JV Boys Basketball: Lunas defeat Warriors in buzzer-beater
Photo by Brianne Reformina
Lahainaluna jv boys basketball narrowly defeated the Maui Warriors 28-27, Jan. 7, at Baldwin High School Gymnasium.
WAILUKU– Lahainaluna junior varsity boys basketball defeated Kamehameha Schools Maui, scoring 28-27 yesterday, Jan. 7, at Baldwin High School Gymnasium.
“The game went pretty well defensively, but offensively, we need to work harder,” said Michael Kalalau, leading scorer for the Warriors.
Kamehmeha Maui started the game with four points within the first 30 seconds. Freshman Nash Chaney grabbed the ball from the tip-off and scored the first field goal. Sophomore Joshua Grant stole the ball off a swing from the Lunas, and pushed the fast break to miss the lay-up, but freshman Henry Miguel rebounded and scored.
“I was not happy with how we [Lunas] won because we practice hard, and it didn’t show in the beginning of our game today,” Luna Kuikawa Ross said.
With the Warriors in the lead, Lahainaluna pushed and scored a field goal by Juztin Gaoiran.
Before the first quarter ended at 4-7 with the Lunas in the lead, Ross put up a 3-point field goal.
The second quarter began with Grant tying the score 7-7. Not far behind, Luna Tyrone Nakooka took a chance to score a field goal and created a lead for Lahaina.
Sophomore Henry Miguel made a steal, but drew a foul as he neared the basket, denying any points, and the first ended at 17-12, with Lahaina in the lead.
Throughout the third quarter, the Lunas caught on to the Warriors’ defensive play and stole the ball more, but shot few field goals. A score on a steal by Chaney, added two points and ended the third quarter 24-16, with the Lunas holding onto their lead.
The Warriors attempted to close the lead in the fourth quarter, with Kalalau leading the team in scoring. They made most of their field goals off in-bound plays, catching the Lunas off-guard.
With 1:43 on the clock, and the Warriors tied with Lunas 24-24, Kalalau fouled out.
The Lunas’ Locke missed both free throws, and the Warriors were temporarily in the lead 27-26, but the win slipped from the Warriors fingers as Luna Malino Jacinto made a buzzer-beating field goal, ending the game 28-27 for Lahainaluna.
“The [Lunas] really pushed through the fourth quarter, and that’s all I could ask of a team,” Lahaina coach Alec Austin said.
