After a preseason opening game loss to Baldwin at the Maui High Tournament, the Lunas boys JV team had been tearing up and dominating the other opponents in the MIL. The team was looking forward to this match-up, on their home court, to exact some revenge for that loss. Tonight was not the night.
After going up 17-11 in the 1st quarter, the Lunas allowed Baldwin to get back in it. Transition defense was non-existent as Baldwin started to run and cut the lead to 17-16 at the end of the 1st. They played pretty even in the second quarter with the Lunas down 1, 25-26. The team also started standing around, content to just let Josh Chapital handle the ball and make 1 on 5 drives to the hoop.
In the decisive 3rd quarter, the Bears came out in a press. The Lunas could not get on track. With the Bears again pounding the boards for offensive rebounds and point guard Kody Takushi wreaking havoc in the backcourt and in transition, the Bears outscored the Lunas 18-4 to take a 44-29 lead after 3. Baldwin won 57-43.
My Two Cents
The stands at the 4:30pm tip-off were not filled. Either they were at home watching the Manny Pacquiao - Marquez fight on pay-per view or getting ready to watch the Lunas play in the HHSAA football playoffs against Konawaena at the War Memorial.
The Lunas play better when the ball is moving and everyone is involved. The offense that goes through and flows through Josh Chapital got stagnant. Easy to defend. Easy to rebound as everyone else is out-of-position.
Baldwin's Kody Takushi was on fire. He finished with a lot of points, includiing 5 3-pointers.
Immediately after the game, I took off for Wailuku to catch the football game. Unbeknownst to me, the Lunas football team was still at their locker facility on campus around the time i left! Turns out their bus did not arrive and they had to commandeer the boarders' bus! Another post-season bus fiasco for the Lahainaluna football team.
For more photos, click here.
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