Waiakea junior Calvin Mattos put on a highlight show, not with his scoring, but rather with his passing, all the while exposing a few flaws in a still youthful Konawaena squad.
Behind Mattos’ ball-sharing and a balanced attack, Waiakea defeated the Wildcats 60-44 in a BIIF Division I basketball showdown on Monday night at the Warriors Gym.
It wasn’t Mattos who led the Warriors (2-0) in scoring, but his fastbreak partner Noah Ferreira, who had 13 points, including seven in the fourth quarter with three layups.
Mattos and Kahinu Alapai had 12 points each while Alex Mathews came off the bench and contributed 11 points for Waiakea, which shot 43 percent (21 of 49) from the field and made 15 of 25 free throws.
Hauoli Akau scored 16 points and Austin Aukai added 15 points, each slashing to the rim, to lead the Wildcats (1-1), who struggled with their outside shooting, converting just 30 percent (17 of 57) and sank 10 of 16 free throws.
Two of Konawaena’s best players, Kamakana Ching, who had five points, and Austin Ewing, who had four points, picked up their fourth fouls early in the third quarter.
Still, even when they were back in the fourth quarter, the Wildcats didn’t have anyone who could guard Mattos, who beat defenders with dribble-penetration for passes or with his patented floater.
Mattos had four assists in the final eight minutes, the first on a fastbreak to Mathews for a 47-42 lead with 4:53 left, and the last to Ferreira for the final score.
Waiakea led 28-24 in a fast-paced first half that saw both teams attack the rim in transition and pick up a ton of fouls.
The Warriors went just 5 of 9 from the line while the Wildcats made 8 of 12 free throws.
Akau scored 11 points in the first half, including eight in the first quarter when his teammates were ice cold and went scoreless.
After misfiring on perimeter shots and jumpers, Konawaena started slashing to the rim for layups or trips to the free-throw line.
The Warriors lost a nine-point lead right before halftime, but started to play with patience to gain it back.
Alapai hit one of two free throws, Treyson Ishimoto sank a pair and then Waiakea rebounded and held the ball with 37 seconds until halftime. Ferreira buried a 3-pointer right before the the clock expired.
The Warriors’ defensive pressure forced 20 Konawaena turnovers; Waiakea had 15 giveaways. With those extra opportunities, the Warriors had more points off turnovers, 9-4.
With under five minutes remaining in the game, Waiakea spread the court and Mattos went to work, not just scoring but sharing the ball and showing that his team knows how to play like those that advance to states.
Konawaena 11 13 10 10 — 44
Waiakea 18 10 8 24 — 60
Kealakehe 73, Ka’u 42
Sophomore Richard Kaiawe-Kaluau scored 25 points in Pahala as the Waveriders shrugged off a slow start to even their record at 1-1.
Blaine Broberg added 15 points for Kealakehe, which dominated after trailing by six after the first quarter.
Pete Dacalio led the Trojans (0-1) with 11 points and Evan Manoha finished with 10.
Ka’u scored 18 points in the first eight minutes but managed just 13 total during the second and third quarters.
Kealakehe 12 15 19 27 – 73
Ka’u 18 7 6 11 –42