High Winds Postpone Key BIIF Hoops Game in Kohala

Kohala’s opportunity to clinch a spot in the New City Nissan/Hawai’i High School Athletic Association Boys Division II Basketball Championships is on hold due to heavy, damaging winds.

Kohala High School athletic director Laurie Koustik told Big Island Now Saturday afternoon that her school’s home game against Honoka’a has been postponed and will be played Monday night at the school.

Koustik said that the game, initially scheduled for Hisaoka Gym at Kamehameha Park, had been moved to the school’s gymnasium because of multiple issues. Power was not functioning at the site, and wind caused a set of grandstands at the park to fly off.

Hawai’i County Civil Defense says that the park is currently closed.

At the school, power was also out, and Koustik was told that it would not be brought back on anytime soon, forcing the postponement of the junior varsity and varsity contests.

The game has ramifications on postseason play for both schools. If Kohala won, it would have finished league play with an undefeated record, sealing the Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division II regular season championship. It also would clinched a spot for the Cowboys in the state tournament, held Feb. 25-28 on Oahu.

For Honoka’a, a win over the Cowboys would clinch the final berth in the KTA Super Stores/BIIF Division II Boys Basketball Championships, held Friday and Saturday at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium. A loss, however, would push the Dragons into a tie with St. Joseph for the fourth and final seed in the tournament.

The Cardinals have a 4-8 record after Friday night’s win in Ka’u.

To break the tie, the BIIF has mandated a playoff game to determine the final entrant into the tournament. The playoff game was tentatively scheduled for Monday at Honoka’a, should it be needed, but it has now been moved back by a day.

Ironically, if Honoka’a were to win Monday night, or win its playoff game the next night to get into the tournament, Kohala would be its opponent at 2:30 p.m. on Friday.

Potential playoff games scheduled

Along with Tuesday’s potential playoff game for the final berth in the BIIF Division II tournament, plans are set for a potential playoff game for the final seed in Division I.

Kea’au kept its playoff hopes alive with a come-from-behind victory at Kamehameha-Hawai’i Friday night. The Cougars outscored Kamehameha-Hawai’i 16-2 in the final quarter to pull out a 54-52 victory.

Kea’au’s season now hinges on Saturday night’s game between Kealakehe and Hilo. If the Vikings win at home, the Waveriders would fall into a tie for the final spot in the playoffs with a 5-7 league record.

BIIF basketball coordinator Kalei Namohala, athletic director at Ka’u High School, said Saturday that a potential playoff game would be played on Tuesday at Kealakehe High School. The game would be held at Kealakehe High School.