KAPAA — Kauai High School’s CJ Cromartie scored all 15 points in the second half Thursday night to fuel a comeback to a 50-47 win over the Kapaa Warriors during the Kauai Interscholastic Federation boys basketball game at a nearly-full Bernice Hundley Gym.
With 5:30 showing on the game clock, Cromartie settled the teeter-totter on a bucket in traffic for the Raiders a 40-37 lead. He followed that with a charity pair for a five-point lead that was answered when Kapaa’s Michael Encinas dropped the opening end of a free throw pair with 3:24 showing — still a lot of game remaining.
The Raiders never relinquished the small lead in the physical mixup despite Kapaa’s Justin Faidley coming up the middle in heavy traffic for a bucket —his sole basket in the second half — with just 16 ticks showing for the 48-47 deficit.
But Kauai’s Kaimani Tecson was fouled on the inbound, and with no time peeled off the clock, dropped a charity pair for the 50-47 final as the Warriors turned over the ball with 12 seconds showing.
“The shots didn’t fall,” said Kapaa coach Kamahalo Kauhane. “But we’re proud of the boys who played with composure against the Kauai team who had a lot of grit. Following the preseason, we worked on playing with composure, and the boys played hard. Unfortunately, the ball didn’t bounce our way.”
The young Kapaa team — with only one senior — started out strong, holding off a Kauai rally in the first quarter to finish with a 14-13 lead, fueled by Encinas, who bucketed eight of the Warriors’ 14 points including a pair of three-balls.
“We’ll fix that moving forward,” said Kauai coach Ipo Yoshioka. “I liked seeing how the boys had to grind it out.”
Kapaa continued the run and finished the second quarter with a 26-20 lead behind six points from Alakai Gonsalves and a Faidley trey. Kauai spread its scoring over three players led by Tecson’s three-ball.
“The boys had to work themselves out of the hole,” Yoshioka said. “Both sides played hard. This is all you can expect from everyone.”
The 10-minute break allowed Kauai to settle and adjust, and the Raiders charged out of the locker rooms. Kauai outscored Kapaa, 30-21, in the second half to overtake the Warriors at the end.
Cromartie led the charge with his 15 points in the second half. He was joined by Ricky Malu Ralston adding 10 points, and Tecson finishing with nine points including a bucket from outside the three-point arc.
Encinas topped the Kapaa effort with a game-high 21 points including four treys. Gonsalves helped with 11 points — 10 dropping in the first half — and Faidley finished with six points.
Earlier in the evening, the Kauai junior varsity boys held off a strong Kapaa challenge, 51-47, behind 15 points from Ian Asuncion. Micah Agtunong added 14 points. Kala Rall led the JV Warrior effort on 14 points, and Akela Nu‘uhiwa-Gonda dropping all of his eight points in the second half.
Kapaa next travels to the Clem Gomes Gym on Saturday for the Warriors’ first meeting against the Menehune. The JV match tips off at 1:30 p.m. followed by the varsity match getting underway at 3 p.m., the adjusted schedule being agreed to by both teams to enable the Kapaa players to participate in the school’s winter ball.
Kauai will enjoy the winter break until Jan. 5 when it travels to the Clem Gomes Gym to meet Waimea.
•••
Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.