KALAHEO — Only one game remains on Ikaika Basketball’s three-game Kaua‘i tour.
The visiting team from O‘ahu under coach Clay Tang hit the floor in force, Friday night, starting its Kaua‘i trip with a 41-38 edge over the local team, an improvised squad comprised of Papalina Basketball and Waimea High School players with Paul Barba stepping in to coach the players.
“We’re glad the Kaua‘i boys were able to scramble and get out to play Ikaika,” said Karen Matsumoto of the Kaua‘i Youth Basketball Association that coordinated the exhibition tour of 14 and Under players from O‘ahu.
Jullynn Ramos and Casey Anacleto, Kaulupono players, could not resist the temptation to take in the action, pausing from their duties of preparing food for the food booth at the Pacific Missile Range Facility July Fourth celebration.
“We’re going to feed the boys after the game,” Ramos said. “They’re playing hard so they’re going to be hungry.”
Tang said the boys are from a league that has about two dozen teams and come from all parts of O‘ahu.
“They all go to the same school so they kind of know each other,” Tang said to Steven Matsumoto of KYBA while waiting on the rag-tag Kaua‘i team to get its shoes on. “Some of the boys go to Maryknoll, or Punahou, or Kamehameha. They come from everywhere from Hawai‘i Kai, Pearl City and even Kahuku.”
During the game, Hanakila coach Phil Baclayon watched the action in anticipation of his two Hanakila teams matching up against the visitors.
“We have two teams,” Baclayon said. “One team will play Ikaika, Saturday in Kalaheo, and the other team will play Ikaika, Sunday at the Kilauea Neighborhood Center.”
Tang said taking the team on a traveling tour gives the boys an opportunity to play basketball and see places they’ve never seen.
“Some of these boys have never been to Kaua‘i before,” Tang said. “After we’re done in Kilauea, we’ll probably go North and check out Princeville and possibly the Dry Caves in Ha‘ena. This way, the boys can not only play basketball and meet new friends, but get a tour of the island.”
The Sunday tour wraps up Ikaika’s three-game itinerary starting at noon.
Kekai Hattal topped the Ikaika scoring against Kaua‘i in its opener, netting seven of his game-total 10 points in the second half.
A.J. Pfund and Brayden Matsuzaki each finished with seven points. Jordan Udom and Jake Suyemoto added six points apiece, Dylan Murakami had three and a pair from Jonathan Suda rounded out the offense.
Tystin Gummerus, one of two quick Papalina guards, topped the Kaua‘i scoring on 11 points with big man Brandon Palacio adding nine points.
“The (Kaua‘i) boys were pretty good,” Barba, who is on the Waimea High School coaching staff, said. “They play well together and didn’t need too much adjustments. Tystin and Kainoa Simao (Kaua‘i’s second guard) are going to Kamehameha so that’s going to be a big loss to Kaua‘i. They got speed and can shoot.”
Other players who competed for the last-minute the Kaua‘i squad were Shosho Ogawa of Waimea High School and Duke Yadao, a Papalina low post.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
