Between the manic back-and-forth pace and the frenzied atmosphere in Kapaau, Hawaii Prep boys basketball coach Fred Wawner couldn’t quite remember how the fourth quarter and overtime unfolded in its totality.
Wawner just knows that, somehow, Ka Makani got it done.
“We just got a few stops,” Wawner said, recalling HPA’s 70-66 overtime victory Tuesday night against Kohala.
In a potential BIIF Division II championship preview, Cowboys speed trumped Hawaii Prep height for much of the night, expect in key spots.
Valentinas Ulinas, a 6-foot-5 junior forward, scored 24 points and Matija Vitorovic, a 6-4 guard, added, 18 as Ka Makani (3-0) remained one of two undefeated BIIF teams and handed the Cowboys (3-1) their first loss in a seesaw affair.
“For most of the game, they were on the attack and our height was not an advantage,” Wawner said. “Their pressure really gave us problems. In overtime, we were able to play a little more to our pace.”
HPA, the defending BIIF D-II champ, trailed by two at the half and took a two-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Freshman O’Shen Cazimero led Kohala with 20 points and Koby Agbayani scored 12.
The teams are only members of Division II with winning records, and Wawner looked forward to potentially seeing the Cowboys again, though not on their home court.
As expected, Kohala fans were ready to for a visit from Ka Makani.
“It was a great atmosphere,” Wawner said. “What a town. Unbelievable, the place was electric.”
While the Cazimero-led Cowboys looked primed to contend for their first state tournament berth since 2015, Wawner said HPA grew because of the experience.
“We had to handle some adversity and a really tough environment,” he said. “They put a lot of (defensive) pressure on you, and to be able to stay connected and be able to respond, that definitely shows something.”
In JV, Kohala won 56-43.
Kamehameha 58, Ka’u 48: Izayah Chartrand-Penera scored 18 points in Pahala as the Warriors ended a two-game losing streak.
Shesley Martinez scored 17 points for the Trojans (2-5), losers of three in a row, and Izaiah Pilanca Emmsley had 15.
Kamehameha (2-3) led 32-21 at halftime.
The Warriors won the JV game 42-38.
Waiakea 54, Pahoa 22: Rekky Prudencio scored 13 points and Will Soares added 12 as the Warriors (4-0) displayed another another suffocating defensive effort.
Damon Romero had six points for Pahoa (2-4), which has lost four in a row.
Waiakea is allowing just 29.5 points per game.
Pahoa’s JV won 50-47.
Hilo 48, Kealakehe 36: The Vikings (3-1) gave itself another boost in the Division I playoff push, dropping the Waveriders to 2-4.
Hilo plays its first D-II team Friday at home against Parker.