KALAHEO — The Ballers won its series over Team Lihu‘e and Papalina came up short against Team Central, Monday during the county’s Division 3 Boys basketball games at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center. Morris Unutoa bucketed a game-high 22 points to
KALAHEO — The Ballers won its series over Team Lihu‘e and Papalina came up short against Team Central, Monday during the county’s Division 3 Boys basketball games at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
Morris Unutoa bucketed a game-high 22 points to lead the Kaua‘i Ballers I to a 53-30 win over Team Lihu‘e Black in the opener and Limuel Julian finished with 18 points to lead the Kaua‘i Ballers 2 to a 40-17 victory over Team Lihu‘e Red.
Following Unutoa, Mikela Matayoshi dropped in eight points for the Ballers 1 while Jasper Jacinto took the lead for Lihu‘e Black with a dozen points. Kaleo Neves and Ronsen Fujii Macabeo each added six points in the effort.
Following Julian’s game-high 18 points for the Ballers 2, Celerino Udani added eight points while Kai Villanueva and Charles Butay set the pace for Team Lihu‘e Red with five and four points, respectively.
Team Central, coached by Richie Gano and Danilo Tutop, pulled out to an early lead over Papalina, increasing its lead to 10 points at the half.
But Papalina, coached by Erik Burkman, charged back in the fourth period, holding Team Central to just four points while Noah Sasil took the lead with a mixture of three-balls, buckets and free throws to come up with a dozen points, pulling to within a pair, 28-26, at the end of the frame.
Team Central returned the favor in the fifth, outgunning Papalina 11-4 en route to its final 48-33 win over the smaller and younger Papalina squad.
Sasil topped the Papalina effort with 16 points followed by Rhylen Yadao-Purisima adding five points.
Thomas Yam topped Team Central Silver scoring with a game-high 19 points with Aaron Renaud adding a dozen marks in the win.
The Division 3 boys, or players in the seventh and eighth grade, take the floor, Thursday with three games scheduled at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
Team Central Black will open against Westside Basketball in the 6 p.m. tipoff followed by Hanakila taking on Lepo Ula at 7 p.m. Papalina will host Hanapepe in the 8 p.m. nightcap.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
