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Wednesday, March 14, 2001

By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Kalaheo's Brandy Richardson goes to the hoop after grabbing
a rebound away from Punahou's Caroline Ane during the
HHSAA state semifinal game last May at the Stan Sheriff
Center. The two are among the top seniors
in the state this season.

Girls’ hoops
title up for grabs

Kalaheo and Punahou
on a collision course

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By Tim Crouse
Special to the Star-Bulletin

For three straight years the Kalaheo and Punahou girls' basketball teams have run into each other in the state semifinals or final.

The two perennial powerhouses are favored to win their respective leagues, as the Oahu Interscholastic Association and Interscholastic League of Honolulu begin their seasons within the next week.

The Mustangs -- with two-time Player of the Year Brandy Richardson -- and the Buffanblu played in the same preseason tournament twice, but never collided on the court.

"In hindsight, maybe we should have played them, but it's water under the bridge now," Kalaheo coach Chico Furtado said.

The Buffanblu beat the Mustangs in the state title game in Richardson's freshman year in 1998. Kalaheo had beaten Punahou twice in the preseason but suffered its only loss of the year in the final.

A year later, the Buffanblu eliminated the Mustangs in the state semifinals -- again handing Kalaheo its first loss of the season.

Last season Richardson tallied 19 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in a 52-26 semifinal win against Punahou.

"We were a new team last year, with new players and young players," Buffanblu coach Shelley Fey said. "It was a real growing time for us. We were disappointed in the game against Kalaheo, but it was more of a motivator for us."

Kalaheo lost to Kamehameha in the championship game.

The Mustangs, who lost three senior starters to graduation, look for freshman point guard Bre Carson to fill the shoes of Portland State-bound Sharon Wahinekapu.

Carson can shoot from the outside -- she drilled five 3-pointers in a game -- and is improving on defense.

"Her on-ball defense is pretty good," Furtado said. "She's played (Iolani star) Monica Tokoro twice and held her own."

Senior Heather Gonzalves (6-foot-2) controls the middle for the Mustangs.

"Heather has done a pretty good job rebounding and her interior defense has been better," Furtado said. "She needs to score more."

Sharpshooting Nikki Furtado will also have a bigger role this year.

Chico Furtado said his daughter, who is a senior, should get some good looks at the basket when teams try a zone defense on Kalaheo or try to double-team Richardson.

"We're going to need some scoring from Heather (inside) and Nikki and Bre are going to have to knock down shots," Chico Furtado said. "It's going to be a different kind of team. We're a little bigger and not as quick."

But they still have Richardson.

The 6-foot senior forward, who has committed to UC Santa Barbara, is equally adept at powering the ball inside or shooting from the outside.

She scored 35 points in an OIA game last year and played magnificently in the state tournament, averaging over 16 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 blocked shots, 2.5 assists and 2 steals.

Punahou has a star of its own in point guard Milia Macfarlane, who is headed to the University of Hawaii in the fall.

"Milia is trying to include her teammates as much as she can," Fey said. "She is also recognizing her role, knowing there's going to be a lot of attention drawn to her that can open up things for other players."

Macfarlane had a great preseason, averaging 18 points in one tournament and then 15 points, five assists and six steals in another.

Punahou also returns seniors Caroline Ane and Elyse Umeda, and sophomore Becky Hogue.

Ane injured a knee in practice and will miss Punahou's opening game Friday against University.

Sophomore Rachel Kane, who missed last season with a knee injury, will make her ILH debut this week.

"(Kane) is an athlete," Fey said. "She has a great sense of ball awareness, a pretty good shot and she drives well."

Said Furtado: "Their strength is their guard play. Milia is the point guard equivalent to Brandy -- she can take over a game from that position. Getting back Rachel Kane is important for them."

Punahou and Kalaheo will be tested in conference play.

"There are other teams," Furtado said. "Aiea took Punahou to the limit. Iolani played us tough the first time. What puts Punahou a little ahead is they have balance. They have post players that are experienced. They have guards that can do stuff against slower teams."

Aiea, Moanalua and McKinley are primed to challenge Kalaheo and try to end its three-year run at the top of the OIA.

Aiea -- led by seniors Keesha Aldridge and Aritta Lane -- beat two-time defending state champion Kamehameha earlier in the month.

The Warriors have not lost a regular or postseason game since 1999, but enter the season without the nucleus for those teams -- Kealani Kimball, Raelen Self and Katannya Kapeli.

The team's best shooter, Ashley DeSilva, is out with a wrist injury sustained in a car accident.

Returnee Tai Soo has the most experience.

"We'll be looking for her to assert herself, (show) leadership and give us some muscle inside," Warriors coach Clay Cockett said.

Krystalynn Ontai, up from Division II, and Noelle Russell will also play key roles.

"This team has to find its own identity," Cockett said. "I think we have a lot of players with basketball knowledge and skill. It's just a matter of putting them in the right situation so they can be successful."

