KALAHEO — Two nail-biting Boys Division 3 games and a Division 2 girls matchup left the county’s youth basketball league with one day remaining before the season comes to a close Saturday. Monday night, David Pascua led Team Lihu‘e Black
KALAHEO — Two nail-biting Boys Division 3 games and a Division 2 girls matchup left the county’s youth basketball league with one day remaining before the season comes to a close Saturday.
Monday night, David Pascua led Team Lihu‘e Black to a 33-29 comeback over the Kaua‘i Ballers 2 at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
“This is the team’s first win,” said coach Max Manera, who gets help from Billy Ramos with the young team. “Unfortunately, it had to come on our final game.”
The audience was appreciative of the come-from-behind win, filling the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center with cheers in the final two minutes the crowd igniting on near-misses as well as completed buckets.
Team Lihu‘e Black came from a 16-12 halftime deficit to control the ball on its side of the court and outgunned the Kaua‘i Ballers 2 18-13 in the second half en route to its victory.
Outgunning the Kaua‘i Ballers 2 6-3 in the fifth period, Team Lihu‘e Black got four of its six points from Jasper Jacinto, who finished with nine points, six coming in the second half. Jacinto’s performance helped erase the 22-14 deficit and turn the tide late in the period.
Continuing the run, Team Lihu‘e Black posted a 10-4 sixth period to seal the win, David Pascua, finishing with 13 points, leading the charge with three points and Jacinto adding a pair.
“David is only in the sixth grade,” said Karen Matsumoto of the Kaua‘i Youth Basketball Association, who helps the county with scorekeeping and officials for the youth league. “Division 3 is for boys in the seventh and eighth grades. David is playing up.”
Following Pascua and Jacinto’s lead, Tajh Mapuhi netted four second-half points, Kaleo Neves, a Mainland transfer, added three points with Cullen Kitamura and Rendle Mones each adding pairs.
Limuel Julian topped the Kaua‘i Ballers 2 scoring with 11 points, including a trey in the fifth period, Julian spreading his scoring in every period but the sixth.
Floyd Fitzgerald added eight points, Lester Manique finished with four points. Sequoia Logan, Kanaki Harper and Jake Peralta each finished with pairs.
Lepo Ula 44, Hanapepe Sinister 41
Reymund Mendoza fired off a game-high 22 points and got eight points from Ardino Nedd in leading a strong comeback by the Hanapepe Sinister.
But the effort fell short 44-4 1as Lepo Ula, coached by Steve Decker, held off the Sinister red shirts.
“The last time we met, it came down to a buzzer beater,” Decker said while watching the warmups. “I had the ambulance waiting, outside.”
Chasing a 23-15 halftime deficit, the Sinister came out firing, Mendoza forcing a turnover and capitalizing with a bucket in the first 30 seconds.
Outgunning Lepo Ula, 26-19 in the second half, the Sinister actually forced the teter-totter in the final period as the lead exchanged hands.
Mendoza lit the twine with 15 of his game total 22 points, including a final period three-ball.
Joining Mendoza and Nedd in the lead, Kai Perreira-Alquiza opened the sixth period to force another turnover and capitalize with a bucket for his five points. Noah Bermudez added four points and a pair from Naikoa Simao rounded out the effort.
Edmelle Medina topped the Lepo Ula edge with 10 points, followed by Keoni Gaoiran adding nine points and guard Taylon Yadao adding eight points. Clyde Villanueva and Kirvie Rubio each added four points, Carl Mecham finished with three and Kicah Acoba finished with a pair, but demonstrated strong defense in the paint.
Kaulupono (1) 31, Kaulupono (2) 14
Kaulupono 1’s low post Taegan Keep finished with a game-high 19 points to lead the blue shirts to a 31-14 win over Kaulupono 2 in the nightcap.
Monique Lorenzo, the Kaulupono 2 point guard, added eight points in the win.
China Yasay, the Kaulupono 2’s counterpart to Lorenzo, topped the white shirts’ scoring with six points followed by Kiarra Palacio, the other strong guard, adding five points.
Five games at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center Saturday will close the county’s youth basketball league.
Kaulupono 2 will open the day against the Kaua‘i Ballers in the first of four Girls Division 2 games at 9 a.m.
Kaulupono 1 will take on Hanakila at 10 a.m. followed by Team Lihu‘e Red meeting the Seacats at 11 a.m. Team Lihu‘e Black tips off against the Kamikaze at noon and a Boys Division 3 closes the day when Westside Basketball tips off against Team Lihu‘e Red.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
