LIHUE — Kahului missed four free throws in the final 18 seconds of play but still held off the Shaka Hoops, 34-33, Friday in a 12th grade boys division match on the second day of the 11th annual Kauai Hoops Classic.
After being outgunned in the first half, 22-16, Kahului rebounded in the second half to outshoot Shaka Hoops, 18-11. Efren, Jr. dropped a charity pair with 31 ticks showing only to have Shaka Hoops’ Kaimani Tecson drop a charity trio to cut the deficit to 34-33 before the remainder of the match went to the free throw line.
Miles Davis topped the Shaka Hoops effort with nine points including a trey in the first half.
Efren led Kahului with 13 points.
The win was Kahului’s second in pool play, tying with 808 stunnahs and Kauai 808. Shaka Hoops drops to 1-1 to tie with Cerebral Basketball Academy and Na Koa Basketball.
The tournament features 60 teams in seventh grade, ninth grade, and 12th grade boys and girls divisions.
For the 12th grade girls division, Sparks Basketball Maui, Barrow Girls,and Team Focus are tied for the lead with a win apiece.
Friday morning, Sparks Basketball Maui picked up its third win following a 37-19 victory over host club Kauai Lynx in the ninth grade girls division.
“Height is something you cannot coach,” said Kauai Lynx coach John Quinones. “You can coach heart, and this weekend, the girls will have a lot of effort and heart.”
Kayla Thornton topped the Sparks ninth-grade girls’ effort on 12 points followed by Ku‘u Ruidas with eight points and Jolie Mantz adding six.
Kadee Parubrub topped the Kauai Lynx effort on six points with Jadelyn Reynolds adding four points against the strong Maui defense that generated turnovers.
Kahului’s ninth-grade boys division team picked up a 43-31 win over Isle Hoops to improve to a tie with Na Koa basketball for the lead in the division.
Team Lihue’s seventh grade boys division team suffered its second loss, 77-28, at the hands of the Kona Stingrays at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center Friday. The victory improves the Stingrays to a tie with Na Koa Basketball, GTD, and Kahului with 1-0 records.
The Westside Royalty, picking up a 33-15 win over the Kauai Lightning on Friday morning in Kalaheo, holds the lead in the seventh-grade girls division with a 3-0 record. Sparks Basketball Maui has a 2-0 record, and the Dream Team has a 2-1 record.
Pool play for the tournament continues today at the Bernice Hundley Gym at Kapaa High School, the Kauai High School gym and the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center starting 8 a.m.
Championship games for all divisions are Sunday.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
