KEAAU – Keaau scored 13 points off Ka’u turnovers in the first quarter, led 19-5 and looked poised for a blowout, but the Trojans kept clawing back.
Patrick Mears scored 14 points and Shane Namnama added eight points off the bench to lift the Cougars over the Trojans 46-32 in BIIF game on Tuesday night at their gym.
Andre Carvalho scored 17 points, and Izaiah Pilanca-Emmsley added seven points for the Trojans (0-2).
During that stellar first period, the Cougars (1-0) had good spacing and took open shots. There was a good rhythm up and down the floor on both ends.
Keaau bolted to a 10-0 lead, and the visitors didn’t get on the scoreboard until Carvalho sank a pair of free throws with 3:42 left in the first quarter.
In the second period, the Cougars jumped on a 9-0 run, interrupted when Carvalho sank two free throws with 3:32 until the break.
The Trojans closed with a 6-0 run to trim Keaau’s halftime lead to 29-14. Ka’u had long scoring droughts in the first two quarters.
However, after halftime, the Trojans cleaned things up.
Despite Ka’u’s ball-handling issues, the Cougars finished with more turnovers, 21-19.
The Trojans started to lock down defensively, ran the floor every chance they got, and the shots stopped falling for Keaau, which was outscored 12-6 in the third quarter.
“All the hard work pays off,” Keaau coach Jun Pagala said. “We have a lot of improve on, but it was good to see the boys enjoy the game of basketball.
“The third quarter is not our best quarter, but I have to give credit to Ka’u for not giving up.”
Carvalho kept charging the rim and scored right before the buzzer. He got Ka’u within 35-26, but that was as close as the Trojans would get.
In the fourth quarter, the Cougars held the ball, milked the clocked and attacked when the Trojans were forced to come out and defend.
Mears got a putback that increased Keaau’s lead to 42-28 with five minutes to go, and Namnama stiff armed the Trojan comeback with a pair of free throws to cap the scoring.
In the JV game, it was Keaau 46, Ka’u 19.
Girls
Hilo 60, Kamehameha 22: Sam Brewer led the Vikings in double-figures with 14 points, and host Hilo jumped on the Warriors early and never let up.
Tatiana Rideout scored 12 points and Asia Castillo added 11 as the Viks (2-1) led 12-2 after one quarter, 28-10 at the half, then scored 22 points in the fourth quarter.
Nique Pacheco had a fine all-around game for Kamehameha (1-2) with 12 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Hilo won the JV game 51-19.