No. 1 Buffanblu are on a California roll
Top-ranked Punahou came and conquered at the Under Armour Holiday Classic basketball tourney in California over the weekend.
The Buffanblu defeated Tesoro (Calif.) 66-64, Westlake (Texas) 50-33 and tourney host Carlsbad (Calif.) 68-54 to reach the Governors Division final. Punahou defeated Poway 59-52 on Monday to win the Governors Division title. Justin Kam of Punahou was named the division’s MVP.
The Buffanblu also visited the Los Angeles Clippers’ practice facility and attended the 76ers-Lakers game on Sunday.
Other local teams were also on mainland trips. Hilo dropped four games at the same Holiday Classic — Mayors Division at Santa Fe Christian School in Solana Beach — despite a 42-point effort by Jalen Carvalho in a 60-57 loss to Wasilla (Alaska) on Saturday.
Kalani played in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Orange Holiday Classic and went 1-2, defeating Orange on Friday. The Falcons played Clovis West on Monday. They spent Sunday attending the Kansas City Chiefs-San Diego Chargers game.
Soaring Eagle
At 6-foot-8, Joe Furstinger isn’t even the tallest player on his team.
The Santa Margarita senior is, however, hard to miss on the hardwood. Through three games at the St. Francis Merv Lopes Classic, Furstinger scored a modest 46 points to lead the Eagles to the final. It’s the lanky forward’s versatility, however, that makes him invaluable.
He grew up on the low post, guided by old-school coaches. But he developed a penchant for hitting clutch bombs along the way. He had 18 points, including a 3-pointer with 2:18 left, in a tough 53-43 win over ‘Iolani on Saturday.
"I work a lot on my 3s because I’m going to be mainly on the perimeter in college. Most of my coaches usually put me in the post," said Furstinger, who has excellent passing skills. "It got me better in the post. I just had to work on my perimeter game."
The work included 500 to 1,000 shots per day in the offseason. The Eagles came to the islands with a 7-2 record. Playing smaller, quick teams here has been different.
"They’re really good shooters and they can drive good," said Furstinger, who will play for New Mexico next year.
When they return to California, the Eagles will begin play in the Trinity League, which includes powerhouse Mater Dei. The Eagles were winless in league play a year ago but might be a title contender this time.
