HONOLULU – Kauai High School’s boys basketball team lost to Kohala, 71-56, in the first round of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II state tournament Thursday. “The outcome, unfortunately, wasn’t in our favor,” said Red Raiders head coach
HONOLULU – Kauai High School’s boys basketball team lost to Kohala, 71-56, in the first round of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II state tournament Thursday.
“The outcome, unfortunately, wasn’t in our favor,” said Red Raiders head coach Ipo Yoshioka. “The kids played, hung in there … They represented well.”
The game at Kalani High School was closely contested through three quarters.
Red Raiders junior guard Michael Booth hit a three-pointer at the start of the fourth to tie the game at 46.
The Cowboys from the Big Island, however, outscored Kauai 24-13 in the final period to seal the win.
“I think we could have done better,” said Kauai junior forward Melvin Tingzon. “We just got to look forward to the next game. Got to play hard and try to get that game on Saturday.”
Tingzon was the team’s leading scorer with 19 points.
Kohala junior center Mikala Jordan led the Cowboys with 26 points, including three baskets from three-point range.
Turnovers ultimately upended Kauai’s chances down the stretch.
“We turned the ball over a little bit more than they did,” Yoshioka said. “Just not staying focused, the small intangible things that we (needed to) focus on, but it will be alright.”
Tingzon added the team struggled on defense at times.
“We were letting them have open shots,” he said. “We shouldn’t have let them.”
Kohala also outscored Kauai from the free throw line, making 21 of 27 attempts to the Red Raiders’ 9 of 15.
Kauai will play the loser between Saint Francis and Kalani tonight at 7 at Kaimuki High School in Honolulu.
“We really want to win. That’s what we came here for,” Tingzon said. “We want to learn from this experience. Try to learn what we can do better next year.”
