Crusaders control court, win 41-37

KALAHEO — Isaac Rego scored 12 points and Jim Ehia added 11 points to lead the Papalina Crusaders to a 41-37 edge over Team Lihue, Tuesday night during a boys Division 3 basketball game at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.

Sean Andrade coached the victorious Crusaders, who effectively held Team Lihue, coached by Max Manera, at bay throughout the 32-minute slugfest.

“We still have work to do,” Andrade said. “There are things we need to clean up. The boys are still working to play a clean game.”

Ty Tsukayama finished with a pair of treys in the first half to help fuel the Crusaders to a 6-point lead at the half. Ridge Serraon added a second-half three-ball toward his game-total five points.

Team Lihue came firing off the bench, working against a deficit that at one point, teased double digits at 10 points. The grayshirts perservered and finished by outgunning Papalina, 19-17 in a torrid comeback late in the game before time ran out.

Syrus Delos Reyes topped the Team Lihue effort at 11 points followed by Mike Manera adding six points, Marique Manera adding five points along with Mike Navarro and Elijah Lautej.

Earlier in the evening, Raindell Fernandez fired off 12 points and Rayson Jarquio added 11 points to lead the Supersonics Division 4 boys to a 38-7 win over Westside who got three points apiece from Septhan Niheu-Kamaka and Kenui Bostick, both players sinking bombs from outside the three-point arc in the second half.

The final game of the night, a boys Division 3 matchup, saw the younger Kauai Thunder being handled by the older boys, 18-8.

Tyrus Duran and Ellsworth Kaleiohi topped the Thunder A with four points apiece towards the team’s 18 points while Andrew Galiza and Caleb Plowman each netted three points for the Thunder AA.

The league continues Saturday with three games at the Kilauea Neighborhood Center starting at 8 a.m., and six games at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center starting at 8 a.m.