KALAHEO — Team Lihu‘e survived a tight battle with the West Kaua‘i Hornets and came away with a 35-33 win, Monday night at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center. The tough Boys Under 14 game opened the three games in the Kaua‘i
KALAHEO — Team Lihu‘e survived a tight battle with the West Kaua‘i Hornets and came away with a 35-33 win, Monday night at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
The tough Boys Under 14 game opened the three games in the Kaua‘i Youth Basketball Association and County of Kaua‘i Youth Summer Basketball league as the West Kaua‘i Hornets and Team Lihu‘e scrapped throughout the night.
With 2:32 remaining in the game, Mark Lacierna dropped back-to-back buckets to break a 30-30 stalemate.
John Ry Tagaca had an opportunity to deadlock the match for the Hornets with less than 31 seconds showing, but could only come up with the opener of a one-and-one, leaving the Hornets down 34-33. Kelvin Ganotisi then made a free throw at the four-second mark for the 35-33 win.
Larcierna topped the Team Lihu‘e scoring with 10 points, followed by Ganotisi adding nine points.
Bernny Ned, playing all of 20 seconds in the final period before fouling out, topped the Hornets’ scoring with nine points, followed by Tagaca adding seven points.
Team Lihu‘e was not as fortunate in the second game, a Girls 14 and Under contest, as Melia Okura and Taylor Gaspar dropped six points apiece to lead Kaulupono to a 31-23 showing over the Team Lihu‘e Girls 14 and Under squad.
“The girls executed tonight,” said Bobby Kamakele, taking the role of back-up as Natalie Mata and Kori Sakamoto took the coaches’ reins of Kaulupono and rode the team to a strong defensive showing over the scrappy Team Lihu‘e squad.
Rianna Ralston, getting an injury break in the third period, came back strong but was held to just nine points for Lihu‘e. Sierra “Pili” Chung, communicating with coach Max Manera and the bench throughout the night, lent eight points in the effort.
TUNDAZ’s coaches Belinda Butac and Danilo Tutop paced the Women’s 18 Over squad to an 18-5 final period to come from behind and take a 47-41 edge over Bajingas in the final game.
Butac, scoring 12 of TUNDAZ’s 18 final-period marks, finished with 14 points, followed by Jackie Tomacder adding eight points in the victory.
Cheyanne Duarte, finishing as a strong guard for Waimea High School, topped the Bajingas’ scoring with a game-high 15 points, followed by another Menehune guard, Vakeesha Lagazo, adding eight points.
“Bjingas is primarily a Waimea High School team,” Duarte said. “We’ve got the returning players and even have some of the new girls playing with us.”
Three Under 12 games, two girls and a boys contest, tip off Wednesday at the Kapa‘a High School gym starting at 6 p.m.
The Kaua‘i Ballers take on Team Lihu‘e in a girls game at 6 p.m., followed by Westside Basketball going up against the popular Hanakila girls team at 7 p.m. The Hanakila boys close the night against the Kaua‘i Ballers at 8 p.m.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
