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Saturday, May 20, 2000

Kamehameha,
Kalaheo spar
for No. 1

The winner will be
crowned the girls' state
basketball champions

By Al Chase
Star-Bulletin

No. 1 seed Kamehameha and No. 2 seed Kalaheo were both undefeated during the regular season.

The Warriors and Mustangs play for the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Girls' State basketball tournament title at the Stan Sheriff Center tonight at 8:05.

One of them will become the third team to go through the regular season and the HHSAA tournament undefeated. Maryknoll did it in 1977 and 1978.

The defending state champion Warriors easily beat Mid-Pacific Institute twice during the Interscholastic League of Honolulu regular season. That was not the case last night.

The Warriors did defeat the inspired and persistent Owls, 60-37, with a big fourth quarter, but not before overcoming mental lapses at both ends of the floor.

The Mustangs, who had their season ended by Punahou in the last two state tournaments, started slow, then outscored the Buffanblu, 46-22, over the final three quarters for a 53-26 victory.

Both title contenders start three seniors and two juniors. They can pop from the perimeter and play the inside power game.

Kamehameha 60, Mid-Pacific 37:

The Warriors led, 38-31, after three quarters and head coach Clay Cockett wasn't happy.

"We were making bad passes, weren't finishing shots, weren't getting backside help on defense and weren't tight on the ball," Cockett said.

The Owls were getting the ball to their top scorers, Jade Savusa (18 points) and Ashley Watamura (eight points), often and denying those passes was one of Kamehameha's goals.

"We know they are the strength of their team. With Ashley and Jade scoring all the time, it was basically we weren't doing our job," said Warrior senior guard Rayleen Self.

Kealani Kimball had nine of her 17 points and Tai Soo scored eight of her game-high 19 points in the Warriors' fourth quarter outburst.

"People will say you need one of these games, but I don't buy that," said Cockett. "We have to be real positive about the next game."

Kamehameha	18	10	10	22-60
Mid-Pacific	18	5	8	6-37

KAMEHAMEHA: Raelen Self 7, Tai Soo 19, Kealani Kimball 17, Katannya Kapeli 10, Noelle Russell 2, Ashley De Silva 3, Krystalyn Ontai 2, Megan Ching 0.

MID-PACIFIC: Erika Sayson 0, Shannon Nishi 4, Ashley Watamura 8, Christina Hee 5, Jade Savusa 18, Rosella Leonhardt 0, Stephanie Toshi 1, Caroline Beddow 1, Kristi Hamada 0, Kimberly Hee 0, Jean Kasamoto 0.

3-point goals-Kamehameha 1 (DeSilva). Rebounds-Kamehameha 28 (Kimball 14); Mid-Pacific 20 (Savusa 8). Assists-Kamehameha 13 (Self, Russell 3); Mid-Pacific 6 (Watamura 4). Turnovers-Kamehameha 10; Mid-Pacific 18.

Kalaheo 53, Punahou 26:

"Right after we did all the X's and O's and prepared for what they were going to do to us, I said the bottom line is are you mentally prepared to go out and beat a Punahou program," Kalaheo head coach Chico Furtado said.

"We went out there and put the two years behind us and finally pulled off a win," said forward Brandy Richardson, who led the Mustangs with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

She had ample help from guard Sharon Wahinekapu, who scored 15 points once she stopped rushing her shots.

After shooting just 3-for-13 from the field in the opening quarter, Furtado told his girls to play smash ball. Their next nine field goals all came from within 10 feet of the basket.

The Buffanblu also worked the ball inside, but had little luck finishing as the score differential kept growing.

In preseason games, Kalaheo lost to Punahou by three and to Kamehameha by nine points. The Mustangs evened the score with Punahou last night.

Can they do it with the Warriors tonight?

"Hopefully last night leads into that and hopefully Kamehameha has shown that they are a little human," said Furtado.

"They are the defending champions until we do something about it," he added. "It's going to be tough. We'll have to take care of the ball and I believe we can defend."

Kalaheo	7	18	16	12-53
Punahou	4	6	9	7-26

KALAHEO: Michelle Quintana 0, Sharon Wahinekapu 15, Brandy Richardson 19, Sherrine Kanahele 8, Nicole Furtado 2, Kalena Hatori 2, Cheyene Ringler 2, Natasha Lagapa 0, Alberta Lui 0, Dawnelle Nahinu 1, Heather Gonsalves 4, Brina Fritzche 0, Kira Withy-Allen 0, Lindsey Peck 0.

