BY JOE FERRARO | WEST HAWAII TODAY ADVERTISING HILO — Konawaena’s boys basketball team made run after run, threatening to take control and grab the state tournament berth Hilo wanted just as badly as the Wildcats. The Vikings turned to
BY JOE FERRARO | WEST HAWAII TODAY
HILO — Konawaena’s boys basketball team made run after run, threatening to take control and grab the state tournament berth Hilo wanted just as badly as the Wildcats.
The Vikings turned to a player who enjoys the pressure of big moments: Jodd Carter.
The sophomore guard scored 28 points, with many of them coming when his team needed them most, as Hilo defeated Konawaena 68-64 in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division I semifinals Friday at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium.
The Vikings (10-4) advanced to today’s 7:30 p.m. Division I final at the Civic, where they will play defending champion Kamehameha-Hawaii (14-0) — a 64-43 winner over Kealakehe in Friday’s other semifinal. Both the Warriors and Vikings earned automatic berths in the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division I state tournament, which takes place Feb. 22-25 on Oahu.
The Vikings will make their third consecutive state tournament trip, and Carter proved a big reason why they got there.
Trailing 59-47 with 6 minutes, 30 seconds left, West Hawaii top seed Konawaena (8-3) went on a 17-5 run, tying the game at 64 on junior guard Kenan Gaspar’s fast-break layup with 2:08 remaining.
After Vikings sophomore forward Drew Kell split a pair of free throws, giving Hilo a one-point lead with 1:29 left, Carter almost single-handedly kept the Wildcats from gaining their first state tournament berth since 2008.
First, he scored on a layup off a feed from Vikings’ senior guard Kainoa Kawaha with 51 seconds left, making it 67-64. Then, after he missed two free throws, he blocked Gaspar’s runner in the lane before senior guard Rico Loeak capped the scoring by splitting two free throws with 25 seconds left.
Hilo coach Jason Mandaquit said Carter can flourish in crunch time because he quickly forgets about any play on the court — whether it’s a big 3-pointer or a turnover — and moves on to the next task at hand.
“No matter what the moment is, he always stays cool-headed,” Mandaquit said. “He must like (big moments) because he’ll make a bunch of big plays.”
He made them whenever Konawaena whittled down what was an 11-point lead at the end of the first quarter.
Wildcats sophomore Jonah Bredeson made it 37-31 with a 3-pointer from the left corner with 6:50 left in the third quarter.
Carter answered with a layup.
Konawaena pulled within six points on four other occasions in the third quarter. Each time, Hilo pushed the ball down the court, and Carter answered with a fast-break layup.
“(I like pressure) because it makes me play more aggressive.”
Carter and the Vikings got a big boost when Kawaha, the main cog in Hilo’s BIIF runner-up finish last season, returned to the lineup.
Kawaha had missed the past three games with a blood disorder that caused swelling in his spleen, and Mandaquit valued the point guard’s postseason experience.
“It’s nice to have a senior who’s been through it,” Mandaquit said.
Sophomore guard Jalen Carvalho added 11 points, and Loeak had nine for Hilo, which went just 16-of-31 from the free throw line.
Konawaena didn’t fare any better from the charity stripe, hitting 15 of 30.
Gaspar led the Wildcats with 18 points, and Bredeson added 17.
Konawaena coach Donny Awa wanted more consistent performances from several of his players against Hilo, a team he said “outworked us.”
“I was happy with how (sophomore guard Brandon Awa) and Kenan played,” Awa said.
“Some kids (only) played good in spurts.”
Donny Awa had big expectations for a team that added much-needed size in 6-foot-7 Brenton Shropshire and 6-5 Kanoa Santiago. The two post players joined a team that had a seasoned point guard in Brandon Awa and two reliable scorers in Gaspar and Bredeson.
The Wildcats showed plenty of promise in nonconference play, going 3-0 against top-notch Oahu teams and later toppling perennial power Pahoa. However, Awa said the team did not build on its early success throughout the season.
“I feel like we underachieved,” Awa said.
Konawaena 8 20 15 21 — 64
Hilo 19 15 19 15 — 68
— Kamehameha-Hawaii 64, Kealakehe 43: Leading 41-27 midway through the third quarter, the defending champion Warriors pulled away to reach today’s Division I final.
Junior guard Shaun Kagawa led a balanced attack with 16 points.
Senior forward Kaeo Alapai added 14, senior point guard Lanaki Apele chipped in 12, and senior guard Jacob Kackley had 11.
Senior guard Nalu Marks, who hit three 3-pointers, led the Waveriders (7-5) with 15 points, while senior forward Jacob Ontiveros had eight.
Kamehameha held prolific scorer Deion Utrera, who went scoreless in the first half, to seven points.
KS-Hawaii 23 15 11 15 — 64
Kealakehe 10 13 11 9 — 43
jferraro@westhawaiitoday.com
