By Wes Nakama
KAILUA — The OIA Eastern Division boys basketball title chase is now back to a neck-and-neck two-horse race, after visiting Kahuku sped past Kailua, 56-41, in a showdown at Harry Murai Gym.
A partisan but equally vocal crowd of about 300 and statewide TV audience on Spectrum OC16 watched Ronin Naihe score a game-high 18 points and grab eight rebounds and Kashus Daley add 17 points and six boards as the Red Raiders improved to 15-4 overall and 5-1 in league play. Dylan Kunz registered a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) and Sebastian Ledda added 10 points, three boards and two steals for the Surfriders, who fell to 15-7, 5-1.
The teams are tied for first place in the East, since Kailua won the first meeting at Kahuku on Dec. 23, 50-47.
This time around, the Surfriders sprung out to a 5-0 lead in the first 70 seconds, but Naihe answered with a jumper to ignite a stunning 18-4 run capped by Inoke Lloyd’s layup with 35 seconds remaining in the first period to give the Red Raiders an 18-9 lead.
Kailua closed it to 28-23 by halftime on Nainoa Hirasuna-Kenny’s eight-foot runner with 28 seconds left, but Kahuku opened the third period with a 14-3 surge capped by Daley’s three-point play with 2:56 remaining. The Surfriders could not get closer than 12 points the rest of the way.
“We just came out strong, you know we lost (to Kailua) at home, which was a really big loss and we took it to heart,” said Naihe, a 6-foot-6 junior forward. “So we came back out here, and we wanted it really bad from the beginning.”
After Maddox Pung closed it to 48-36 on a 3-pointer with 5:35 left in the game, Daley responded with six straight points on two free throws, a layup and short jumper in the paint to push the lead to 54-36 with 1:24 remaining, effectively sealing the victory.
“They’re a good team, it was the physical (aspect) of Kahuku, and we didn’t hit our shots,” Surfriders coach Walter Marciel said. “And then eventually we started gambling more on defense, and that’s where the score gets lopsided. I mean, you’re not hitting your shots, not even hitting post shots, and then you fall behind, way behind. Kahuku, tonight, was the better team.”
Kailua shot just 28.6 percent (16 of 56) from the field, including only 6 of 27 (22.2 percent) from 3-point range.
“I think they took some bad shots early on, and we kind of held strong and we just told them we have to stay at that level and not take bad shots, too,” Red Raiders coach Brandyn Akana said. “I thought we pretty much were in control of the game. But good defense — it started on our defensive side. We worked on team defense, and just knowing the personnel of their team, we were able to play exactly how we should have played. So we had a good scout on them.”
Kahuku held the lead for the entire game except for the first three minutes. Offensively, the Red Raiders displayed an all-around attack featuring transition baskets, post scoring and 3-point shot-making (6 of 16, 37.5 percent).
“We can drive and go up, or drive and kick (to the perimeter), and we can do a ‘one-more’ (pass),” Naihe said. “Our team is really unselfish right now, and we’d like to keep it that way.”