PUNAHOU: Elyse Umeda 2, Rebecca Lee 2, Milia Macfarlane 10, Caroline Ane 6, Becky Hogue 4, Nicola Hedge 2, Megan Abbott 0, Nicole Jones 0, Dana Arakawa 0, Anuhea Macfarlane 0, Kira Kashiwa 0, Misha Lam 0.

3-point goals-Kalaheo 1 (Wahinekapu). Rebounds-Kalaheo 32 (Richardson 11); Punahou 23 (Ane 6). Assists-Kalaheo 12 (Richardson 4); Punahou 7 (Macfarlane 2). Turnovers-Kalaheo 10; Punahou 13.

LEILEHUA 45, KAPAA 34:

Sequoya Stokes scored 17 points and pulled down 16 rebounds as the Mules advanced to the seventh-place game against Nanakuli today at 3.

Kapaa	11	10	8	5-34
Leilehua	9	10	15	11-45

KAPAA: Waiala Quisano 0, Trichael Pangan 1, Jordyn Danner 20, Kainani Torio 9, Mytra DiLeonardo 2, Erin Hanada 0, Ashley Farias 0, Ihilani Yama 2, Stephanie Cuyo 0, Shayna Carvalho 0, Kanoe Arinaga 0, Ingrid Nakamura 0.

LEILEHUA: Nachell Scott 3, Melody Hanson 2, Kayla Kahuli 8, Sequoya Stokes 17, Charlotte Garcia 8, Lezley Bantolina 0, Karley Peterson 0, Jo Beth Calbick 0, Heather Liveing-Macdonald 0, Kira Molina-Gamponia 0, Connie Matthews 0, Malia Chun-Llanos 4, Heidi Garcia 2, Freida Tauvela 1.

3-point goals-Leilehua 2 (Kahuli 2). Rebounds-Kapaa 29 (Torio 9); Leilehua 51 (Stokes 16). Assists-Kapaa 5 (Quisano 3); Leilehua 9 (Scott 3). Turnovers-Kapaa 27; Leilehua 31. Fouled out-Torio.

WAIAKEA 41, MAUI 38:

Amy Kaaiakamanu scored the go-ahead basket in overtime for the Warriors, who play Honokaa for fifth place at 4:30.

Rosalinda Masler had 22 points and 15 rebounds for the Sabers.

Waiakea	10	10	9	8	4-41
Maui	5	6	12	14	1-38

WAIAKEA: Ashley Kualii 4, Alyson Martin 2, Shannessy Mitchell 11, Amy Kaaiakamanu 13, Myra Amisone 8, Stacey Yanagihara 0, Hoku Kahanu 0, Chantel Brigoli 3.

MAUI: Rheena Acidera 3, Poliala Mahoney 2, Rosalinda Masler 22, Kanani Ventura 0, Flo Bellany 7, Janna Young Sik 0, Malia Ho 3, Misty Ohashi 0, Love Pacheco 1.

3-point goals-Waiakea 2 (Amisone 2). Rebounds-Waiakea 22 (Kaaiakamanu 9); Maui 36 (Masler 15, Bellany 10). Assists-Waiakea 8 (Martin, Amisone 2); Maui 8 (Ho 5). Turnovers-Waiakea 9; Maui 13. Fouled out-Ho.

HONOKAA 56, SEABURY HALL 54:

The Dragons got the ball with 19.3 seconds left and set up a play for 5-foot Myrna Ordonez to drive the right lane and shoot.

She drove as planned, but passed to a wide-open Brandi Guzman on the left side who scored her only field goal of the game with nine tics on the clock.

Seabury Hall	16	17	12	9-54
Honokaa	11	17	13	15-56

SEABURY HALL: Shauntei McFarlin 4, Chelsea Kohl 23, Lindsay Naylor 3, Courtney Cole 11, Randi Kikuchi 7, Sesame Shim 2, Jodi Poouahi 4, Amber Ladera 0, Brooke Williams 0, Lehua Verkeke 0.

HONOKAA: Myrna Ordonez 2, Malia Ah Loy 7, Erika Tadio 22, Hawea Ah Loy 9, Maile Mangauil 6, Shauntae Wusstig 2, Kami Shigemura 4, Kellie Iramina 0, Aisley Alpiche 0, Brandi Guzman 4.

3-point goals-Honokaa 5 (Tadio 4, Shigemura). Rebounds-Seabury Hall 36 (Kohl 9); Honokaa 44 (H. Ah Loy 10). Assists-Seabury Hall 9 (McFarlin, Kikuchi 3); Honokaa 7 (Ordonez 4). Turnovers-Seabury Hall 29; Honokaa 17. Fouled out-Naylor, Mangauil.