Hilo had a senior night to remember against Waiakea on Friday night in a BIIF basketball game.
Five players scored in double-figures, including seniors Rayson Padilla, Trey Une, RJ Solmerin, and Kiakahi Deperalta-Huihui in a 68-23 win over the Warriors at the Vikings gym.
Padilla scored 15 points, Une 14, Solmerin 12, Deperalta-Huihui 10, and junior Peyton Pana added 13 points for the Vikings (6-1), who committed just eight turnovers and led 38-12 at halftime.
Peyton Smith scored eight points, hitting two 3-pointers, and AJ Doll added five points for the Warriors (3-3), who committed 12 turnovers.
Waiakea also fell to Kamehameha 59-40 on Saturday at Koai’a gym.
On Friday, Waiakea struggled against Hilo’s man defense and transition game. Padilla and Solmerin each hit a pair of 3-pointers.
“Waiakea did look a little young, but they’ve got some good talent. They’ll be a problem for us in the future,” Hilo coach Ben Pana said. “As far as our guys, they’ve been practicing hard all week. We finally saw what Hilo basketball should look like with our transition game and our man defense. I’m really proud of these guys, especially the seniors.
“We were talking before the game, and they mentioned the last two senior nights Hilo never won. They came out with a little more fire tonight to end that little streak. Overall, everybody played well tonight. We just have to get back in the gym, fix some things on defense and get ready for the playoffs.”
The Viking closed the first quarter with a 21-0 run, highlighted by Deperalta-Huihui’s slam dunk for a 22-4 cushion. Pana closed the scoring spree with a reverse layup.
Hilo outscored Waiakea 14-8 in the second quarter when Smith buried his two 3-pointers, the last to the Warriors within 29-12.
Then the Vikings went on a layup drill. Padilla had two layups, and Villena had one during Hilo’s 9-0 run for a 38-12 halftime lead.
Une, a muscular forward, overwhelmed the smaller Warriors in the third quarter. He had two putbacks and scored on a three-point play.
Pana, who was the biggest player on the court, was an unstoppable force. He backed down defenders and powered through double teams, his last basket in the third quarter pushed Hilo ahead 57-19.
Smith drew a foul on an attempted 3-point attempt with no time in the clock. He made 2 of 3 free throws to slice Hilo’s lead to 57-21 heading into the final eight minutes.
In the fourth quarter, the Vikings outscored the Warriors, 11-2. Une scored on a putback and hit a 3-pointer. Deperalta-Huihui sank 4 of 4 free throws and scored on a putback.
“Everybody is improving over the season, so I look forward to some really good battles whoever we face,” Pana said of the playoffs.