KALAHEO — Papalina and Team Lihue split its series Tuesday night as Kaulupono basketball wraped up its summer league at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center. Papalina Division 3 boys dropped its opener, 31-25 to Team Central, but the Papalina Division 4
KALAHEO — Papalina and Team Lihue split its series Tuesday night as Kaulupono basketball wraped up its summer league at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
Papalina Division 3 boys dropped its opener, 31-25 to Team Central, but the Papalina Division 4 boys came back to take a 35-9 win over Team Lihue.
“The boys have been playing some basketball,” said Clyde Vito, helping coach the Papalina Division 4 boys, said. “Between the Merv Lopes tournament and the summer league, some of these boys have been playing as much as nine games in nine days, straight.”
Team Lihue Division 3 boys opened with a 38-17 win over the Kamikaze before its Division 4 boys fell to Papalina.
Team Central, host to the Merv Lopes tournament, roared to an early lead, firing off four of its five treys in the first half for a 22-13 lead at the break.
Kaimani Tecson, finishing with high-point honors for Team Central at eight points, fired off two of the four three-balls, Hunter Yoshioka launching one and Kaiea Miguel firing off another toward his game-total seven points. Jaren Ruiz-Acantilado fired off the fifth three-ball in the second half, his only score in the game.
Jayden Felipe-Calapatia finished with four points followed by Jaykob Young getting three points along with Justin Faidley.
Taylon Yadao finished with a game-high 14 points to lead Papalina, including firing off three treys in the first half.
Nick Herbig, the trey master, coughed up one in the second half toward his game-total five points. Blake Lewis netted two second half buckets for his four points and a Makana Tavita bucket in the second half wrapped up the effort.
Coach Keven Hanano of the Kamikaze had the same problem as Hanakila Coach David Simon had Monday.
“We have one boy in Japan and one with baseball, and another coming late,” Hanano said as his bench cleared for the start.
Team Lihue, on the other hand, fielded 11 players, taking advantage of their size to force turnovers and rack up a 26-9 halftime lead behind Grant Urmatam getting seven points, David Pascua and Shawn Palignawan each netting six points.
The scoring pace slowed in the second half as Pascua netted one bucket toward his game-total eight points and Team Lihue stayed ahead, scoring 12 points to the Kamikaze’s eight.
Following Pascua, Urmatam had seven points, Palignawan’s six first-half points was joined by Keane Tibon, scoring four second-half points for his six points. Khyll Ganotisi finished with four points, Junah Corpuz added three points with Charles Butay and Nathaniel Gonsalves adding pairs.
Travis Duran topped the Kamikaze scoring with 10 points, including a trey, followed by Ben Brady adding four points and height in the paint and Micah Matsunaga with a trey.
Papalina center Karter Kester set the pace for the final game, netting 13 points to lead the Papalina Division 4 boys followed by Isahn Ulanday adding 11 points.
Nick Herbig finished with six points, Ridge Serraon fired off a first-half trey and a Cole Taba pair in the second half rounded out the win.
Keane Tibon topped the Team Lihue win with six points with Aizen Yamashita adding three, a three-ball which ignited the crowd in the second half.
No games are scheduled for today. The playoffs for both boys and girls divisions start Saturday at both the Kapaa High School and Kalaheo Neighborhood Centers from 8 a.m.
• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
