WAIMEA — Erin Connelly had six big third-quarter points to lead Waimea in a comeback against the Kaua‘i girls basketball team, Saturday night at the Clem Gomes Gym.
Connelly, who matched up against Kaua‘i freshman Kawehi Louis-Diamond, finished with all eight of her game points coming in the second half as the Menehune edged past Kaua‘i 37-24.
Menehune guard Jayme Jacinto nailed a pair from outside the three-point arc to seal the game, Jacinto ending with a game-high 11 points.
With the win, Kaua‘i suffers its second straight loss while Waimea prepares to do battle at the Bernice Hundley Gym on Tuesday against Kapa‘a. Both teams are 1-0 in the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation girls basketball season.
Louis-Diamond, the sparkplug behind the Red Raider rebounding on both sides of the court, broke open a 0-0 deadlock after nearly six minutes of no scoring, the good-sized audience clamouring for action at the 4:07 mark after both sides could not budge the zero’s.
Waimea could not answer Louis-Diamond’s bucket and a Jacinto charity pair pulled the Menehune into the lead 3-2 at the buzzer.
Waimea pulled ahead by as much as four points only to have the tenacious Raiders close the gap, Kelsey Cadiente, netting a game total 10 points for Kaua‘i, pulling Kaua‘i ahead 13-12 at the half after taking a Janessa Grady feed.
A Kristle Henry trey in the third quarter pulled Kaua‘i up, 16-14, but that was the final lead for Kaua‘i as Waimea went on to outgun the Lady Raiders 13-6 in the period, six coming from Connelly and four from Brandee Victorino.
Following Jacinto’s lead, Connelly finished with eight second-half points, Vakeesha Lagazo netted six, Victorino ended with five and Krysta Kali came off the bench for a pair in the fourth quarter.
Cadiente topped the Raider scoring with 10 points followed by Henry finished with six, including the third quarter trey, and Louis-Diamond rounded out the leaders with four points.
Earlier in the evening, Casey Anacleto finished with a game-high 22 points to lead the JV Raiders to its second straight win, 43-18 over the Junior Menehune who got nine points from Nicky Banasihand, who following the game, joined her cheerleader sisters in the lineup.
Tuesday determines the KIF girls leader in the standings. JV game tips off at 5:30 p.m. at the Bernice Hundley gym.
