KALAHEO — The top-seeded F-N-G girls and Pop It will tip off for the championship of the Kaua‘i Youth Basketball Association, Girls 18 and Over division, Saturday starting at 7 p.m. Natalie Mata, playing her last game before heading off
KALAHEO — The top-seeded F-N-G girls and Pop It will tip off for the championship of the Kaua‘i Youth Basketball Association, Girls 18 and Over division, Saturday starting at 7 p.m.
Natalie Mata, playing her last game before heading off to college, paced the F-N-G blackshirts with a game-high 11 points in their 37-24 edge over Wailua in the first of two playoff games, Monday night at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
Similarly, ball handler Ashley Mier of Pop It finished with high-point honors to lead the No. 2-seeded team on a dozen marks in its 36-26 win over a hard-pressing Kilauea Hui squad.
“Rachael Taira picked the team, and did a real good job,” said Paul Barba, a parent and Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation coach, following the F-N-G win. “She mixed up the girls and even if several of the key players are leaving for college, Saturday, she has enough depth to help the team carry on.”
Barba, whose daughter Kierra, another ball handler, is also leaving for college, said the type of defense played by F-N-G should be a key factor in the title game.
“They’ve been really good on defense through the season, so it should be interesting Saturday night,” Barba said.
The strong F-N-G defense kept Wailua to just seven points in the first half of the Monday playoff, while Natalie Mata ignited for seven points, including a three-ball, to lead F-N-G to a 25-7 halftime lead.
But Wailua came back in the final period to net 15 points to F-N-G’s 10 points to pull itself back into the arena. That came from three treys, two from Kathleen Cadiente and one from Chelsie Villatora.
Villatora, Kathleen Cadiente and Kira Taylan, also nailing a trey in the third quarter, paced the Wailua effort with six points each followed by Kelsey Cadiente finishing with four points and a pair from Kayla Werner rounding out the numbers.
Natalie Mata finished with 11 points to lead F-N-G, followed by Tatum Gonsalves adding eight points and Kierra Barba finishing with six points. Sheana Mata, Taira and Erin Garlie each chipped in a pair.
Aggressive play continued as Pop It stayed just ahead of a tenacious Kilauea Hui effort in the second playoff match.
Mier, a former Waimea High School guard, finished with a pair of three-balls en route to her 11-point showing. She was joined by Ashlee Vea, another strong guard for Pop It, crashing up the middle for eight points, combining with the low posting of Virginia Aguilar adding seven points in the paint.
“She got everything from me,” said Kekoa Colipano, a Kapa‘a High School and Mixed Plate guard.
Colipano was pleased with the strong second-half showing of the Hui’s Layna Christian, a former Piopio Bear turned Kapa‘a Warrior, who finished the night with a game-high dozen points, including eight coming in the second half.
Sarah Tangalin added five points, with Destiny Smith finishing with three. Kapua Chandler, Caroline Troutman and Kirstie Daly each netted a pair, belying their strong defensive performances on the floor.
The Hui meets Wailua for third-place honors in the KYBA Girls 18 and Over league starting at 6 p.m., Saturday at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
F-N-G tips off against Pop It for the title starting at 7 p.m.
