LIHUE — No one on Monday night knew how long it has been since Island School fielded a girls basketball team.
Under the coaching of Coach Clarence Sales, the Lady Voyagers forged a come-from-behind victory, 41-33 over the Kapaa High School Lady Warriors, during the opening games of the Kauai Interscholastic Federation girls basketball season at the Wilcox Gymnasium.
Over at the Clem Gomes Gym, Waimea High School girls basketball took a 68-29 win over the visiting Kauai High School Lady Red Raiders.
There were no Junior Varsity contests played because, according to Kapaa Coach Jordan Danner, Island School and Waimea did not field JV teams.
Alyssa Gummerus pocketed 15 points to lead the Menehune victory. Kiaura Rita-Ortiz finished with 11 points, and Hailey Mata launched a three-ball in the first quarter toward her game-total nine points.
Jazlyn Corpuz pocketed a pair of treys toward her 10 points to lead the Red Raider effort, and Zariah Fernandez finished with eight points.
At the Wilcox Gymnasium, Lady Warrior guard Taira Samiano finished with a game-high 22 points, including a trio of three-balls, in an effort that fell short by eight digits.
Samiano sparked an early Warrior lead by netting eight of Kapa’s 13 points in the first quarter when the Lady Warriors left the frame with a five-point edge.
Island School responded by knotting the contest, 15-15 in the first three minutes of the second quarter. Halia Vicoy-Fumaono put the Voyagers up by a pair at the 3:49 mark, and up to a 20-15 edge at the 3:08 mark by sinking a plus one.
With 1:27 remaining in the half, Kapaa pulled to within three points when Samiano dropped a charity pair following four missed Voyager foul shots.
Vicoy-Fumaono and Breyanna Alfonso sparked the multi-pronged Voyager win with each player ending on 12-point notes. Alfonso ended the night with treys in the first and third quarters.
Kailea Sokau-Masulit finished with nine points, including a first quarter three-ball, and Kennedy Braun marked six points over four quarters.
The next girls basketball games take place on Thursday when Waimea High School travels to the Bernice Hundley Gym in Kapaa to take on the Warriors, and the Voyagers visit the new Kauai High School gymnasium against the Red Raiders.
At the Bernice Hundley, the Kauai and Kapaa JV teams make their season debut at the 5:30 p.m. tipoff. The varsity contest between Waimea and Kapaa tips off 20 minutes following the completion of the JV match.
Kauai High School and Island School will engage in a single contest with a 6:30 p.m. tipoff at the new Kauai High School gymnasium.
