LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i High School girls basketball teams swept both ends of its Monday night games, a 64-11 victory over the Kapa‘a junior varsity, and a 58-32 win over the Waimea varsity, during its first sojourn into the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation arena at the Kaua‘i High School gym.
According to Kaua‘i High School trainer Kevin Cadiente, Waimea does not have a junior varsity squad so Kapa‘a’s JV team made its first appearance on the court against Kaua‘i High School.
JV Red Raiders Cheyley Jacobs and Kate-Lynn Colipano each bucketed 15 points to lead the Kaua‘i JV to its win after pulling ahead of a 48-3 halftime lead, where Kapa‘a was limited to just three marks from Kolotita Fonua in the first half. Fonua and Taeani Largusa were high-pointers for the JV Warriors with three points each, Largusa netting a trey in the third quarter.
In varsity action, the audience came alive in the final stanza when Waimea was roused into action, outgunning Kaua‘i 15-13 and coming up short 23-25 in the second half during Kaua‘i’s 58-32 victory.
“Waimea is aggressive,” said Kaua‘i coach Neil Fagarang, in his first year as the Red Raiders wahine coach. “They’re young, fast and well-coached with good discipline. You can’t give ‘em anything.”
Hazel Serapio continued the family legacy left by sister Kate by leading the Menehune scoring with her 10 points, all dropped in the second half, four sinking in the final stanza. Shaylen Guerrero followed with five points, including a final-quarter three-ball, along with Tristan Raposas who marked her five points in the first half, and Skelynn Ripley, who got her five points spread throughout the game. Pairs from Hailey Mata and Katelyn Constantino rounded out the Menehune scoring.
Waimea was limited to just nine points in the first half before blossoming with 23 points in the second half, 15 marks lighting up the scoreboard in the final quarter.
“We had a good quarter,” one excited Menehune parent said.”Maybe we’ll get two good quarters the next time.”
Kaua‘i High School freshman Denise Alfonso opened the scoring with a crowd-pleasing three ball, and continued to sizzle the twine to a game-high 21 points.
“Yes, she’s a freshman,” Fagarang said. “But she’s the kind of player a coach loves to have — humble, listens well and is very coachable.”
Alfonso made her mark from distance, playing both sides of the ball, with 15 points sinking in the first half, where Kaua‘i held a 33-9 advantage at the break.
Hema Naka‘ahiki-Young followed in the scorebooks with 12 points, including treys in the second and fourth quarters.
“Hema is one of three returning players,” Fagarang said. “The rest of the team is the JV team that aged into varsity.”
Naka‘ahiki-Young was joined by the team’s other tall person, Brooklyne Alayvilla, who took the floor against the Menehune in the fourth quarter, where Naka‘ahiki-Young’s five points led the effort against the Waimea shooting.
Angeline Nizo and Krystin Emprosa each netted five points, Jaley Medeiros and Jadelyn Reynolds each finished with four, and Alena Bernardo hit a three-ball.
With the win, Kaua‘i High School takes a trip to the Bernice Hundley Gym today to match up against Kapa‘a.
The JV game tips off starting at 5:30 p.m., and the varsity match starts 20 minutes following the completion of the JV game.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
