LIHU’E — Brad Lum-Tucker is usually a rebounder, scorer, play-maker and leader, and now he can add “three-point artist” to the list. Lum-Tucker scorched the nets for four three-point swishes Friday night to help push the Kaua’i Red Raiders to
LIHU’E — Brad Lum-Tucker is usually a rebounder, scorer, play-maker and
leader, and now he can add “three-point artist” to the list.
Lum-Tucker
scorched the nets for four three-point swishes Friday night to help push the
Kaua’i Red Raiders to a slim 44-41 victory over the resilient Waimea
Menehunes.
The win set up a Kaua”i Interscholastic Federation first place
showdown Tuesday night between the Red Raiders (1-0) and the Kapa’a Warriors
(1-0) at the Kapa’a gym.
Lum-Tucker finished with a game-high 25 points in
the victory that can only be termed as “far from easy.”
A patient Waimea
stayed with the Raiders the whole way.
Waimea trailed by just one, 42-41,
with 40 seconds to go as Micah Bermoy got his twisting, turning lay-up to
fall.
But R-Jay Pillos, who had a fistful of assists on the night, made a
coast-to-coast drive with 30 seconds to go to just about seal the
victory.
Waimea’s last-gasp three-point attempts by Adam Henkel and Sam
Bustillos came up short.
The Menehunes grabbed an early 9-2 lead, thanks to
Adam Henkel’s bomb, Jesse Erese’s three-pointer and two Chesley Barba
lay-ups.
But Kaua’i regrouped and cut the gap to one, 15-14, at the end of
the first quarter. Lum-Tucker hit two of his three-pointers and a 12-foot
jumper in the surge.
Kaua’i’s took a 24-23 halftime lead as Lum-Tucker
tossed in his next two three-pointers, while David Medeiros added a rebound
hoop and Mason Ceria zipped in with a lay-up.
Lum-Tucker added six early
third quarter points, including two baskets on nifty passes from Pillos to
give Kaua’i a 31-25 edge.
Nikko Naumu and Henkel helped regain the lead for
the Menehunes, 34-33, with four third quarter points each.
But a pivotal
fast-break basket by Medeiros on quick passes by Brandon Ramos and Pillos, put
Kaua’i on top 35-34.
Pillos’ baseline three-pointer followed by another
feed to Lum-Tucker for a hoop made it 40-34 at the end of three
quarters.
The Waimea defense kept Kaua’ off the board for half the fourth
quarter, and the Menehune offense inched back to the 1-point deficit before
Pillos’ final hoop hit like a dagger.
