Konawaena and Hilo each improved to 4-0 with easy wins Monday ahead of their key BIIF Division I girls basketball matchup Saturday in Kealakekua.
In Kapaau, Kaliana Salazar-Harrell paced three scorers in double figures with 19 points as the Wildcats beat Kohala 78-6.
Kayla Pak scored 16 points and Braelyn Kauhi added 12.
Camille Fuertes led the Cowgirls (0-3) with four points.
In a matinee at their gym, the Vikings beat Kealakehe 64-8, dropping the Waveriders t0 1-2.
Boys soccer
After its first two matches were postponed, Hawaii Prep finally got its season going in style, going down the road to beat Honokaa 10-1 behind Aidan Santos, who tallied four goals and an assist.
Mason Hunt scored twice with an assist for Ka Makani, Dan Mizutani collected a goal and an assist, and Alex Link and Nate Lawton also scored.
Each team allowed an own goal as the Dragons fell to 2-1.
Keaau at Christian Liberty: The match was postponed.
Basketball
Kohala boys 63, Pahoa 13: In the first Division II boys game of the season, O’shen Cazimero scored 18 points, and Koby Agbayani and La’akea Kauka each added 11 as the Cowboys rolled at home.
Kailen Kamakeeaina led the Daggers with five points.
Konawaena boys 46, Keaau 29: Fast starts in the first and second half proved to be the difference for the Wildcats at home.
“We’re trying to just speed up the tempo,” said Konawaena head coach Donald Awa. “We’ve got some good athletes, and we really don’t want to get caught in a halfcourt game with anybody.”
Konawaena (1-1) jumped out to a 13-0 lead after the opening tip thanks to an aggressive defense that made Keaau’s backcourt uncomfortable all game. Coming out of halftime, much of the damage was done by junior Coby Molina, who scored eight of his game-high 17 points in the third quarter.
“Against Hilo, he never really got it going; we recognized after that, he should be our primary scorer,” said Awa. “We didn’t notice in the Hilo game until we watched the film that we need to get him more touches. It’s nice to see him get more aggressive, too.”
Also breaking into double figures for Konawaena was Abraham Ogata, who scored 10 points. Dane Bannister led the Cougars (0-3), scoring 10 points.
Pahoa girls 44, Kohala 41: Kuuipo Sylva’s 19 points in Kapaau pulled the Daggers to their first victory.
Keycinth Kaolowi led the Cowgirls with 15 points.
Friday
Kealakehe girls 50, Keaau 39: A fast start turned out to be enough to propel the host Waveriders to their first victory of the season. Led by junior Pearl Delos Santos, the Waveriders jumped out to an 18-0 lead. Delos Santos scored 10 of her team-high 20 points in the first quarter as Kealakehe built their early lead.
“Pearl’s our energy. She’s our workhorse out there,” said Kealakehe head coach Shawna-Lei Kuehu. “Today, she really felt it: felt comfortable and confident. She did her thing.”
The Waveriders’ lead stood at 20 at halftime after Kylea Medeiros drilled a buzzer-beating halfcourt shot to make it a 28-8 game.
In the second half, Keeau (0-3) leaned heavily on Olivia Yasutake to slowly chip away at the Waverider lead. The junior scored 19 of her game-high 26 points in the second half, preventing Kealakehe from turning the game into a blowout.
Kealakehe’s Medeiros was the only other player on either team to break double digits on the scoreboard, adding 15 points