WAIMEA — Casey Anacleto pushed the button on three long-range bombs to push Kaua‘i High School girls basketball team to a 36-27 win over Waimea High School, Tuesday night at the Clem Gomes Gym in Waimea. Vakeesha Lagazo, one of
WAIMEA — Casey Anacleto pushed the button on three long-range bombs to push Kaua‘i High School girls basketball team to a 36-27 win over Waimea High School, Tuesday night at the Clem Gomes Gym in Waimea.
Vakeesha Lagazo, one of two strong ball handlers for the Menehune, opened the action, sinking one-of-two from the charity stripe, and kept Waimea in the game, nailing four of her game-total eight points in the second half when Waimea outshot Kaua‘i, 12-9 to end the half with a 17-15 deficit.
Kaua‘i answered Lagazo’s opening with three unanswered buckets in the final minute of the opening quarter when senior Bristy Agu marked the first of her game-total five points on a free throw to break the 3-3 deadlock which stood for more than three minutes.
Guard Kristle Henry followed that tie-breaker with a bucket and Anacleto put the cap on an 8-3 Raider lead heading into the second quarter.
Anacleto led the Red Raiders in the third quarter, nailing her first of three treys to push Kaua‘i up by five, 20-15.
The bomb from outside the three-point arc was answered by two quick Henry buckets before Lagazo answered with a three-ball of her own.
Cheyanne Duarte pulled the Menehune to within four, 24-20, but Anacleto responded with another successful launch from outside the three-point mark for the 27-20 Raider bulge.
Waimea continued to battle, Caitlyn Owen taking a feed from low post Mariyah Oliver to keep the deficit to five points only to have Jennifer Grady drop a bucket late in the third frame.
Paige Connelly, the Menehune’s center, kept it close with a bucket at the buzzer, but Kaua‘i surged ahead, sparked by Anacleto’s final three-ball in the last quarter and Kaua‘i outgunning Waimea 7-3, the Menehune being limited to just three-of-four from the charity stripe.
Anacleto finished with a game-high 13 points in the win, 11 coming in the second half followed by Henry dropping eight points and Agu adding five points, including three from the foul line.
Grady added four points and Louis-Diamond was limited to a three-ball in the second period with Caitlyn Rapozo rounding out the scoring with a digit.
Lagazo topped the Menehune scoring on eight points followed by Owen with seven points. Connelly finished with four, with Duarte and Kaelyn Aquino-Kamakele each adding pairs in the effort.
Earlier in the evening, Nicole Palacio outran the JV Red Raiders to finish with 14 points to lead Waimea to a 30-10 win.
Palacio was joined by Renee Yanagihara who dropped eight points and the ball handling capabilities of Taylor Gaspar in the win.
Kailee Yago topped the Kaua‘i JV scoring with five points joined by Pili Chung ending with three points and Tia Fagarang and Brandy Racca each adding digits.
The Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation game between Kapa‘a and Island School was forfeited by the Voyagers.
Waimea next travels to Kapa‘a High School Friday night when the JV game tips off starting at 5:30 p.m. followed by the varsity match starting about 20 minutes following the completion of the JV game.
Kaua‘i will be at Island School for a single game.
