KALAHEO — Nick Herbig scored a game-high 20 points to lead Papalina to the Extreme Termite title Monday. Playing in the Kaulupono Termite league, Papalina came from behind to post a 37-27 win over Team Central. Earlier in the evening,
KALAHEO — Nick Herbig scored a game-high 20 points to lead Papalina to the Extreme Termite title Monday.
Playing in the Kaulupono Termite league, Papalina came from behind to post a 37-27 win over Team Central. Earlier in the evening, the Team Lihu‘e Girls held on to take a 27-21 win over the Team Lihu‘e Black, locking up third place in the Extreme Termite division, which started the season with nine teams.
Chace Baliaris fired off two bombs from outside the three-point arc in the fifth period to pull the Team Lihu‘e Black to within striking distance.
Destiny Melchor got the crowd going in the final period when she capitalized on an inbound play and Rebekah Corpuz iced the win with her fifth bucket.
Marissa Layosa, the aggressive point guard for Team Lihu‘e Girls, topped the scoring with 11 points followed by Corpuz adding 10 points. Resa Rae Rapozo added four points and Melchor’s pair rounded out the scoring.
Baliaris’ pair of three-balls proved to be the high point for Team Lihu‘e Black followed by Blaze Gomes and Bryden Ibaan adding four points each. Kekoa Wehner finished with three points and pairs from Keane Tibon and Aizen Yamashita rounded out the effort.
Kurtis Fujita-Pascua fired off a trey in the second period, leading Team Central to a 15-7 lead following two period.
But Papalina’s Herbig came alive in the third frame, firing off 10 of his game-total 20 points to pull Papalina to a 21-18 halftime lead.
Team Central fired off four points in the fourth frame, all from Braden Simao, while its defense held Papalina to just a Herbig bucket, closing the gap to just a digit, 23-22.
A 5-4 fifth period behind buckets from Justin Faidley and Jessica Cezar knotted the game at 27-27 entering the final period as Papalina’s Herbig bucketed a pair along with Karter Kester getting his sole game bucket in the frame.
Isahn Ulanday dropped back-to-back buckets in the final minute of play to lock up the 37-27 win as the Papalina defense led by Kester, Luke Hunadi and Herbig held Team Central scoreless.
Following Herbig’s lead, Wade Pimsaguan dropped seven points, including a three-ball in the second period, Ulanday and Hunadi added four points each and a pair from Kester rounded out the title match.
Fujita-Pascua topped the Team Central scoring with 10 points, including two treys, followed by Faidley adding eight points, Simao finishing with seven points, and Cezar adding a pair.
Coach Bobby Kamakele, commissioner for the Kaulupono Termite league, said with the completion of the league, the summer league will start on Tuesday.
Details and schedules will be forthcoming.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
