Hawaii Beat
By Star-Bulletin Staff
By Star-Bulletin Staff
The Utes were co-champions in the Western Athletic Conference this season.
The 5-foot-3 Fuertes, who shared ILH player-of-the-year honors with BJ Itoman a year ago, turned down offers from the Hawaii, Nevada-Las Vegas, Pacific and Denver.
Scooter Martines led the seven-hit Buffanblu attack by going 2-for-3 with a double, triple and two RBIs. He helped Punahou take a 4-0 lead into the sixth inning.
Darryl Nitta (2-for-3) keyed Iolani's offense with a triple and RBI. The Raiders fell to 5-3.
Kamehameha, which leads the ILH with an 8-0 record, exploded for nine runs in the third inning. The Monarchs are 3-5.
The game ended after five innings due to the 10-run rule.
Lanakila Niles went the distance for Kamehameha, pitching a two-hitter and striking out four.
The game was stopped after the sixth inning due to the 10-run rule.
Blaine Watanabe led the way for the Owls, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs. Bradley Maruyama was 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
Reid Sakai and Shawn Lumpkin paired hits for UHS/HBA (1-7).
David Silva and Jandon Thorton added three RBIs apiece. Kevin Higa went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs for Maryknoll (0-8).
The urgency of the occasion was not lost on 5-foot-6 guard Cori Takesue, who scored 33 points in a 65-43 Iolani victory over Kamehameha last night at Kekuhaupio Gym.
The Raiders' win, combined with a win by University High, created a three-way tie for second place. Iolani, Kamehameha and UHS are 4-2. Punahou leads the ILH with a 5-1 record.
Just how much Takesue extended herself is reflected in the fact that she came into the game seventh in league scoring, averaging 10 points.
"We were just psyched up, because we had already lost two games," said Takesue. Iolani was coming off a 52-51 loss at Punahou last weekend.
The defending league and state champion Raiders are the only team to beat Kamehameha this season. They opened their ILH schedule with a 39-34 home-court victory over the Warriors.
Iolani head coach Bernie Ching was pleased with his team's execution. "Our fast break was working," he said.
So was the press, which allowed the Raiders to rally from a 10-4 deficit midway through the first quarter. Takesue scored her first six points to close the gap to 10-9 by the end of the quarter. After Rachel Watson hit one from inside the perimeter to give Kamehameha a 12-9 lead to start the second quarter, Takesue scored four points in a 5-0 Iolani run to give her team a 14-12 lead. The Raiders never trailed again.
Takesue scored 21 points in the second half. Tesa Ho added 10 for Iolani.
For Kamehameha, Watson and Kimela Keahiolalo each had eight.
In moving closer to the tournament title, Takanohana took Kotonishiki's belt with both hands at the outset, then tossed the sekiwake down with little trouble.
Ozeki (champion) Musashimaru, or Fiamalu Penitani from Hawaii (8-5), had Wakanohana tipping backward over the rim, ready for exit. But Wakanohana pulled off an excellent pivot, then dispatched Musashimaru with a twisting throw-down at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium.
Maegashira No. 7 Kyokudozan shoved the 624-pound No. 9-ranked Konishiki - Hawaii's Salevaa Atisanoe - straight back to the rim but lost anyway. The conventional attack played into the hands of Konishiki, who pivoted and gently pushed Kyokudozan out. The largest man in sumo is now 6-7, while Kyokudozan is 4-9.
No. 6 Maegashira (senior wrestler) Mainoumi (4-9) grabbed the belt of opponent ozeki (champion) Takanonami in a head-on attack, but the taller Takanonami hoisted Mainoumi over the opposite rim.
Takanonami now shares second place with fellow ozeki Wakanohana at 11-2.
Sekiwake Kaio (8-5) threw down komusubi (junior champion second class) Tosanoumi (6-7) after nearly three minutes of a slow-moving bout. Sekiwake Musoyama shoved out No. 4-ranked Misugisato (6-7) to take his 10th win against three losses.
Sekiwake Takatoriki (7-6) shoved maegashira No. 3 Higonoumi (3-10), to the rim, then dropped him with a twisting throw. Maegashira No. 4 Kotonowaka (10-3) threw down Komusubi Akinoshima (6-7). Maegashira No. 1 Kenko (4-9) shoved out maegashira No. 2 Oginohana (2-11).
Maegashira No. 5 Asanowaka advanced to 4-9 by dropping Oginishiki (2-11) in a lightning-fast twist-down. Maegashira No. 8 Tochinowaka (5-8) lifted maegashira No. 14 Kirishima (3-10) up and set him on the far side of the rim.
In the 26-member juryo division, just below the top makuuchi division, No. 10-ranked Daiki, or American Percy Kipapa, was bumped down to a 3-10 record by No. 5 Asahizato, while No. 5 Sunahama, or American William Hopkins, slipped to 4-9 after No. 9 Kotogaume thrust him down.