HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Punahou's Shaena-Lyn Kuehu went to the basket against Redondo's Joylyn Ichiyama last night.
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Sea Hawks soar to title
STORY SUMMARY »
There was no question who deserved the MVP trophy in the inaugural Iolani Prep Classic.
Senior Atonye Nyingifa scored 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead Redondo Union (Calif.) over Punahou 45-35 last night at the Iolani School Gym.
Senior guard Joylyn Ichiyama added 11 points, seven coming in the deciding third quarter when the Sea Hawks used a 13-3 run to pull away.
Janelle Nomura led the Buffanblu, ranked No. 1 in the Star-Bulletin Preseason Top 10, with a game-high 17 points, including going 7-for-9 at the line.
In the third-place game, Narbonne (Calif.) rallied past the host Raiders, 48-42, behind Gabrielle Clark's 17 points.
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A heavy dose of Cali and a little bit of Hawaii flavor is all Redondo Union needed to capture the inaugural girls championship of the Iolani Classic.
Tournament most valuable player Atonye Nyingifa had 14 points and 13 rebounds as the visitors from Redondo Beach, Calif., pulled away for a 45-35 victory over Punahou last night. Helping in a big way was Joylyn Ichiyama, a 5-foot-5 guard with family ties to the islands. The senior scored 11 points, including seven in a row during a pivotal third-quarter run by the Sea Hawks.
Nyingifa, a 6-foot senior who will play at UCLA next season, was dominant on both ends of the floor. She limited Shawna-Lei Kuehu, a two-time Hawaii player of the year, to only five points on 2-for-10 shooting. Kuehu finished with six rebounds and three blocks. Janelle Nomura led Punahou (7-1), the No. 1 team in the Star-Bulletin Girls Basketball Preseason Top 10, with 17 points.
Punahou was in charge for a good stretch of the first half and had a 12-7 lead with 5:27 left in the second quarter on a steal and breakaway layup by Shaena-Lyn Kuehu.
Redondo Union rallied with a 7-0 run, including six points in a row by Nyingifa for a 14-12 lead. The nimble 6-footer turned a steal into a fast-break pass to Ashley Mason for an 18-14 lead with 1:05 left in the second quarter.
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Punahou's Janelle Nomura went to the basket against Redondo's Joylyn Ichiyama in the Iolani Prep Classic last night.
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Iolani trimmed the lead to 18-17 before intermission on free throws by Dara Tompkison and Nomura.
The Kuehu twins struggled from the field in the first half. Covered by Nyingifa, Shawna-Lei Kuehu shot just 1-for-8, while Shaena Lyn was 1-for-5.
As Punahou tried to manage Redondo's man-to-man defense, the Sea Hawks went on a 13-0 run. Ichiyama drove for a layup, then converted a steal into another layup, and then drained a 22-foot trey from the right corner. After Nyingifa hit a 10-foot bank shot and Ryann Louie drove for a layup, Redondo Union led 31-17 with 22 seconds left in the third quarter.
The final quarter was a clinic in ball control and execution by the visitors in red. The Sea Hawks extended the lead to 37-23 on a follow shot by Maleta Daugherty with 5:17 left. Nomura scored six points in a row and Shaena-Lyn Kuehu scored on a 3-point play to bring Punahou within 41-33 with 2:02 left, but the Buffanblu got no closer.
Ichiyama was named to the all-tournament team along with Reiko Thomas and Danielle Lenoir of Narbonne (Calif.), Jamie Smith of Iolani and Nomura. Shawna-Lei Kuehu was named the most outstanding player of the tourney.
Narbonne (Calif.) 48, No. 2 Iolani 42
Gabrielle Clark scored nine of her team-high 17 points in the final quarter as the Los Angeles city champs rallied past the Raiders in the third-place game. Clark, a 6-2 senior, who has signed to play at San Diego State, also blocked three shots. Danielle Lenoir added 12 points and six steals.
Jamie Smith paced Iolani (9-2) with 21 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. Chanel Hirata chipped in with 10 points for Iolani, which led 18-16 at halftime.
Roosevelt 36, No. 3 Kamehameha 32
Tiana Sugui scored 14 points, including eight in the second half, as the Rough Riders (6-4) upset the Warriors in the fifth-place game. Rhani Kaneaiakala had 15 points, six rebounds and four steals off the bench for Kamehameha (6-3).
Granada (Calif.) 51, Moanalua 34
Katie Thralls scored 12 points and Shelby Clay added nine as the Matadors (4-2) claimed seventh place. Britni Ronolo scored 21 points to pace Moanalua.