Once dependent on perimeter shots, Keaau looked like a different team on Saturday at the Hilo High Holiday Prep Basketball Classic.
Behind strong post play from Damion Scandrick and Tzion Carland, the Cougars defeated Hilo 47-43 for third place at the three-day preseason tournament at Hilo Civic, displaying an inside-outside scoring punch.
Kirk Imai scored 15 points, including two 3-pointers, to lead the way for Keaau. Scandrick had 11 points and Carland added 10 points, each relying on their muscle to score under the basket and open up perimeter shots.
The Cougars converted just 33 percent (16 of 48) from the field, missing often on clean looks from the outside, but Scandrick and Carland got more than share of putbacks.
Isaac Liu scored 13 points, including eight in the fourth quarter, while Lawrence Padasdao added 11 and EJ Narido eight points for Hilo, which shot 45 percent (17 of 38).
The Vikings closed to 36-34 after Narido drained a 3-pointer, but Carland scored on a putback and Keaau’s post game took over from there.
One play in particular showed the nice ball movement between the two bigs. On a fastbreak, Carland dribbled down the lane and dished to Scandrick, who sank an easy layup for a 43-37 lead with 2:45 remaining.
The Cougars tagged fouls on Hilo, but hit just enough free throws, 12 of 21, to help themselves. The Vikings took far more jumpers and barely went to the line, and made 5 of 9 free throws.
The key was surviving the third quarter, when the Vikings took a 25-24 lead with a 7-0 scoring run.
“We had a sloppy third quarter when we gave back the lead,” Imai said. “Then after that we took care of the ball and found our bigs. We had to lock down on their key players Isaac and EJ.”
Late in the second quarter, Logan Leyson, a senior forward, came off the bench to give the Vikings a mini-scoring boost. He found a gap in Keaau’s 2-3 zone for a layup, and later nailed a 3-pointer. Those back-to-back baskets cut the Cougars’ lead to 20-14 at halftime.
About three minutes earlier, Scandrick scored on two straight putbacks to give Keaau a 17-8 lead. After he missed a free throw on a three-point play, everyone forgot that it was a live ball. Scandrick scored on probably the easiest putback in his life.
In the third quarter, Imai knocked down a pair of 3-pointers, the second about three feet behind the arc or NBA distance for a 30-25 lead.
“I usually shoot from there and people don’t think I can make it,” he said. “But if they give me space, I’ll take it.”
It was a meaningful win for the Cougars (5-7 last season), who’ll likely be in a dogfight for the Vikings (2-10) for a spot in the four-team BIIF playoffs.
Keaau locked down defensively, on Liu and Narido, Hilo’s two key players, and, more importantly, found a new source of offense with a reliable post game.
