KALAHEO — Ikaika Basketball, visiting from Honolulu, put on a late-game surge to take a 52-48 edge over Kaua‘i Basketball, Thursday at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center. That was one of three games hosted by the Kaua‘i Youth Basketball Association in
KALAHEO — Ikaika Basketball, visiting from Honolulu, put on a late-game surge to take a 52-48 edge over Kaua‘i Basketball, Thursday at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
That was one of three games hosted by the Kaua‘i Youth Basketball Association in the 17 and Under Boys Invitational Basketball Tournament that opened Thursday and finishes today.
Ben Gochenouer finished with a game-high 18 points for Ikaika Basketball, and got help from Noa Wellbrook who ended with nine points. Ben Ota and Brice Kanehira each added seven points.
Sean Michael Shigematsu, signed by the University of Hawai‘i football program, topped the Kaua‘i Basketball with 16 points. He got help from Davone Florence who added 15 points and Austin Simao who ended with seven points, adding a lot of hustle and muscle on the floor.
Earlier in the afternoon, Canaan Higa ended with 11 points and got help from Spam Lindsey adding nine points and Joe Duronslet coming up with eight points to lead Team Central to a 42-32 win over the Kaua‘i Ballers, who got 10 points from Willis Batol. Daniel Reis, Kainoa Colipano and Kalalio Kauhane each chipped in five points.
But Team Central was taken down by the visiting Pu‘uloa Bandits in the nightcap, 52-31, with Duronslet being held to seven points and Lindsey getting six marks.
Kristian Manuel ended with 21 points, the highest individual scoring of the night, and Cristian Storment added seven points for the Bandits, coached by Ken Tangjian.
Karen Matsumoto of KYBA said, “KYBA made 10 years old in March, but this is the 13th year Kaua‘i has hosted this tournament.”
“We kept it going because our students, especially the high-school seniors, began making this tournament their last hurrah.”
Over the years, the tournament has hosted teams like the Kona Tigers, Kaimuki Community Park, Piopio Bears, Ikaika Basketball, Maui and the Pu‘uloa Bandits.
“It’s been great,” Matsumoto said. “All these years we’ve enjoyed building relationships with all of these teams.”
The tournament ends today with the first games tipping off at 9:30 a.m. The final game starts at 12:30 p.m. at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
The tournament winner will be determined by a win/loss record with several tiebreakers in place.
There is no charge to view the competition.
