ISLE FILE
Hawaii-Hilo basketball team drops two in Denver
Advertiser Staff
In a game featuring a battle of two former All-State players from Hawai'i, Colorado School of Mines defeated Hawai'i-Hilo, 77-72, last night on the final day of the Denver Thanksgiving Tournament.
Kyle Pape, a 2005 'Iolani School alum, scored a game-high 24 points to lead the Orediggers (3-1). Pape, a 6-foot junior guard from Honolulu, hit 7 of 14 field-goal attempts (2 of 3 from 3-point range) and made 8 of 11 free-throw attempts.
Pape scored 12 points in the final 10 minutes to help the Orediggers overcome a small deficit in the tightly contested game.
Senior forward Samuel Wilhoite, a 2004 Kalaheo High alum, had 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Vulcans (1-2). Jacob Briggs added 19 points and Rashad Bilal contributed 13.
On Friday night, the Vulcans charged out of the starting blocks, but couldn't maintain the pace in falling to Regis, 65-58, in the opening round.
The Vulcans surged to a 16-2 lead before stumbling on turnovers — 23 for the game.
"We hit the wall," Hilo head coach Jeff Law said. "We didn't take care of the ball and it wasn't just one player but everybody."
John Smith scored 13 points, and Perry Baggett contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Vulcans, who outrebounded Regis 45-28.
MORE BASKETBALL
HAWAI'I PACIFIC LOSES TWICE IN CALIFORNIA
Sharp-shooting Darroll Phillips scored 32 points as Chico State defeated Hawaii Pacific, 75-64, last night on the final day of the Mac Martin Invitational at Chico, Calif.
Phillips hit 11 of 16 shots from the field, including 7 of 10 from 3-point range, to set the two-day tournament record with 58 points.
Jesse Soto added 14 points and Rod Hawkins 10 for Chico State (2-2).
Justonn Smith scored 20 points and Ryan Walker 11 for HPU (2-2).
On Friday night, Andrew Kochevar scored 23 points as Sonoma State defeated Hawai'i Pacific, 70-58, in the opening round.
Jason Curtis scored 21 points, and Smith added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Sea Warriors. Rishi Kakad contributed 12 points.
The Sea Warriors took a 28-19 lead at the half, but couldn't hold off Sonoma State's comeback.
HPU shot 42 percent from the field (12 of 29), but saw the Wildcats surge to 51 second-half points on 14 of 20 shooting. Sonoma State also went 19 for 21 from the free-throw line.
GOLF
KONO FALLS IN SEMIFINAL; KIM BEATEN IN FINAL
Vicky Hurst of Melbourne, Fla., defeated former Big Island resident Kimberly Kim, 3 and 2, Friday in the championship match of the Polo Golf Junior Classic at Reunion, Fla.
Hurst reached the final earlier in the day when she outlasted Punahou School senior Stephanie Kono on the 28th hole in what is believed to be the longest match in AJGA history. They continued from the 23rd hole on Friday, and traded pars until Hurst won it.
"I didn't want to have to wake up early and lose the match on the first hole," Hurst said. "It was a great match — Stephanie and I were talking and laughing and just happy to be there."
Hurst, the 2007 Rolex Junior Player of the Year and No. 1-ranked player, said she benefited from the morning finish, as she was able to warm up and get used to the golf course before the final match. She went 1-up on the first hole with a birdie, and never looked back. By No. 10, Hurst was 3-up on Kim, who is ranked No. 2 in the Polo Golf Rankings, and she did not relinquish that lead for the rest of the match.
The victory completes a dominant year for Hurst, who also captured the McDonald's Betsy Rawls Girls Championship and The PING Invitational. She becomes the first girl to win three majors in a row since Morgan Pressel won four straight in 2004-05. It also marks her final tournament as a junior.
"It's been a great year for me," Hurst said. "I'm really proud of myself and what I've done."
Bjorn Akesson of Malmo , Sweden , won the boys division with a 3-and-2 victory over Sean Dale of Jacksonville , Fla.
