For the girls, there haven’t been any big upsets so far, but Hawaii Prep came close against Kamehameha on Saturday at Koaia gym.
The Warriors played without Nique Pacheco and barely hung ona to beat Ka Makani 40-38 in a BIIF basketball battle behind Kama Kuhaulua-Stacey’s nine points. Pacheco, who injured her ankle against Ka’u on Wednesday, is expected back for the next game, at home against Kohala on Monday.
HPA had its best performance of the season and led 20-13 at halftime. Kyana Brucelas scored 16 points, and Maja Burdova added 11 points.
Waiakea 87, Kohala 22: Claire Kaneshiro scored 19 points for the Warriors.
Hilo 66, Kealakehe 24: Samm Brewer scored 20 points, and Mindy Kawaha added 10 points for the Vikings. Renell Kaupu scored nine points, hitting three 3-pointers, for the Waveriders.
Honokaa 63, Pahoa 34: Destynee Carvalho scored 19 points, and Kaena Tagabi had 18 points for the Dragons. April Gamponia had 11 points, and Kuuipo Adolpho added 10 points for the Daggers.
Boys
Honokaa 52, Pahoa 36: Isaac Jardine scored 12 points while Kalewa O’Neill and Kaleb Yamasaki had 10 each for the Dragons on Saturday at home.
Konawaena blues
There are three games on Tuesday, each with playoff implications in what’s been an unpredictable season.
Who would have guessed that Konawaena, which has made it to states the last six years, would lose to both Parker 55-47 and Ka’u 63-60, a pair of Division II schools that have never made it to states?
The Wildcats hit the road to play at unbeaten HPA, which has height, experience, and team chemistry — components Konawaena is trying to build, especially the latter two.
A loss would drop the Wildcats to 4-3 and into third place in the BIIF Division I standings with a tough slate of games left: at Kamehameha and home games against Keaau, Kohala, Waiakea, and Kealakehe.
It goes without saying that a key to a seventh straight trip to states is to avoid the No. 4 seed in the four-team BIIF playoffs. That’s a likely death sentence with a matchup against heavy favorite Waiakea.
One problem for the Wildcats is that when someone gets hot, they’ve struggled to throw cold water on that scorer and make others beat them. Connor Brown scored 33 points for the Bulls, and Izaiah Pilanca-Emmsley dropped 31 for the Trojans.
Bull rush
Parker (1-3) faces rebuilding St. Joseph (0-5) in what’s pretty much a must-win game for the Bulls to qualify for the four-team BIIF playoffs.
On Friday, Hilo’s athleticism dealt the Bulls a 55-34 loss. Fortunately for Parker, the Cardinals play a similar half-court, slowdown style. The Bulls need to get stops and the ball into Brown’s hands. He was held to 10 points against the Viks.
One day later, the Bulls host Pahoa in another must-win game.
Then Parker needs to double down and deliver another upset special or two to somebody on its remaining schedule: HPA, Kohala, Honokaa, Waiakea, Keaau, and Kamehameha.
O’Shen attack
The Vikings and Cowboys look like locks to qualify for the BIIF postseason. But the showdown is probably the best game in town on Tuesday.
O’Shen Cazimero, Kohala’s smooth-dribbling point guard, is arguably the best ball-handler in the league. He lit up Keaau for 36 points in an 82-62 win and had 16 points and a late layup to upset Kamehameha 50-48.
Hilo has the horses to apply a full-court press and make Cazimero give up the ball. But the freshman is instinctive enough to pass the ball before trouble and traps come or race to the rim for kickouts.
He’s following in the footsteps of former Cowboys Brandon Bautista and Kealen Figueroa, both BIIF players of the year.