Versatile Ale
leads Kahuku

Okosene Ale Jr. can play any position, and probably could drive the team bus, too, if necessary.

Ale, a 6-foot-1 junior, scored 23 points as Kahuku fought off Mililani, 69-61, at the Trojans' gym last night.

Devin Unga tallied 16 points and Clinton Parks had 10 before fouling out with 4:14 left. When Parks, a junior point guard, left the game, Ale took over the ball-handling duties without a glitch.

The win lifted Kahuku to 4-1 in nonconference. The Red Raiders are ranked No. 9 in the Star-Bulletin Top 10.

"I'm happy for the young men. This whole thing is about them," longtime Kahuku coach Nathan James said. "They have the highest GPA (3.2) of any team on campus. Their parents are doing a great job."

Mililani dropped to 3-1. Nick Rogers led the Trojans with 13 points. Ryan Schuler added 11.

"We need to rebound a lot better, and play better defense. This is the same thing when we played Moanalua last week," Mililani coach Mike Coito said.

The visiting Red Raiders opened the game up with a run in the second quarter. Ale's 3-pointer from the left wing gave Kahuku a 36-25 lead with 1:55 left in the half. The Trojans closed to within five on Schuler's 4-point play at the buzzer.

Mililani stayed in its 2-3 zone after halftime, but Kahuku took advantage of gaps near the baseline. Parks scored on back-to-back baseline drives as the Red Raiders went on a 10-4 run. Kahuku led 49-38, but couldn't put the game out of reach.

The Trojans' turnover count slowed as the fourth quarter started, resulting in a 10-3 run. Jonavan Santos scored consecutive baskets and Schuler hit two foul shots to pull Mililani within 54-50 with 4:45 remaining.

After Parks fouled out, Ale took command in the back court with help from Unga.

"I felt very confident," James said. "We had Junior, Clint and Shane (Hayden) play guard at practice."

Ale hit a 12-foot bank shot and Viliami Tilini came up with a key blocked shot. Tilini also hustled for an offensive board and kicked the ball back out to run more time off the clock. Ale sank two foul shots to give Kahuku a 64-54 lead with 1:45 remaining. Mililani got no closer than six the rest of the way.

Extra points: The Punahou Holiday Classic and Walter Wong Tournament, hosted by Saint Louis, tip off Monday. Punahou's 16-team field includes former tournament champion Fullerton (Calif.).