WHS wallops Kaua’i in a 66-57 shocker

enehunes find initiative to win By NICK ABRAMO

TGI Sports Editor

WAIMEA — When an 0-3 team beats a 2-0 team, it’s a big

surprise.

So, Tuesday night was a big surprise when the 0-3 Waimea

Menehunes beat the 2-0 Kaua’i Red Raiders 66-57 at the Waimea gym.

The

Menehunes played as close to a flawless game as possible. They played with the

“take it to the hoop” initiative that had been lacking in past

starts.

Kaua’i took a quick 9-2 lead, but the Menehunes took a time out and

regrouped.

Nikko Naumu scored five points for Waimea en route to a 9-9 tie

at the end of one quarter.

The Menehunes opened up a 13-9 lead, but

Kaua’i’s Brad Lum-Tucker heated up big-time with five straight points for a

slim 14-13 lead.

Lum-Tucker finished the game with a blistering 29

points.

Jesse Erese zipped in a three-pointer for the Menehunes and he flew

in with a half-court drive before Naumu dropped in a rebound bucket and then

rambled through the lane in between two defenders for a 24-14 Waimea

edge.

Waimea’s lead zoomed to 28-16 before R-Jay Pillos swished home a

three-pointer and Jason Kashiwabara converted a three-point play to for the Red

Raiders to make it 28-22 at the half.

Adam Henkel scored seven straight

points for Waimea in the third quarter to help keep the big lead

intact.

The Menehunes’ lead fluctuated between seven and 13 points for most

of the final period as Chesley Barba’s ball-hawking kept the Raider offense off

balance.

Lum-Tucker went ballistic for 18 fourth quarter points, including

three three-pointers, but it wasn’t enough for the Raiders to overcome the

deficit.

Kaua’i (2-1) and Kapa’a (2-1) play for the first-round title

Friday night at the Kaua’i High gym.