KILAUEA — Papalina Basketball came to play, but had to settle for a long ride back to Kalaheo Tuesday night at the Kilauea Neighborhood Center. Leeon Runny of the Lihu‘e Kamikaze used the three-ball three times to overtake Papalina-Blue 13-9
KILAUEA — Papalina Basketball came to play, but had to settle for a long ride back to Kalaheo Tuesday night at the Kilauea Neighborhood Center.
Leeon Runny of the Lihu‘e Kamikaze used the three-ball three times to overtake Papalina-Blue 13-9 in the first of two games played in the county’s Division 2 boys basketball.
Lexton Camat and Dutch Fairbanks of Hanakila Basketball combined for 20 points to pull ahead of the Papalina-Orange, 41-25, in the nightcap played before an enthusiastic hometown crowd which cheered good play from both teams.
Camat and Fairbanks lit the boards for 10 points apiece, Fairbanks icing the win with a trey, one of two in the game, in the final period. Zacky Garcia fired off the game’s second three-ball in the fifth period, his only score of the game.
Camat spread his points throughout the game, adding his strength to pull Hanakila through the tenacious Papalina-Orange defense which spanned the opening whistle to the final buzzer.
Noah Rall added six first-half points followed by Hero Roslin coming up with four second-half points. Hans Cassem, Diego Hernandez, Jesse Zemnel and Rafael Roslin rounded out the win with pairs.
Guards ruled Papalina-Orange as Taylor Yadao topped the orangeshirts’ effort with 11 points and a lot of strong ball movement, many times against the taller and bigger Hanakila defense.
Yadao’s lead was supplemented by Gunnar Burkman, firing seven of his 10 points in the second half, including a sorely-needed three-ball in the final period.
Blake Lewis and Trey Taba, leading the guards in getting quick ball movement on the floor, each finished with pairs.
The Kamikaze opened with a 2-0 lead, Runny netting the opening bucket, and jockeyed through an up-and-down running game until the third period when Runny launched two of his game-total three treys to bring the half to a 5-5 deadlock.
Wade Pimsaguan, netting the opener of a charity pair, finished with the top score for Papalina-Blue at five points, dropping a bucket in the third period to help bring the blueshirts to the halftime stalemate.
Sailen Farias dropped his only bucket in the third period to knot the contest.
No scores could budge the 5-5 tie through most of the third period until the Kamikaze’s Tokyo Beti dropped a bucket, his only score in the game, late in the period and Runny broke the ice with just half a second showing.
Defense ruled the remainder of the contest, Runny ending with 11 points and Beti adding a pair.
Pimsaguan topped the Papalina-Blue effort with five points followed by Jacob Herr and Farias each adding pairs.
Following a pair of games tonight at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center, the boys Division 2 take the floor Saturday morning for three matches.
∫ Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
