KAPA‘A — The Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation had lots of reasons to celebrate the final night of boys basketball games that were contested at the Clem Gomes Gym in Waimea and the Bernice Hundley Gym on the campus of Kapa‘a High.
To add icing to the jubilance, the KIF boys basketball champions Kapa‘a, in a Sunday-morning announcement, earned the No. 4 seed at the Heide &Cook Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Division II boys basketball state championships that begin play Thursday on O‘ahu.
Waimea’s varsity, celebrating its Senior Night by hosting the Island School Voyagers, posted a season-high 78 points in the 78-43 win over the Voyagers. The romp followed a nail-biting 25-23 edge by the junior varsity Menehune over the JV Voyagers.
Kelani Lewis and Lindcey Constantino combined for 34 points in the victory, where the Menehune launched 14 long-distance three balls compared with the Voyagers’ pair of treys.
Lewis finished with 19 points, including five treys, and Constantino finished with 15, including a trio of treys to lead the Menehune scoring. The pair received strong secondary support at the net with Kainoa Moody adding eight marks and Tresten Shigematsu and Damien Akita each bucketing six points. A new face on the roster, Kimowen Corcoran, netted his five points in the final stanza. Corcoran was joined by Bronze DeCosta and A. Constantino in marking five points each.
Joshua Dobashi topped the Voyager effort on 22 points, followed by Lucas Summerhays and Reid Brown each netting six points.
The JV Voyagers pulled off a strong comeback effort in the final quarter, where they outscored Waimea 11-5, fueled by three points apiece from Garret Hadley’s three ball and Orion Magaoay. However, the effort came up a bucket short as the JV Menehune escaped with the 25-23 win.
Daniel Kaohelauli‘i fired the win on 10 points, with Dominic Mariano lending four points.
Over in Kapa‘a, where the Bernice Hundley Gym was specially decorated to celebrate its four graduating seniors, the Warriors capitalized on costly Kaua‘i turnovers to build a lead that the Red Raiders could not come back against in the atmosphere spiced by a special guest DJ who provided sounds for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Team captain Kala Rall, one of the four celebrated seniors, topped the scoring attack on 15 points, including a trio of three balls. Mikey Questin, in addition to his hustle under the boards and driving through traffic, added 14 points. Senior Epoki Tafea ignited the audience with his 13-point contribution to the win.
Cade Meyers joined with Ethan Smith and Mikey Manera, seniors from Kaua‘i High, to lead the Red Raider effort on eight and seven points, respectively.
Barkley Gillman sparked the JV Red Raider win on 21 points, including a pair of three balls. He got help from Kala‘i Esteban and Josh Rego each adding nine points, including a trey each.
Reimel Camacho topped the JV Warriors effort on 12 points, followed by Ty Kamoku and Kaikoa Kamakaole each netting eight points.
The varsity Warriors travel to O‘ahu Thursday to meet the Division 2 No. 5 seed Maui Preparatory Academy in a 5 p.m. tipoff at Kalani High School.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
