Sports Update
Miller paces Punahou to girls' basketball title
Whenever anyone asks who was the key to Punahou's back-to-back (1997 and 1998) state girls' basketball championships, the answer will roll off the tongue.Onaona Miller.
Miller, who led her team with 23 points and 10 rebounds in Punahou's 60-37 state title win over Honokaa in Hilo last year, scored 22 points and had 11 rebounds in a 64-51 upset of previously unbeaten Kalaheo Friday night at the Stan Sheriff Center.
The victory gave Punahou its sixth Hawaii High School Athletic Association title and brought Kalaheo's 27-game streak to a screeching halt.
Second-seeded Punahou thoroughly took Kalaheo out of the game plan that had almost made the Lady Mustangs invincible. The Buffanblu escaped the notorious traps and shredded the deadly press time and again. They also took away the inside.
The willowy but wiry 5-foot-11, 130-pound Miller, who also had three assists and two steals, turned in a tour de force performance in every phase of her game.
Mid-Pacific facing Iolani for boys' baseball title
No expectations have turned into great ones.When Mid-Pacific opened the season with three consecutive losses, the last thing the Owls were thinking about was playing for the state title.
Ditto for Iolani's three-peat hopes. The Raiders had lost 10 seniors from last year's nationally ranked team.
Yet here they are, together again at Aloha Stadium, eight days after meeting for the Interscholastic League of Honolulu championship. Top-seed Mid-Pacific will try to make it four wins in a row over Iolani in the 7:30 p.m. Saturday title game of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association/Wally Yonamine Foundation State Baseball Tournament.
"We're just happy to be here," said Owls coach Dunn Muramaru, his team defeating Baldwin, 9-3, in yesterday's first championship semifinal. "After our first three games of the season, we didn't expect to be here.
Honolulu Hurricanes show lots of aloha to opponents
The Honolulu Hurricanes elevated the art of extending aloha to mainland visitors to extremes Friday night at Blaisdell Arena.The Minnesota Monsters were no where in sight for the 7 p.m. kickoff of the Professional Indoor Football League game. They had nothing to wear.
It seems the airline that brought the Monsters to Honolulu didn't send their uniforms and equipment on the same flight.
The Hurricanes management graciously purchased new helmets, shoulder pads, hips pads, etc. for the Minnesota visitors. The game started an hour and 15 minutes late with the Monsters wearing the Hurricanes road uniforms for the first half.
When the Minnesota equipment finally arrived, the game officials kindly extended halftime to allow the Monsters to change into their uniforms.
To complete the aloha package, the Hurricanes (2-3) gave up too much on defense. The Monsters turned their speed advantage into a 42-20 triumph, their first victory the season after four defeats.