KAPA‘A — Shai Anne Abigania and Tayzke Goodwin each netted 14 points to pull the Kapa‘a Junior Varsity girls basketball team to a 44-41 comeback at the final buzzer Friday night at Bernice Hundley Gym in Kapa‘a. Kaua‘i JV guard
KAPA‘A — Shai Anne Abigania and Tayzke Goodwin each netted 14 points to pull the Kapa‘a Junior Varsity girls basketball team to a 44-41 comeback at the final buzzer Friday night at Bernice Hundley Gym in Kapa‘a.
Kaua‘i JV guard Marissa Martinez outgunned the field with a game-high 18 points, but with the next leading scorer, Malyssa Manera, posting nine digits, the Kapa‘a squad prevailed.
Clawing back from a 30-17 halftime deficit, the Kapa‘a JV turned to Abigania and Goodwin. Abigania got 11 of her game-total in the second half, including three buckets in the third frame where the JV Warriors overtook Kaua‘i for the first time, ending the quarter with a 34-32 edge.
Abigania, netting a three-ball in the second quarter, finished with four buckets and was three-for-seven on the charity line. That was including the game-tying bucket near the end of the third frame and a bucket by Tory Pomaikai, scoring just one bucket, putting Kapa‘a on top, 34-32, at the end of the quarter.
Goodwin aided the JV Warrior comeback, firing eight of her game-total 14 points in the second half, including four of her game-total seven field goals.
Kaua‘i guard Martinez was limited to just four points in the entire second half. Manera added four points and Kayla Johnson marked the only other field goal as Kaua‘i was held to just 11 points in the second half.
Kapa‘a split its home opener for the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation when the varsity girls dropped its match, 43-24 to Kaua‘i despite the strong play of Kekai Gonsalves, returning to the floor after sitting out last season, Nahealani Quereto, Ariel Cummings and Moala Meleane.
Maile Tuttle led the Warrior offense, carding a three-ball toward her seven game points while Cummings finished with five, including a three-for-eight showing at the foul line, Gonsalves added four along with Quereto.
Kaua‘i got its spark from outside guard Casey Anacleto who finished with 15 points, including six buckets followed by Kawehi Louis-Diamond adding eight points and Rianna Ralson, enjoying a strong game under the boards, adding six points.
Kapa‘a next travels to the Clem Gomes Gym in Waimea on Tuesday to take on the Menehune, whose varsity girls also suffered a loss at the hands of Kaua‘i.
Game time is 5:30 p.m. for the JV game followed by the varsity squad starting approximately 20 minutes following the completion of the JV game.
