HHSAA Division II GIRLS BASKETBALL: #4 Kapaa outlasts Hawaii Baptist in double OT, 60-54

By Kyle Sakamoto
 
It went back and forth Wednesday between No. 4 seed Kapaa and Hawaii Baptist, complete with dramatic shots at the end of regulation and the first overtime.

In the end, Kapaa found a way to pull out a 60-54 victory over Hawaii Baptist in a semifinal of the state Division II girls basketball tournament.

“They pulled out a nice win,” said first-year Kapaa coach Williams Aki Jr. “No matter the outcome I would have been proud of them.

“We’re on an emotional high going into the next round. I’m more exhausted than them.”

In the second overtime, the Warriors scored the first six points to take a 54-48 lead. Of Kapaa’s 12 second-overtime points, 10 came from the free-throw line, including five from Kekai Gonsalves. The Warriors’ largest lead of the four-minute session was 59-51.

In the first overtime, Kapaa scored the first five points, including four from Reggie McCabe, to take a 46-41 lead.

The Eagles stayed close thanks to shaky free-throw shooting down the stretch by the Warriors. Kapaa was 4 of 10 from the line in the first overtime.

Hawaii Baptist had the ball with under 10 seconds remaining and trailing 48-45. Kayla Yamamoto got the ball and hit Amber Au, who hit a wide open 3-pointer   from the right corner with 4 seconds left to send it into a second overtime. It was Au’s first points of the game.

In regulation, Hawaii Baptist had the ball with 40 seconds remaining and the score tied at 39-39. Yamamoto hit Jennifer Uehara in the post for a bucket with 25 seconds left.

The Eagles’ Kimberly Au got a steal on the next possession, but Hawaii Baptist missed two free throws with 13.4 seconds left.
Kapaa brought the ball down the floor and McCabe hit Ethelyn Calvan in the lane for a basket with 7 seconds left. It was Calvan’s first points of the game.

The Eagles didn’t call a timeout after the basket, which allowed the final seconds to tick away.

Kapaa’s Jessilyn Aki scored 16 points, McCabe added 15 and Mahea Haine-Grace had 13.

Both Hanie-Grace and Aki fouled out in regulation.

“We didn’t have our two most experienced players, but the bench did a fine job tonight,” Aki Jr. said.

Kapaa scored the first 10 points of the game only to have Hawaii Baptist take a 10-point lead early in the second half.

Yamamoto scored 13 points for Hawaii Baptist.

Leaders
HBA - Points: Yamamoto 13, Uehara 11, Dang 10. Rebounds: Uehara 9. Assists: Ramos 2, Yamamoto 2. Steals: Kimberly Au 5. Blocks: Yamamoto 2.
 Kapaa - Points: Aki 16, McCabe 15, Hanie-Grace 13. Rebounds: McCabe 9. Assists: McCabe 3. Steals: Hanie-Grace 6. Blocks: Aki 1.