KEA‘AU — Kea‘au boys basketball’s high-octane offense came through once again Monday night, as the Cougars routed Laupahoehoe 65-26 in their home gymnasium.
Kea‘au set the tone from the very start, outscoring the Seasiders 18-7 in the opening quarter. Laupahoehoe couldn’t recover from there, as the Cougars then won every remaining period until the final buzzer.
Jaizaiah Pahinui-Willets and William Kirklin finished with a game-high 11 points apiece to lead the winners. Jayden Peters led the Seasiders with eight points, with no other teammate reaching double figures in scoring.
Monday’s win was the third time in the early season that Kea‘au (3-1) has scored over 60 points, averaging an impressive 58.5 points per contest. Winners of two consecutive, the Cougars will next take the floor against Ka‘u on Dec. 18 in Pahala.
Laupahoehoe remains winless at 0-3, averaging 34.7 points per game. The Seasiders will seek redemption against Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) powerhouse Kohala on Tuesday in Kapa‘au. That night will be the Cowboys’ ring night and banner reveal following their 2023-24 DII state championship.
Honoka‘a 65, Pahoa 59
Honoka‘a boys basketball escaped with a thrilling Monday night win in Pahoa town over the Daggers, winning 65-59 to remain unbeaten in BIIF play.
Pahoa started the night leading the Dragons 16-11, but Honoka‘a responded with a 21-12 second quarter to go into halftime with a 32-28 lead. The Dragons won the second half 33-31 to seal victory.
Honoka‘a senior guard Kukia Tagabi, who is averaging 34 points per game in the BIIF and 23 points a night overall, led his winning team once again with a season-high 37 points. Senior backcourt teammate David Aiona, who is the Dragons’ second-leading scorer at 19 points per game in the BIIF and 13.4 overall, chipped in 18 points. Junior forward Josiah Galdeira scored six.
The Daggers’ Kyran Canete, who averages 24 points per game to lead the group, scored a season-high 31 points. Teammate Rysaiah Abadilla added 12 points, followed by Christian Carvalho with seven.
The Dragons (2-4 overall, 2-0 BIIF), who average a league-high 75 points per game, will look to add to their two-game win streak by next hosting Parker at 5 p.m. Saturday in Honoka‘a town.
The Dragons also played against Christian Liberty Academy late Tuesday night at home. See Thursday’s paper to read the results.
Pahoa, averaging 47.5 points per game, is still finding its footing in the new season at 0-2. The Daggers will seek their first win in their upcoming Saturday matchup against Kamehameha Schools-Hawai‘i in Pahoa town. Tipoff will take place at 6 p.m.
