Ethan Wright’s follow shot at the buzzer on a missed layup by Ja’Shon Carter lifted Kapolei over Mililani 40-38 on Tuesday night in a battle of unbeatens at the Hurricanes’ gym.
Wright’s only basket of the game kept the Hurricanes unbeaten at 9-0 in the Oahu Interscholastic Association West. Kapolei has won 32 games in a row in the OIA regular season and has clinched an opening-round bye in the playoffs. A win over Leilehua in the regular-season finale on Thursday would give Kapolei first place outright in the West.
The high-scoring Carter had a challenging night, facing tight defense by Mililani from start to finish. The fourth-year starting point guard finished with just seven points, but he came up with a key steal with one minute to play and the game tied at 38.
The ’Canes called two time outs as they worked for the final shot. Carter sliced into the paint and took off with about four seconds left, taking contact from at least one defender. The ball squirted out at rim level toward the right block, where Wright was already airborne.
“I knew he wasn’t going to pass it,” Wright said. “I knew he was taking that.”
“I thought I got fouled,” Carter said.
“He put it up and I was right there,” Wright said.
The ball banked in as the buzzer sounded, bringing relief to a crowd of about 400 mostly Hurricanes fans. But was it a pass or a shot?
“Call it what you want. Ethan snuck in there,” Kapolei coach Gary Ellison said. “We’ve been on him to step up all year.”
Nathaniel Whitehurst led the gritty ’Canes (14-7 overall) with 10 points. De’Zhaun Stribling added five points and seven rebounds.
Jace Patsel and Ethan Rudometkin had 11 points apiece for Mililani, now 8-1 in the OIA West (11-7 overall). Dayvon Appleby tallied five points and nine rebounds.
Mililani finished with 14 turnovers, two more than Kapolei, and struggled at the free-throw line, shooting 7-for-18 (39 percent). The Trojans were 5-for-18 from beyond the arc.
“We came into a tough environment and played well. It’s a bittersweet loss, but I’m proud of my kids. They played hard,” Trojans first-year head coach Garrett Gabriel said. “We had too many turnovers. We tried to shut down Carter.”
Kapolei’s leading scorer shot just 3-for-12 against a mix of defenders who spent all night trying to deny him touches. Carter finished with three assists and just one turnover.
Kapolei was more economical, shooting 4-for-10 from 3-point range. Mililani outrebounded the ’Canes 31-27, hustling for 11 offensive boards.
“Coach Gabriel has his team playing great defense,” Ellison said. “It’s the toughest defense we’ve seen in the West in years.”
