Strong Second Half Leads Waiakea Past KS-Hawai`i

The third time is always the charm.

Kaydee Rapozo scored 11 points to lead three Waiakea girls in double-digit scoring, and Waiakea defeated Kamehameha-Hawai`i 47-37 in the third and final meeting between the two East Hawai`i schools.

Kamehameha-Hawai`i (10-5, 5-2) defeated Waiakea in each of their first two meetings this season. On November 23, it took overtime for Kamehameha-Hawai`i to win by the score of 47-43. The game was a part of the Hilo High Lady Vikings Invitational Tournament held at Kawananakoa Gym.

The second meeting was a Big Island Interscholastic Federation regular season game played at Waiakea High School. Kamehameha-Hawai`i won in decisive fashion by the score of 57-39.

It appeared that Kamehameha-Hawaii would be on their way to another win over their public school visitors. After Waiakea’s Rapozo opened up the game with a three-pointer, Kamehameha-Hawai`i followed with a 9-0 run, sparked initially by a Riana Arima trey. Arima scored seven of her 12 points in the first quarter to help her team start the game with an 18-9 lead after the opening quarter.

Waiakea (10-6, 4-3) trailed by double digits in the second quarter before slowly creeping back into the contest. After turning the ball over nine times in the opening quarter, the Warriors only gave it up five times the rest of the game, with only two of them occurring in the second quarter. The defense also stepped up to the occasion, forcing Kamehameha-Hawai`i to give the ball away six times in the second quarter. Kamehameha-Hawai`i led 29-25 at the end of the first half.

Kamehameha-Hawai`i went ice cold in the second half. The home team shot 0-for-10 in the third quarter and 3-for-28 in the entire second half. The only points they scored in the third came from two Makamae Gabriel free throws.

That allowed Waiakea to pass by and take the lead for good in the third when Keani Shirai hit her only three-point attempt from the right wing. Waiakea led by the score of 37-31 after three quarters and watched the lead grow to as much as 11 points before winning by 10.

Kamehameha-Hawai`i had a lot of scoring chances thanks to great rebounding from Casey Poe, who added to her team-high 13 points by grabbing 18 rebounds. In the second half, however, she shot 0-for-9 from the floor. Her squad shot just under 26 percent for the game, making 13 of their 51 field goal attempts despite a six rebound advantage.

Arima added 12 points and six rebounds for Kamehameha-Hawai`i, but shot 2-for-7 in the second half. Gabriel and Namele Naipo-Arsiga each followed with four points.

Waiakea overcame a 50 percent (9-of-18) effort from the free throw line to pick up their fourth league win. Shaila Apele scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds while overcoming early foul trouble. The former Kamehameha-Hawai`i post player shot 3-for-4 from the field and 4-for-8 from the charity stripe.

Sefulu Faavae added 10 points 5-of-12 shooting. She also grabbed 12 rebounds in the winning effort.

Waiakea played without forward Daven Namohala-Roloos, who injured her knee last weekend. Head coach Grant Kauhi was still unsure of what exactly her injury was before the game on Saturday and was not sure if the team’s leading scorer would be able to play again this season.

Waiakea 9 16 12 10 – 47

Kamehameha-Hawai`i 18 11 2 6 – 37

BIIF Girls Basketball Scoreboard

Pahoa 41, Ka`u 28

Hawai`i Prep 40, Kohala 24

Hilo 67, Kea`au 32

Konawaena 51, Honoka`a 28