Run ‘N Gun triumphs!

LIHU`E—The championship road leading to the title of the Kaua`i Youth

Basketball Association (KYBA) 17 & Under girls basketball was long and hard

for the Boys & Girls Club (Kapa`a) who ended up succumbing to Run ‘N Gun

51-32 in the final matchup at Kaua`i High School on Saturday

afternoon.

“Seedings are not that important,” coach Alex Naumu of

the Run’N Gun squad noted quietly as he watched the final minutes of the Boys

& Girls Club (Kapa`a)/Kaua`i squads wind down with the Boys & Girls

team clearly in the lead.

Kaua`i had entered the playoffs as the top seed

with Run ‘N Gun taking second seeding based on regular league play.

Friday

night at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center, the Boys & Girls Calub (Kapa`a)

had everything in their court as they erupted for a 55-23 win over the Puhi

Wildcats, relegating Puhi into fourth place and setting up the first of their

double-header for Saturday’s championships.

Kristi Arinaga, a strong

transition player for the B & G organization, headed that effort with 23

points followed by an 18-point showing from their strong forward Ashley

Farias.

In the meantime, Run ‘N Gun handily took their contest over the

Kilauea Hui 52-12 behind the hot hand of Valerie Aficial who tucked away 16

points, and Stacey Battulayan aiding the cause with 10 points.

This set up

Run ‘N Gun’s position of playing the winner of the third place game for the

title.

Kaua`i opened the game on a high note as they outscored B & G

Club 9-5 in the opening frame, but saw their lead slip as the Kapa`a team

capitalized on turnovers and hot 3-point shooting to take the contest

31-26.

Farias led the B & G effort with 12 points, all coming from

Three-Pointland. Waiala Quisano’s speed and shooting ability also played

strong in the win as Quisano ended the match with an 8-point performance on a

pair of 3-pointers and a field goal.

Arinaga, strong in the paint

offensively and defensively, ended the day with 7 points.

Kehau Regidor

started the Kaua`i show with a trey, but the Kaua`i women were stymied by the

quick, aggressive B & G defense that kept the Kaua`i ladies to just that

sole trey in the first quarter, and limited shots inside the lane.

Misty

Hug was high point person for Kaua`i with 7 points followed by Sarah Sakimae

and Elisa Inouye each adding 6 points in the effort. Regidor ended the day

with 5 points.

With an hour’s break to regroup, the B & G girls came on

strong in the championship matchup, outscoring Run ‘N Gun 13-12 in the first

period.

But, the double-header took its toll on Kapa`a as cramps

doubled-over their quick guard Quisano who, after being held to limited action

by a bout with severe cramping, saw the lead switch in the second period 16-8.

With the defense against Napua Naumu sitting on the bench, the Run ‘N Gun guard

unleashed for a game-high 20 points in the win.

Aficial aided the effort

with 14 points with Lorraine Lagoc ending the day on a 7-point

showing.

Quisano ended the day on a high note, taking high point honors

with 13 points, including a third quarter trey, for the Boys & Girls Club

(Kapa`a). Arinaga was held to a 7-point showing followed by a 4-point showing

from Farias.

Boys & Girls Club 31, Kaua`i 26

Score by quarters

B & G

Club 5 9 10 8 31

Kaua`i 9 6 6 5 26

Boys & Girls

Club (Kapa`a) scoring: Ashley Farias 12, Waiala Quisano 8, Shayna Carvalho 0,

Tihane Lopez 2, Danielle Hill 0, Kristi Arinaga 7, Ruthchelle Melchor

0.

Kaua`i scoring: Sarah Sakimae 6, Elisa Inouye 6, Kehau Regidor 5, Rona

Nishikawa 0, Misty Hug 7, Kara Matsunaga 0, Lee Anne Cox 0, Cissy Dennis 2.

Run ‘N Gun 51, Boys & Girls Club 32

Score by quarters

Run ‘N

Gun 12 16 14 9 51

B & G Club 13 8 5 6 32

Run ‘N Gun scoring:

Ulu Kelekoma 5, Stephanie Kashiwabara 0, Stacey Battulayan 0, Rissy Ponce 2,

Napua Naumu 20, Valerie Aficial 14, Lorraine Lagoc 7, Sara Curnan 2, Taryn

Dizon 1.

Boys & Girls Club (Kapa`a): Kristi Arinaga 7, Ashley Farias 4,

Waiala Quisano 13, Shayna Carvalho 3, Tihane Lopez 2, Stephanie Cuyo 3,

Ruthchelle Melchor 0.