KEAAU — If anything, Kamehameha is pretty adaptable, and switched to a 1-2-2 zone defense just in time to slow down Hawaii Prep’s one-man scoring machine, a 6-foot-2 hard-driving senior named Jonas Skupeika.
KEAAU — If anything, Kamehameha is pretty adaptable, and switched to a 1-2-2 zone defense just in time to slow down Hawaii Prep’s one-man scoring machine, a 6-foot-2 hard-driving senior named Jonas Skupeika.
The Warriors also relied on balanced scoring to knock off the tall Ka Makani 53-31 in the Keaau-Waiakea basketball championship on Saturday night at the Cougars Gym.
Nalu Kahapea scored 13 points, Bayley Manliguis had 12, Solomon Escalante added 10 and Pukana Vincent chipped in eight points for the Warriors, who bleed blue like their uniform color and are a diehard man-to-man defense team.
However, that changeup zone defense held Skupeika to just 14 points and none of his Ka Makani teammates had double-digit scoring.
On Friday night, each team took a different path to reach the championship, which could have been nicknamed Redemption road.
Skupeika was a highlight and produced 45 points, and HPA outlasted Waiakea 70-64 in double overtime to take the blue bracket at the Warriors Gym.
Behind balanced scoring from Vincent’s 18 points and 10 each from Cullen Cariaga and Kahapea, Kamehameha toppled Keaau 54-48 to seize the red bracket at the Cougars Gym.
The biggest question was: Could anybody guard the 6-foot-2 Skupeika?
The answer: everyone in a blue uniform with determination in their eyes.
“I liked how we played together,” first-year Kamehameha coach Vince Ulloa said. “We’re still trying to figure out our roles, but we have a lot of depth. Jonas is a terrific player, but we wanted to put help on the ball and throw a lot of people at him and wear him down. We’re primary a man defense, but we switched in the second quarter.”
Offensively, the Warriors attacked HPA’s 2-3 zone with a high-low post game. Kahapea caught the ball at the elbow and buttered his bread there with easy jump hooks.
In the fourth period, Kamehameha bolted to a 12-3 run to seize a commanding 51-26 cushion with 1:55 left. Six points off six turnovers.
During that spurt, the Warriors had three straight offensive rebounds. Colin Calip, one of the smaller Warriors, nailed one of two free throws to cap that scoring spree.
“We practice a lot on rebounding at practice and it gets pretty physical,” said Ulloa, the junior varsity coach last year. “We work on rebounding and free throwing a lot. I was pleased with our effort. Pukana was outstanding with his leadership and athleticism. He’s a four-year varsity player and you can see it. He and Bayley gave us good leadership.”
Both teams enter the BIIF season, which starts Monday, Dec. 21, with an empty stomach. (Kamehameha hosts St. Joseph while HPA visits Hilo on Friday, Jan. 8.)
Last season, the Warriors made life hard on themselves.
They had a chance to win the BIIF regular season title and earn an automatic berth to the HHSAA Division I state tournament, but they lost to Keaau 54-52 right before the postseason.
It’s only preseason, but maybe the Warriors felt a bit of satisfaction dispatching the Cougars, who went 5-7 last season and didn’t qualify for the four-team BIIF Division I playoffs.
Kamehameha eventually earned a state berth with a 51-32 rout over Kealakehe in the BIIF Division I semifinals. But, the No. 1 seed Warriors fell to a bunch of youngsters from No. 3 Konawaena 51-49 in the league championship.
No one saw that coming, except the Wildcats, who were born as basketball players under coach Donny Awa and his Kona Stingrays club team, and are pretty good at their second sport of football. Key cogs such as Austin Ewing, Kamakana Ching and Cameron Howes led Kona to the BIIF Division II football title.
Likewise, no one expected the then-defending HHSAA Division II state champion Ka Makani to not even reach states again. They fell to Pahoa 36-26, getting fed a taste of their own medicine in a half-court, slow-down battle in the BIIF semifinals.
After the tournament was done, one coach had a big smile and a look of satisfaction.
“They’re under a new coaching staff, but everyone is buying in,” Ulloa said. “We’re trying to get everybody together, and I’m happy where we’re at right now.”
Third place
Keaau 64, Waiakea 60: Damion Scandrick scored 14 points and Kirk Imai and Tzion Carland had 10 points each for the Cougars, who pulled the biggest upset in the four-day tournament.
Calvin Mattos scored 21 points and Noah Ferreira added 19 points for the Warriors.
Fifth place
Pahoa 36, Hilo 30: In a low-scoring game that suits the Daggers, Keinan Agonias scored 19 points to lead the charge for the defending BIIF Division II champion.
Isaac Liu scored 13 points and EJ Narido had 11 points for the Vikings.
Blue bracket
Kohala 47, Kealakehe 41: Lyle Lininbit-Labju scored 13 points and Chance Pang added 11 as the Cowboys finished 1-3 at the tournament.
Michael Jacinto scored eight for the Waveriders.
St. Joseph 64, Waiakea 2 36: Cole DeSilva (17 points) and Manato Fukuda (13) paced the Cardinals, who were 3-1 at the tournament.
Rekky Prudencio’s 14 points paced the Warriors.
11th place
Waiakea 2 48, Ka’u 35: Noah Tominaga finished with 14 points for the Warriors while Richard Souza tallied 13 for the Trojans.