Coach Cy Lopez was resigned to the fact that he was staring at yet another Ka‘u loss.
Instead, he saw something he’d never seen before. Who has, really?
Turns out two winless girls basketball teams Tuesday night were the perfect recipe for a classic in what was the last BIIF sporting event — and perhaps the wackiest — of 2015.
“It was crazy,” Lopez said of the Trojans’ 59-50 triple-overtime victory against Pahoa at the Daggers gym. “I couldn’t sleep all night.”
Reishalyn Kekoa led four Ka’u scorers in double figures with 13 points, converting on a pair of fastbreak layups in the third overtime as the Trojans (1-3) finally put Pahoa away.
But it was how the teams got there that was so improbable.
Ema Tua led all scorers with 14 points for Pahoa (0-4), which fought back from an eight-point halftime deficit and took the lead in the fourth quarter as the drama was just getting started.
Pahoa charged ahead by five and then Ka‘u went back in front by three and was trying to close the game when Faith Manuel-Kamakeeaina hit one 3-pointer to force overtime and another to tie the game again in OT.
Ahead by three with less than five seconds remaining in the 2OT, the Daggers looked in control as they inbounded the ball after Ka‘u missed two free throws, the last on purpose.
“I was pretty much bummed thinking it was over,” Lopez said. “I mean, it was over.
“The gym was rocking. The atmosphere was unreal.”
Perhaps that can explain what inexplicably happened next.
Lopez was begging his team to foul on the inbounds play, but before it could a Pahoa player apparently got turned around and made a 3-pointer in the wrong basket, sending the game to a third OT.
“I was speechless at first,” Lopez said. “In the huddle, I got on my knees and told the girls that God gave us a second chance.
“Nothing like this will ever happen again in our lifetime.”
The Trojans pulled away in the third overtime, allowing only one point.
Kianie Medeiros-Dancel and Deisha Gascon finished with 11 points apiece for Ka‘u.
Heavenly Kahalewai-Ke (11 points) and Manuel-Kamakeeaina (10) also scored in double figures for Pahoa.
The operative word on the Trojans’ bus ride home, Lopez said, was wow.
“Me and my wife stayed until 5:30 a.m. talking about the game,” Lopez said. “I never got to sleep.”
That didn’t stop Ka‘u from being back on the practice court at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
“Pahoa always gives us a good battle, but we have a lot of work to do,” Lopez said.
Pahoa’s JV won 41-13.
Ka‘u 13 13 5 4 7 7 10 — 59
Pahoa 7 11 10 7 7 7 1 — 50