KALAHEO — Justin Failey executed an ‘and-one’ to catapult Team Central into the winner’s circle, Monday night at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center. Failey, who arrived late, marked all of his game-total seven points in the final stanza, including key late-game
KALAHEO — Justin Failey executed an ‘and-one’ to catapult Team Central into the winner’s circle, Monday night at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
Failey, who arrived late, marked all of his game-total seven points in the final stanza, including key late-game buckets which gave Team Central its 34-31 win over the Hanapepe Bomb Squad in Division 2, or youth in the fifth and sixth grades, in the county’s youth basketball league.
Team Central’s Kurtis Fujito Pascua, Xaerys Dela Cruz and Jaron Ruiz-Acantilado pummeled the hoop from outside the three-point arc, the trio marking four treys toward a 16-8 opening lead against the Bomb Squad.
Makoa Vanaman, a football standout for the Hanapepe Colts during the Kauai Pop Warner Football League, led the Bomb Squad scoring with a pair of three-balls.
Overall, Vanaman finished with four treys toward his game-total 13 points.
The Bomb Squad chipped away at the deficit in the second frame, holding Team Central scoreless while pouring in five points behind buckets from Arnie Fernandez and Joey Perpose getting three points.
Perpose and Eilon Jamoraban came up with big buckets in the third frame, while the Bomb Squad limited Team Central to just a bucket from Easten Luis to whittle the deficit to just a point, 17-18 at the break.
The Bomb Squad continued its push into the second half, outscoring Team Central 14-6 in the third and fourth frames before Failey came on the court in the final frame.
Facing a 31-28 deficit in the final period, Team Central battled back, Failey dropping a bucket from just inside the arc to pull to within a deficit, 30-31 with 1:10 showing in the game.
Failey dropped the tail end of a charity pair with 48 seconds showing to knot the contest, and his three-point play, a bucket coupled with a foul shot, locked up the game with seven seconds showing.
Dela Cruz topped the Team Central scoring with nine points followed by Failey with seven points. Fujito Pascua ended with six points on a pair of treys, Ruiz-Acantilado finished with five points, Braden Simao added four second-half points and a pair from Luis rounded out the win.
Vanaman had high-point honors with his 13 points, including four treys, to lead the Bomb Squad scoring followed by Perpose with seven points, Fernandez finishing with five points, Jamoraban getting four points, and Kade Ofisa adding a second-half pair in the effort.
Papalina 34, Gamers 15 – Division 2 boys
Papalina low post Karter Kester and Nick Herbig each bucketed eight points and a lot of rebounds to lead Papalina to a 34-15 win over the Hanamaulu Gamers to close out the Division 2 boys’ season.
Jade Mizumoto-Manuel dropped two field goals and Isahn Ulanday had three points to lead Papalina to an early 9-0 lead, the Gamers not entering the scorebooks until the second period when Leland Keale found the net late in the period.
Following the two scoring leaders, Ulanday added seven points, Wade Pimscauan added four points, including a three-ball, and Luke Hundadi finished with a trey.
Chace Baliani led the Gamers with five points, including a three-ball, Keale ended with four points, Toshi Cox netted three points, Shiloh Louis-Kaneakua had a bucket and Rickey Ralston, key to moving the ball for the Gamers, ended with a digit.
Kaulupono 43, Lihue 9 – Division 3 Girls
Taegan Keep, despite nursing an ankle injury, fired off 18 points to lead the Kaulupono Division 3, or youth in the seventh and eighth grade, Girls to a 43-9 win over Team Lihue in the nightcap.
Quick guard Monique Lorenzo spread her eight points over six period, China Yasay had three second-half points, Apryl Grande ended with three points along with Tiana TJ Ramos nailing an opening period trey. Roycie Faye and D’annalyn Helgen each added a pair in the win.
Cierra Tanicala topped the Lihue scoring on seven points with Tiana Manera adding a pair.
With the Division 2 league ending, Thursday night will see three Division 3 games take the floor starting at 6 p.m. when the Tigers go up against Lihue in a Division 3 girls matchup.
The Kaulupono Division 3 boys will face the Kamikaze boys in the 7 p.m. tipoff with Hanapepe Division 3 boys going up against the PBC-B boys in the 8 p.m. nightcap.