Girls' basketball schedule

OIA West

March 20
Waianae at Radford; Waialua at Pearl City; Leilehua at Mililani; Waipahu at Campbell; Kapolei at Aiea
March 23
Campbell at Aiea; Mililani at Waipahu; Pearl City at Leilehua; Radford at Waialua; Nanakuli at Waianae
March 27
Nanakuli at Pearl City; Waianae at Mililani; Waialua at Campbell; Kapolei at Leilehua; Waipahu at Aiea
March 30
Kapolei at Waipahu; Campbell at Leilehua; Mililani at Waialua; Pearl City at Waianae; Radford at Nanakuli
April 3
Radford at Mililani; Nanakuli at Campbell; Kapolei at Waianae; Waialua at Aiea; Leilehua at Waipahu
April 6
Aiea at Leilehua; Kapolei at Waialua; Campbell at Waianae; Mililani at Nanakuli; Pearl City at Radford
April 10
Pearl City at Campbell; Kapolei at Radford; Nanakuli at Aiea; Waianae at Waipahu; Waialua at Leilehua
April 12
Waipahu at Waialua; Aiea at Waianae; Kapolei at Nanakuli; Campbell at Radford; Mililani at Pearl City
April 17
Kapolei at Mililani; Pearl City at Aiea; Radford at Waipahu; Nanakuli at Leilehua; Waianae at Waialua
April 20
Leilehua at Waianae; Waipahu at Nanakuli; Aiea at Radford; Kapolei at Pearl City; Campbell at Mililani
April 24
Waialua at Nanakuli; Leilehua at Radford; Waipahu at Pearl City; Aiea at Mililani; Kapolei at Campbell

OIA East

March 21
Kalaheo at Kalani; McKinley at Moanalua; Kaimuki at Roosevelt; Kailua at Kahuku; Farrington at Kaiser.
March 24
Kahuku at Farrington; Roosevelt at Kailua; Moanalua at Kaimuki; Kalani at McKinley; Castle at Kalaheo.
March 28
Castle at Moanalua; Kalaheo at Roosevelt; McKinley at Kahuku; Kaimuki at Kaiser; Kailua at Farrington.
March 31
Kaiser at Kailua; Kahuku at Kaimuki; Roosevelt at McKinley; Moanalua at Kalaheo; Kalani at Castle.
April 4
Kalani at Roosevelt; Castle at Kahuku; Kalaheo at Kaiser; McKinley at Farrington; Kaimuki at Kailua.
April 7
Farrington at Kaimuki; Kaiser at McKinley; Kahuku at Kalaheo; Roosevelt at Castle; Moanalua at Kalani.
April 11
Moanalua at Kahuku; Kalani at Kaiser; Castle at Farrington; Kalaheo at Kailua; McKinley at Kaimuki.
April 14
Kailua at McKinley; Farrington at Kalaheo; Kaiser at Castle; Kahuku at Kalani; Roosevelt at Moanalua.
April 18
Roosevelt at Kaiser; Moanalua at Farrington; Kalani at Kailua; Castle at Kaimuki; Kalaheo at McKinley
April 21
Kaimuki at Kalaheo; Kailua at Castle; Farrington at Kalani; Kaiser at Moanalua; Kahuku at Roosevelt
April 25
McKinley at Castle; Kaimuki at Kalani; Kailua at Moanalua; Farrington at Roosevelt; Kaiser at Kahuku

OIA Tournament

May 3, First round
May 4, Second round
May 9, Semifinals
May 11, Championship

ILH

March 16
Mid-Pacific at Kamehameha; Maryknoll at Iolani; University at Punahou
March 17
Kamehameha at Iolani; Mid-Pacific vs. University at Klum Gym
March 20
Punahou at Sacred Hearts
March 22
Maryknoll at Kamehameha
March 23
Punahou vs. Maryknoll at Damien; University at Sacred Hearts; Mid-Pacific at Iolani
March 24
Iolani at Punahou
March 31
University at Iolani; Sacred Hearts at Kamehameha; Maryknoll at Mid-Pacific
April 3
Kamehameha vs. University at Klum Gym; Mid-Pacific at Punahou
April 6
Kamehameha at Punahou; Iolani at Sacred Hearts; Maryknoll vs. University at Klum Gym
April 7
Sacred Hearts vs. Maryknoll at St. Louis
April 10
Iolani vs. Maryknoll at Damien; Kamehameha at Mid-Pacific; Punahou vs. University at Klum Gym
April 14
Iolani at Kamehameha; University at Mid-Pacific; Sacred Hearts at Punahou
April 17
Maryknoll at Punahou; Iolani at Mid-Pacific; Sacred Hearts vs. University at Klum Gym
April 19
Punahou at Iolani; Kamehameha vs. Maryknoll at St. Louis
April 20
Mid-Pacific at Sacred Hearts
April 21
Iolani vs. University at Klum Gym; Kamehameha at Sacred Hearts
April 24
University at Kamehameha; Mid-Pacific vs. Maryknoll at Damien
April 27
Punahou at Kamehameha; Sacred Hearts at Iolani; University vs. Maryknoll at Damien
April 28
Punahou at Mid-Pacific; Maryknoll at Sacred Hearts
May 1 & 3
Playoffs, if needed

May 7-10
Tournament for third state berth

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