Honokaa coach Jayme Carvalho’s good sense of humor takes over when his team keeps losing the grip on the basketball and too many turnovers follow.
The Dragons had a bit of ball-handling issues in a 54-32 loss to Kailua in the first round of the St. Joseph Cardinal Classic on Thursday at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.
The Surfriders, from the OIA, led 30-11 at halftime before charging in front 53-23 with under five minutes left.
“Our rotation is not set right now. We’re trying to find guys who can give us quality minutes and take care of the ball,” Carvalho said. “We went 2-5 on Oahu. We averaged 26 turnovers a game. But that’s what the preseason is about. It wouldn’t be good if we were peaking right now.”
The last line would have drawn laughs at a comedy club if it were filled with basketball coaches.
The defending BIIF Division II champion Dragons also lost to league runner-up Hawaii Prep on Oahu in a preseason game.
“We got slaughtered by HPA,” Carvalho said.
It’s probably convenient when a lopsided score can’t be remembered. Maybe the Kailua loss fades away, too, but there were a few bright spots. Honokaa closed the game with a 9-2 run, a rather small consolation.
The Dragons also couldn’t capitalize on their opportunity at free points. They went 8 of 18 from the free throw line.
In the second half, Honokaa started to play its GID (Get It Done) style with ball pressure to force a few turnovers and race to the basket for layups.
“We started to do better when we moved the ball and stopped dribbling so much,” Carvalho said. “It’s no secret that we’re going to press and run.”
Senior guard Gene Ansagay came off the bench and scored his team-high eight points all in the second half. He relied on his quickness to drop in a few layups.
Ocean Guerpo-Beamer added six points while Kamuela Spencer-Herring, Micah Lorenzo, and Kalai Ahuna had four points each against a sticky Kailua defense.
Everett Torres-Kahapea scored 18 points and Isaiah Hopson added 16 points for the Surfriders, who fell to Konawaena 68-55 in the HHSAA Division I tournament’s first round last year.
The smooth-shooting Torres-Kahapea, who scored 21 points on 7 of 11 shooting against the Wildcats, provided a stiff challenge for Honokaa’s perimeter defense.
The Dragons lost three starters to graduation and took a hit with their length. At 6 foot 3, Spencer-Herring is the only big guy, and Honokaa had trouble with Hopson, who’s 6-6, and few of his other tall Surfrider teammates.
Even though Honokaa is a press-and-run team, when it’s time to shift to a half-court offense, Spencer-Herring is the first option and a beast under the boards.
“I think he’s the best big man in the league,” Carvalho said. “It’s like a Shaq (Shaquille O’Neal) effect with him. He’ll get cracked in the paint and maintain his composure. He won’t be losing his mind. Instead, he’ll keep battling. Our guards need to get him the ball.”
That job will fall to a trio of point guards: Ansagay, Lorenzo, and Kolten Caravalho, a nephew of Carvalho’s, despite the different spelling. His other nephew is forward Sheltyn Carvalho.
Those four are all seniors. There are nine seniors on the 16-player roster. That’s a lot of competition for playing time, which fits Carvalho’s egalitarian system.
“Gene and Micah are four-year players in the program. We need both of them to step up,” Carvalho said. “Kolten will help us, too.
“We need Gene to be a scorer for us, not only setting people up. Micah can play both ends of the court. He can shut his guy down on defense, and his jump shot has improved.”
And then Carvalho’s good memory came back, recalling what Honokaa struggled with against Kailua.
“We’ve got to make our free throws and hit our layups,” he said. “We missed 12 layups from point-blank range. We’ve got to limit our turnovers. Then that’s more possessions for us.”
It was a dream season for the Dragons last year with their first BIIF title since 2001 and a fourth-place finish at the HHSAA Division II tournament. They lost to Seabury Hall, coached by former UH-Hilo standout Scott Prather, in the third-place game, 52-43.
At least in BIIF Division II, there is no such thing as dynasties, only mini-dynasties. Since statewide classification in 2007, Kohala won three championships in a row (2007-09) and HPA pocketed two straight (2012-13).
That’s it, and the race to the top looks wide open this season. HPA figures to be a strong contender with a deep athletic roster. Last season was the first time the neighbors played for a BIIF title, and it likely won’t be the last time either.
“We are not taking any team lightly,” Carvalho said. “HPA will be right there. When the ball goes up, the game can go anybody’s way.
“We just have to worry about our job and responsibilities.”
The Honokaa coach forgot to mention ball-security again. But Carvalho can only laugh so much about turnovers. And as he mentioned, at least his team isn’t peaking right now.
