KAILUA-KONA — Ka’u didn’t shoot from beyond the arc often in a BIIF mixed division game against Kealakehe on Thursday. But a pair of late three-pointers helped seal a 45-43 victory in front of a large crowd at Waverider Gym.
The fourth period opened with both teams knotted at 33. Kealakehe quickly built a four-point lead off back-to-back shots by Tito Cabico and Howard Robert.
With their largest lead of the night, the Waveriders tried to pull away but the Trojans kept reeling them in. At the midway point of the period, Kaikea Kaupu-Manini knocked down a short jumper to tie the game.
After temporarily giving the lead back to Kealakehe, Ka’u hit its first big trey of the game, a shot by Izaiah Pilanca Emmsley to go up 42-39.
Led by Howard, the Waveriders fought back to take a one-point advantage at a minute and a half, but with 30 seconds to go, Kyson Toriano hit the Trojans’ second three-pointer. Toriano’s only points of the game could not have come at a better time.
“That is what we needed,” said Ka‘u player Andre Carvalho, who was the team’s leading scorer with 18 points. “I just told them both to shoot with confidence and that is what they did.”
Not yet in the bonus, Kealakehe was forced to foul immediately and caught a break with a forced turnover on an in-bound pass with 11 seconds remaining.
After moving the ball down the court, a second in-bound with four seconds to go put the ball in the hands of Robert, whose final-second shot sailed long and off the backboard, falling harmlessly to the ground to end the game.
Andre Carvalho led the Trojans with seven baskets and went 6-for-8 from the line.
“I was working on my inside shots and short jumpers and I just tried to get everyone else involved,” Carvalho said. “We played as one today.”
Robert led all scorers with 19 points.
“Howard is the heart of our team and everything goes through him,” said Kealakehe head coach David Fernandez. “He had an OK night and played hard, but he struggled shooting. For the rest of the season though, he is going to be the guy who carries us.”
Ka’u took an advantage early in the game but could not gained any separation until Kaupu-Manini grabbed a rebound off his own shot and rolled the ball in to give the Trojans a four-point lead.
However, Robert answered for the Waveriders with a three-point play on the next possession, getting fouled on a layup and sinking the free throw. He scored seven points in the first period.
A fast pace led to a total of 10 points scored by both teams in the opening minute of the second period, with Kealakehe taking a 15-14 lead off a layup by Robert. Robert netted four of his team’s six points during the run.
Ka’u took over for the final two minutes of the half, taking a 21-18 lead when Carvalho scored off a steal and followed up by making 1-of-2 shots from the line.
Brayden Ganir cut the deficit to one for the Waveriders off a steal and layup, despite facing a 2-on-1 situation under the basket.
The Trojans picked up a lone free throw, entering the half up 22-20.
The quick pace continued in the third period but early shots were not falling for either team.
After a minute and a half of no baskets, the drought finally came to an end when Robert rolled in a layup and added a plus-1 to put Kealakehe back on top.
With a minute and a half left in the third, Kealakehe took its first four-point advantage of the game off a layup and pair of free throws by Tyler Jacinto, who fouled out late in the game.
However, Carvalho scored on a long jumper and Emmsley picked up a layup off a steal to tie the game heading into the final period.
There, the deep ball became a threat for the Trojans, who did not hit a three-pointer before the final period.
“We shot very poorly and this was a tough loss,” Alcoran said. “Ka‘u is a scrappy team and they have a lot of heart. If you let them stay in the game, they will pull through.”
The Trojans will not play again until Jan. 3 when they host Honokaa. Kealakehe will welcome Kamehameha-Hawaii to Waverider Gym this Saturday. Both games are slated for a 7:30 p.m. start.