Boys’ Basketball: Second-half run helps Kahuku rally
past McKinley, 76-66
Talkstory central
for the
By Paul Honda
Editor
HondaReport.com
Behind some hot shooting by a core of guards—sometimes five
backcourt players at a time—the Tigers led by 15 points midway through the
third quarter.
Then the dam burst, and visiting Kahuku powered its way to a
remarkable 76-66 win Friday night at McKinley Student Council Gymnasium.
Clinton Parks poured in 18 points and Shosei Yamauchi tallied 17. Center Tevita Finau, who missed most of the first half with foul trouble, provided the punch on offense (10 points) and defense for the Red Raiders. Unranked Kahuku improved to 2-0 and will likely catch the attention of voters in the HondaReport.com Top Ten poll.
Lokahi Holder poured in a career-high 31 points, including four treys, to lead the Tigers. Abel Werner added 13 points and Josh Valdez tallied nine for McKinley, which seemed to have everything under control for a nearly-unbelieving crowd of about 400.
“We knew about Robert (Holder), their leading scorer. We knew Josh was their leader. And we knew about Abel. He’s an awesome athlete,” veteran Kahuku head coach Nathan James said. “But we knew if we got to the post, it would work out good for us. Tevita just needed to recognize and know when he was being double-teamed.”
Finau, a standout on the football field, last played
basketball at Maui High School after spending his first two seasons at
Lahainaluna. His debut in O’ahu Interscholastic Association play was on
Wednesday against a determined, but outmatched squad from
This time, against playoff contender McKinley, he showed signs of all-state potential. Crashing the offensive glass with total abandon, he scored all of his 10 points during Kahuku’s rally. Down 45-30, Kahuku went to a fullcourt press with Finau at the top. The 6-foot-5 senior scored on a tip, a pair of putbacks, and a resounding slam dunk on a no-look feed from Parks. After he came up with a steal that led to a layup for Okesene Ale, Kahuku was on a 27-3 run.
Finau, who sat most of the first half with two personal fouls, did the job inside with Yamauchi. The 6-2 Yamauchi, who roves the baseline and never takes a shot more than five feet from the basket, is a throwback type who had little resistance from the small Tigers.
The Red Raiders’ trouble with McKinley’s 2-3 zone dissipated. They swung the ball much more effectively with Finau in the post, and Parks took complete advantage. The guard drilled six 3-point shots as Kahuku seized control.
Kahuku led 57-48 with
Werner sank a 3-pointer to cut the lead to six, but Parks rained in another trey from the right wing. McKinley got no closer than six the rest of the way. Kahuku wasn’t very efficient from the line, but smart defense kept McKinley’s sharpshooters smothered.
The Tigers, 1-2 in league play, have endured a number of losses like this. Among the disappointing defeats: McKinley led Moanalua by 18 before losing.
With the 2-3 zone as an effective weapon—coupled with Finau’s early foul trouble—the Tigers kept Kahuku’s offensive glass-eaters under relative control. Holder, a 5-9 senior, drilled a pair of jumpers and a 3-pointer as McKinley took a 17-8 lead late in the first quarter.
“I had to make a decision to keep Tevita on the bench,” James said. “If we could stay close, we’re in the ballgame.”
McKinley’s first-year head coach, Bob Morikuni, was surprised to see Finau sit so long. “I didn’t even know Tevita had two fouls. I thought they were trying to match up with us,” he said.
Kahuku opened the second quarter with a 14-7 blitz. Ale’s 3-pointer from the left corner pulled the Red Raiders within 24-22, but Kahuku was unable to get over the hump. McKinley led 30-25 at halftime. “McKinley only had nine players, so we figured we could wear them down,” James said.
Kahuku pulled within two on another trey by Parks, but McKinley caught fire again. Werner scored on a fastbreak layup, drove for a 3-point play, and came up with a steal that led to a McKinley 3-pointer. The 15-2 run gave the Tigers a 45-30 lead.
By then, however, Kahuku had already extended its defense to full court. With Finau collecting steals and harassing the Tigers into miscues, the tide turned red. “Mentally, we’ve got to get tougher,” Morikuni said. “We had five guards out there.”
For most of the fourth quarter, however, the five guards struggled against Kahuku’s press, especially after Werner sat down with his fourth foul. “It’s the pressure. We have some guys who have never been in that kind of pressure situation before,” the heralded football quarterback said.
Morikuni is far from discouraged, but the Tigers missed a golden opportunity to knock off a key foe in a home game. “To get to the elite level of the OIA, we gotta win these kinds of games,” Morikuni said.
In the junior varsity battle, Micah Wily scored 13 points to
lead Kahuku over McKinley, 51-14. Peter Kim led the Tigers with six points.
|
@ McKinley |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
F |
|
Kahuku |
08 |
17 |
21 |
31 |
76 |
|
McKinley |
17 |
13 |
18 |
18 |
66 |