at 7 p.m.
