Melia Okura put back a missed free throw in overtime to give Kaulupono a 30-27 win over Team Lihu‘e on Saturday in the county’s youth winter basketball league for students in Grades 6 through 8, played at the Kalaheo Neighborhood
Melia Okura put back a missed free throw in overtime to give Kaulupono a 30-27 win over Team Lihu‘e on Saturday in the county’s youth winter basketball league for students in Grades 6 through 8, played at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
Following regulation play in six frames, Kaulupono and Team Lihu‘e were tied 27-27. Karen Matsumoto of the Kaua‘i Youth Basketball Association, helping the county with officials and the scoring table, said the format had the first team scoring three points in overtime wins.
Team Lihu‘e jumped into overtime play, peppering the hoop from outside the three-point arc, but to no avail.
Kaulupono, suffering from a less-than-good performance from the charity stripe, was able to drop one from the foul line. Okura jumped on a missed free throw to bucket the winning goal.
Shania Kahepu‘u dropped seven points to lead the Kaulupono scoring in the match-up. Brandee Burton topped the Team Lihu‘e effort with a game-high 13 points.
Earlier in the day, Mark Lacierna netted a game-high 27 points and Lester Acajido added 10 points to lead Team Central B to a 54-37 win over the Kaua‘i Ballers, who got 17 points from Junard Mata and 11 points from Mosese Fifita in the first of four games played in the league.
Joseph Cumlat stepped into the shadow of his older brother Jassem, currently playing for the Kaua‘i High School Junior Varsity program, to drop 12 points, with Noah Sasil adding 10 points to lead Papalina-Orange to a 44-38 win over Westside Basketball. Westside Basketball saw Briggs Agu pocket a game-high 14 points and Reymund Mendoza adding 13 points.
Kaelee Esposo led the Kamikaze 44-33 win over the Kaua‘i Ballers with a dozen points ,followed by Sandrea Chung adding eight marks.
Kunani Tuttle, whose older sister Maile is one of the anchors for the Kapa‘a High School JV girls team, finished with a game-high 17 points, followed by Sam Coloma adding eight points for the Kaua‘i Ballers’ effort.
The Kaua‘i Ballers next tip off against Team Lihu‘e at 6 p.m. today, followed by the Kamikaze taking on Kaulupono at 7 p.m. at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
Tuesday, Lepo Ula opens against Papalina-Orange starting at 6 p.m., followed by the Team Lihu‘e boys matching up against Papalina-Blue at 7 p.m., also at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
