Hilo coach Bruce Ferreira was thinking golden goal. Or, to put things in basketball terms, golden basket.
The final of the Vikings’ Holiday Prep Classic was headed to overtime Saturday night, but after a third game in three days Ferreira already was looking ahead to his team’s BIIF regular-season opener against Kamehameha on Monday.
Instead of another four minutes of preseason play against Konawaena, Ferreira wondered aloud if the OT could be decided by the first basket.
“I asked (my players) and they said, “No way,”’ Ferreira said.
However, the first basket of the overtime was huge. Rayson Padilla’s 3-pointer put the Vikings ahead for good as they pulled away for a 53-44 victory to give claim the tournament title.
“We were inconsistent and had some silly turnovers and weren’t hitting some of our open jumpers, but the resilience they put up was unbelievable,” Ferreira said. “They knew if they kept fighting they would have a chance at the end, and that’s what happened.”
Kaukahi Alameda scored 17 points for Hilo, and Padilla and RJ Solmerin each added nine.
Kainoa “Boo” Jones led the Wildcats with 15 points.
Konawaena has a little more height than Hilo, but otherwise the teams play similar styles.
“It probably makes it harder,” Ferreira said. “When a team doesn’t play your style, you can push it upon them to play our game. But when they want to play the same way as us, it’s tough.”
The Wildcats advanced in Friday’s semifinals with a 52-49 victory against Kohala, getting 21 points from Jones and 13 from Kahiau Holzgrove.
Hilo finished third at the Waiakea-Keaau tournament in November, losing only in the semifinals to Waiakea, which went on the beat Hawaii Prep for the title.
On Monday at the Vikings’ gym, it turns real as Kamehameha visits.
“I watched (Kamehameha) at the Honokaa tournament, and they looked really good,” Ferreira said. “They have bigs, good guards, pretty much the whole package. It’s going to be fun, so if fans can come out and support both teams, it will make it very interesting.”
Monday’s contest won’t be the only time this season guard-heavy Hilo faces a size disadvantage.
“It’s no secret, we have to block out or we’ll be in trouble,” Ferreira said.
Despite that OT, Hilo shouldn’t be in trouble because it’s tired.
“One day off is enough for young boys,” Ferreira said.
Kahiau Holzgrove.
Hilo finished third at the Waiakea-Keaau tournament in November, losing only in the semifinals to Waiakea, which went on the beat Hawaii Prep for the title.
On Monday at the Vikings’ gym, it turns real as Kamehameha visits.
“I watched (Kamehameha) at the Honokaa tournament, and they looked really good,” Ferreira said. “They have bigs, good guards, pretty much the whole package. It’s going to be fun, so if fans can come out and support both teams, it will make it very interesting.”
Monday’s contest won’t be the only time this season guard-heavy Hilo faces a size disadvantage.
“It’s no secret, we have to block out or we’ll be in trouble,” Ferreira said.
Despite that OT, Hilo shouldn’t be in trouble because it’s tired.
“One day off is enough for young boys,” Ferreira said.
In the third-place game, a team from Punahou beat Kohala 60-55. Pahoa beat King Kakaulike 45-35 for fifth, and Kealakehe took seventh, downing St. Joseph 44-23.
In the only other BIIF game on the docket Monday, Waiakea’s girls travel to Ka’u.
HBA cruises
Defending state Division II girls basketball champion Hawaii Baptist finished 3-0 at Ka Makani Tip-Off Classic, beating HPA 57-26 on Saturday behind Sasha Philip’s 19 points.
Maja Bordova scored 13 for HPA, which went 0-3, also losing to Mid-Pacific and McKinley.
Keaau finished 1-2, beating McKinley on Thursday. Anela Gonzalez combined for 54 points for the Cougars, including 21 in a 52-38 loss to Mid-Pac on Saturday.
Kohala also finished 0-3.
Soccer
Shiloh Perez scored four goals and added two assists, and Kulua Ka’ai scored twice Saturday as Kohala beat Christian Liberty 9-0 in Keaau, spoiling Canefire’s return to the pitch after a two-year absence.
Daniel Cordeiro, Justus Ventura and Kainalu Yamamoto each scored once for the Cowboys (2-0), and Kamani Provençal collected the shutout.
Kamehameha 9, Ka’u 0: Buddy Betts and Kanaka Kualii-Quihano netted hat tricks and Logan Waltjen added two goals and an assist for the visiting Warriors (1-1).
Kenui Kalaola-Maruquin also scored, and Chris Knell had three assists.
Girls
Kamehameha 9, Ka’u 0: Chenoa Frederick scored four times, and Sophia Wilson, Raeshalyn Respicio, Tabitha Pacheco, Stella Menino and Taylan Mangauil-Noah once apiece for the Warriors (1-0-1).