KAPAA — The Kapaa High School’s varsity girls basketball team scored only seven points in the first quarter. The Warriors’ offense, however, surfaced in the second half and the team went on to defeat Kauai 39-24 at home Friday night.
KAPAA — The Kapaa High School’s varsity girls basketball team scored only seven points in the first quarter.
The Warriors’ offense, however, surfaced in the second half and the team went on to defeat Kauai 39-24 at home Friday night.
“We were sloppy in the first quarter,” said Kapaa head coach William Aki. “I had to slow them down and they ran the plays better. We still played a sloppy game all the way through.”
Kapaa gradually lengthened its lead at the start of the second half.
It wasn’t until Kauai’s Riana Ralston was ejected from the game midway through the third quarter that Kapaa took control of the game.
As Ralston fought for a rebound, a Kapaa player fell to the floor and the referee called a technical foul.
“According to them, I used my elbows,” Ralston said. “I guess I didn’t pivot correctly. It is what it is.”
Kauai head coach Neil Fagarang did not agree with the referee’s call for an ejection.
“All he saw was the girl on the ground,” he said. “After the foul, the girl was still hanging on [to Riana.]”
The call changed the game’s momentum, he added.
“It was a game changer right there,” Fagarang said. “Without her, it’s hard for us to do what we planned on doing.”
Kauai was in foul trouble since the early stages of the game. The Red Raiders committed 16 of its 24 fouls during the first half and sent the Warriors to the free throw line numerous times.
Kapaa made 18 of its 38 free throw attempts.
“It really takes you far if you make it,” said Kapaa’s Ariel Cummings.
Cummings finished the game as Kapaa’s top scorer with 10 points, including four from the free throw line.
Fouls have troubled Kauai in previous games and Fagarang said his team is still learning how to play defense properly.
“We work on moving our feet in practice,” he said. “If you don’t have defense, you’re always going to lose.”
Cummings said pregame jitters was why Kapaa’s offense started slowly during the first quarter.
“Everyone seemed really nervous in the beginning,” she said. “Once we started playing, it kind of got better. But coach said we were still kind of sloppy with our shot, and we were.”
Kapaa’s Shai-Anee Abrigania was the second best scorer for her team with nine points. She said she hopes her team can get its offense started earlier during the next game.
“We always have slow starts,” she said. “We’re trying to build on that. We want to start from the beginning, not from the middle.
“The girls just need to be more confident with themselves,” she added.
Kauai’s Marissa Martinez led the Red Raider offense when it had its lead early in the game.
She finished the game as Kauai’s leading scorer with 10 points, six of which were scored during the first quarter.
“I just saw opportunities when I got the ball,” Martinez said.
During the middle of the fourth quarter, Kauai’s Ashley Lucas was called for a technical foul.
“According to the official, she stared at him and said to open his eyes,” Fagarang said. “Just out of frustration, not knowing she was going to get a technical … Lesson learned from the two technicals we had. We cannot control the officials. We just got to do what we can control and play hard. That’s it.”
Junior varsity
The Warriors’ junior varsity squad defeated Kauai 68-33.
Kapaa’s Paea Tafea was the game’s leading scorer with 22 points.
Kauai’s Sheryl Ann Tomas led the Red Raiders with 15 points.
Kapaa’s next game will be on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at Waimea High School.
Kauai will play on Friday at home, also against Waimea.
On both occasions, the junior varsity teams are scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. and the varsity squads will play 20 minutes after the conclusion of the JV matches.
