WAIMEA — Defense and turnovers were the running theme Saturday night, but the Kaua‘i Red Raiders survived the difficult battle with a 42-32 victory over the Waimea Menehune at the Clem Gomes Gym in Waimea. The win puts Kaua‘i at
WAIMEA — Defense and turnovers were the running theme Saturday night, but the Kaua‘i Red Raiders survived the difficult battle with a 42-32 victory over the Waimea Menehune at the Clem Gomes Gym in Waimea.
The win puts Kaua‘i at 4-1 on the season and in position to win the first round with a victory over Island School (0-5) on Monday night in Puhi. That game was postponed from Wednesday night due to inclement weather.
The Raiders ran out to a huge early lead and, despite a lack of second-half scoring, kept the Menehune (2-4) at a safe distance most of the night.
Brian Andres scored a game-high 13 points for the Raiders, while Donavan Harrison scored 10. Joe Duronslet finished with six points, Cerwinh Moreno scored five and Alden Ho had four. Dane Bautista and Nathan Wong finished with two points apiece.
Vinda Carineo scored 10 points to lead Waimea, followed by Brandon Palacio’s eight, Ariel Lahip’s seven and seven more from Clifton Callejo.
After a Lahip lay-up put Waimea up 5-4 in the early going, Kaua‘i mounted a 21-0 run that spanned much of the opening half.
All of the Raiders’ points during that span came on eight lay-ups and a 5 for 5 showing at the free-throw line.
Defensively, they limited the Menehune to one shot and forced turnovers for the transition scores.
Waimea got a lay-up from Callejo with 4:00 showing in the second quarter, but went to the locker room trailing 29-9 at the half.
Kaua‘i was called for just one foul in the first two quarters, which came with 48 second remaining.
Waimea clamped down defensively in the third quarter and held Kaua‘i to just three points in the period. But it still trailed by 13 heading to the fourth at 32-19.
The Menehune continued to battle and got within 10 points on three separate occastions and brought the deficit to eight at 36-28 on a Carineo post move, but they would get no closer as Kaua‘i scored the next six points to put the game away.
In the evening’s other varsity game, the Kapa‘a Warriors were a 63-41 winner over the Island School Voyagers at the Bernice Hundley Gym in Kapa‘a. That win moves Kapa‘a to 4-2, forcing Kaua‘i to win its final first-round game against Island School to win opening-round title.
An Island School win would mean a playoff between Kapa‘a and Kaua‘i.
In the Kaua‘i-Waimea junior varsity contest, the Menehune pulled out a 38-26 win as Chava Delos Reyes led all scorers with 14 points for Waimea. Duke Yadao followed with 10 points.
Mikal Moranz led Kaua‘i JV with nine points.
The boys will open the second round Wednesday as Kaua‘i will host Kapa‘a and Waimea hosts Island School.
