WAIMEA — Kauai High School basketball coach Ipo Yoshioka said “defense wins games” during an earlier Kauai Interscholastic Federation first-round boys basketball game.
Tuesday night, the Kapaa High School Warriors did just that, its defensive efforts shutting down the Waimea High Menehune, 63-55 in the varsity contest and 57-44 in the junior varsity to open the second round before several hundred people at Clem Gomes Gym in Waimea.
“Playing Waimea in Waimea is always going to be a dog fight,” said Kapaa coach Kamahalu Kauhane. “We focused on their shooting. They were making some unbelievable shots in the first half, and played tough defense.”
Kapaa went to the long ball — one each from Hero Raza, Kurtis Fujito-Pascua, and Alaka‘i Gonsalves — to take a 17-15 edge over Waimea in the opening stanza. Waimea got its production from Eilon Jamorabon and Mason Broyles who combined for 10 of the Menehune’s 17 points.
The Menehune changed that in the final two minutes of the second quarter when Menehune tall man Wade Pimsaguan’s bucket pulled Waimea ahead, 29-28 with a minute, 47 ticks remaining in the half. Arnie Fernandez upped the ante with the opener of a free throw pair, 30-28.
Kapaa’s Raza answered to deadlock the match, 30-30 with just five ticks showing on the break. Broyles sank both ends of a charity pair with just one second showing in the half to give the Menehune a 32-30 lead going into the locker room.
“Waimea likes to penetrate the inside and kick,” Kauhane said. “We needed to take care of our assignments.”
Defensively, the Warriors took away Waimea’s inside game and on the other side of the ball, outgunned Waimea 34-23 in the second half for the victory. The win gives Kapaa its only second win in the season after the Warriors finished Round 1 with a 1-5 showing.
Gonsalves, drawing an official warning for a second-half dunk upcourt, and Justin Faidley topped the Warriors’ firepower on 14-point showings. Fujito-Pascua added 11 points, including a trio of long balls, and Kana Gonzalez finished with eight points, including a pair of second-half treys.
“We are happy the boys are getting into the rhythm,” Kauhane said. “As I said earlier, this is going to be a long season, and there is a lot more basketball ahead.”
Pimsaguan topped the Waimea effort on a game-high 17 points, including a pair of second-half distance bombs. Broyles followed with 15 points, and Aiden Ringor was held to seven first-half marks, including a second quarter three-ball.
On the JV courts, a similar picture set the stage for the varsity showdown when Kapaa came back from 13-10 first quarter deficit to reverse the scene, 28-27 at the break. The JV Warriors continued to roll with a 29-17 second-half showing for the win.
Michael Questin set the pace for the JV Warriors on 17 points with Solomone Malafu adding 13 points.
Hekili Dizol topped the JV Menehune on 13 points, and Angelito Constantino fueled the effort on nine points, including a three-ball in the final stanza.
No scores were available for the Kauai High School at Island School contest.
“We’re back in the gym, again from tomorrow,” Kauhane said. “We just gotta work harder, and hopefully, we’ll keep getting better.”
Kapaa next hosts Kauai High School at the Bernice Hundley Gym, Saturday while the Menehune makes the trek to the Wilcox Gymnasium at the Island School campus.
The JV contest starts at 5:30 p.m. followed by the varsity matchup in Kapaa. Waimea will tip off against the Voyagers in a single contest starting at 7 p.m.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
