KAILUA-KONA — Before entering a week-long stretch without a game scheduled, the Kealakehe boys basketball team had one final challenge to end their grueling week.
After a close third quarter that saw Honokaa close the Waveriders’ lead to three points, Kealakehe pulled away to a 61-51 win over the Division II Dragons (0-3) on Wednesday at the Kealakehe High School gym.
“They just kept hanging around and hanging around, and we couldn’t just pull away,” Kealakehe head coach Benny Alcoran said. “They’re a scrappy team. The coach, that’s how he plays — scrappy — and that’s how his team plays.”
Kealakehe (4-2), coming off a 39-31 loss to Hilo on Tuesday, started the game off strong, finishing the second half up 35-26.
Honokaa senior Hans Caronan had six points in the third quarter, including two from the free throw line, and Honokaa junior guard Jahsaiah Yoshizumi made both of his free throws to close the gap to a Kealakehe lead of 43-40.
The Waveriders were able to climb back up in the fourth to end the game, 61-51.
“We just calmed down. We were playing like we were losing,” Alcoran said. “We were in a rush, and they were freaking out and I told them to calm down, and play our game. We calmed down and slowed down a little bit.
“The pace was Honokaa the whole game. We managed to control a little bit of the pace in the fourth quarter, and we did better.”
Junior Howard Robert scored 23 points for the Waveriders, and senior Jason Abraham finished with 16.
Honokaa junior forward Emery Eberhard led the Dragons in scoring, finishing with 17 points. Caronan scored eight, Chylou Nobriga Guerpo seven, and Warren Tabucbuc finished with six for Honokaa.
Honokaa’s Yoshizumi and Kuha’o Kane both finished with five points each.
It’s back to the gym for practice for the Waveriders, who will play their next game Wednesday, Jan. 15 at Kau. That’s followed by a visit to Hawaii Prep on Jan. 17, and a home game against Division I rival Konawaena on Jan. 20.
Honokaa will host Keaau on Saturday.
Alcoran said the upcoming schedule is “a long stretch of crazy games” for the Waveriders.
“One of our best players, Howard, he’s nursing a hamstring so maybe that rest can help us and just get back in track working on the details,” Alcoran said. “We’ve played so many games the past couple of weeks that we didn’t get much practice. We’ll be working on the details, slowing it down, and getting back to how we normally play.”
BIIF Girls Basketball
Keaau 68-Honokaa 64
Anela Gonzalez-Tremaine didn’t just deliver an encore performance but a virtuoso one as well.
Keaau is glad she did because Honokaa’s Ka’ena Tagabi was almost as prolific.
Gonzalez-Tremaine scored 38 points Wednesday night, giving her 74 in her past two games, and the Cougars came back at home in the fourth quarter to beat the Dragons 68-64 in BIIF girls basketball.
Tagabi tallied 33 points for Division II Honokaa (1-3) which held a one-point lead entering the fourth quarter until the teams combined for 45 points.
There was plenty of scoring to go around in the first game this season in which both teams surpassed 60 points.
Dakota Muranaka finished with 11 points for Division I Keaau (4-1) and Chaelyn Aki had 10.
Kristen Ragasa chipped in with 12 points for the Dragons and Saige Tabac had 10. Honokaa led by six at the end of one and 28-27 at the half.
In the past 10 BIIF girls games though Wednesday night dating back to Dec. 27 there have been no fewer than six 30-point performances, including two apiece from Gonzalez-Tremaine, who scored 36 last Saturday against Christian Liberty and Konawaena’s Kaliana Salazar-Harrell (39 and 30). Three have come against Honokaa, including Nique Pacheco’s season-high 40 for Kamehameha.
Keaau likely will need more big performances from their junior standout as the schedule stiffens. The Cougars have road games at Waiakea and Hilo on Saturday and Monday, respectively.