Moanalua ends
Kalaheo’s run
Moanalua put Kalaheo's five-year run as Oahu Interscholastic Association basketball champion to an end last night with a 61-33 blowout of the Mustangs in front of about 500 fans at the Moanalua gym.
The one-sided league quarterfinals contest was decided in the first half. The Menehunes used aggressive pressure defense to force Kalaheo to continuously cough up the ball and turned a 12-6 lead after the first break into an insurmountable 29-9 gap at the half.
"We didn't have the intensity to match them," said Kalaheo coach Chico Furtado, whose team was a dismal 2-for-10 from the line in the first 16 minutes. "They (Moanalua) played with intensity the whole game. They were up by about 30 and still playing hard and never relaxing."
Moanalua (11-0) gained a spot in the state tournament with the victory and will host OIA East rival McKinley in the league semifinals on Wednesday.
"We're not looking past McKinley," the Menehunes' Kepua Lee said. "It should be a good one. Both teams can shoot and rebound and both teams have star players. It'll be a game of matchups. Our whole team, not just one player, is the reason why we're doing so well. Other teams have a hard time choosing the kind of defense to run. They can't play us box-and-one and they can't play us man-to-man. They don't know who to concentrate on, because we can all play. Even the bench can play."
Kalaheo finished its season at 7-5.
"To tell the honest truth, going into the season, I knew it would be difficult (to win a sixth straight championship)," Furtado said. "With 10 freshmen and sophomores, I was realistic. But I was hoping to make it to the state tournament, and we could have done that if we had done a better job in securing a better spot in the draw. But we didn't do that and had to play the No. 1 one team in the East."
The Menehunes dominated all facets of the game and kept the Mustangs guessing before choosing the precise time to shoot. After post Marleen Leautu struggled in the early going against a temporarily stubborn Mustangs zone, Moanalua began kicking it out to point guard Amy Kotani, who hit three 3-pointers in the first half and finished with 15 points.
"Amy is a real valuable outside threat for them," Furtado said. "She gives them an added dimension and without her, they would probably be a lot more vulnerable."
Kotani's first trey gave the Menehunes an 8-5 lead midway through the first quarter and ignited a 24-4 run that lasted until the halftime buzzer. Patti Hardimon, the Menehunes' all-around player, scored nine of her 15 points in the first half.
Lee also contributed early in the surge with a high-flying steal at halfcourt that she converted into an easy layup. Lee knocked over a Kalaheo defender on the play and Furtado was still steaming about the non-call, explaining his point to the referee and pointing to the spot of the foul while the Menehunes were in a stall during the final minute of the first quarter.
"The first time we played them, it was dirty," Lee said. "We didn't want to lose to them, not with the states on the line. Our adrenaline was going."
At Moanalua H.S. gym
Kalaheo 6 3 8 16 -- 33 Moanalua 12 17 19 13 -- 61 KALAHEO -- Shalei Soueira 0, Shaina Siliga 3, Randi Farstad 2, Jade Simmons 0, Shantel Marumoto 0, Brandi Benson 4, Malia Samson 2, Stephanie Hobbs 0, Taylor Smith 4, Kaiena Huihui 5, Kaliko Kepa 8, Kamala Kau 5.
MOANALUA -- Christina Sierra 4, Amy Kotani 15, Sherri Reyes 0, Bonnie Austad 0, Ronni Keliihoomalu 2, Sasha Silva 2, Patti Hardimon 15, Joy Matsukawa 6, Kepua Lee 10, Talia Bertulfo 0, Jade Miller 0, Marleen Leautu 7.
3-point goals -- Kalaheo 2 (Siliga, Kepa), Moanalua 4 (Kotani 3, Matsukawa)
McKinley 53, Aiea 25The Tigers (9-2) led from start to finish to eliminate Na Alii (8-3), the OIA West's second seed.
With the victory, McKinley gained a spot in the semifinals and a berth in the state tournament.
Center Amber Lee controlled the middle for McKinley and scored 12 of her game-high 17 points in the first half. Bre Carson, a transfer from Kalaheo, added 11 points in the opening half before sitting out the rest of the way.
Tigers guards Chantal Yadao and Rayna Isaki were big contributors with crisp passing and their aggressive defense helped Lee and the other McKinley post players limit Na Alii's shot selection.
Aiea's team-high scorers, Nicole Takemoto and Kalei Castillo, notched seven points. All of Takemoto's points came in the first half, and all of Castillo's points occurred after the break.
At Moanalua H.S. gym
McKinley (9-2) 13 20 9 11 -- 53 Aiea (8-3) 4 7 2 12 -- 25 McKINLEY -- Chantal Yadao 6, Rayna Isaki 5, Kelli Fukumoto 2, Meagan Miyasaka 2, Melody Ababa 10, Bre Carson 11, Janine Corpuz 0, Sharlee Kitaoka 0, Ceslie Maafala 0, Amber Lee 17.
AIEA -- Shareyn Muneoka 2, Donna Echalas 2, Sherylann Miyashiro 0, Nicole Takemoto 7, Noelani Colburn 0, Melissa Souza 1, Pukai Castillo 2, Kalei Castillo 7, Felisha Liilii 0, Jamie Rosario 4.
3-point goals -- McKinley 7 (Carson 2, Ababa 2, Yadao 2, Isaki), Aiea 1 (K. Castillo).
Kahuku 59, Kaiser 48Latoya Wily and Karla Tailele combined for 28 points as the Red Raiders (10-1) ended the Cougars' season. Tailele scored seven of her points in the fourth quarter and Kahuku was 15-for-20 from the free-throw line.
Kahuku hosts Farrington on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in a semifinal game.
At Pearl City H.S. gym
Kaiser (6-6) 5 11 12 20 -- 48 Kahuku (10-1) 14 13 12 20 -- 59 KAISER -- Sarah Black 0, Shera Yamamoto 5, Jamie Nerona 13, Mary Ann Tualau 5, Julia Paulo 1, Sharde Pratt 6, Kelly Niiro 0, Kelsey Beck 0, Kehau Bangay 2, Kilioe Aliifua 16.
KAHUKU -- Camilla Ah-Hoy 5, Michelle Peters 4, Chazel Fiso 0, Mona Ale 7, Lesina Funaki 0, Artevia Wily 2, Leeann Soliai 0, Karla Tailele 13, Aisha Ale 13, Melissa Aumua 0, Terina Oto 0, Latoya Wily 15.
3-point goals -- Kaiser (Nerona 2, ), Kahuku (Ah-Hoy, Tailele).
Farrington 46, Pearl City 45
Laosamoa Misa-Uli hit a free throw with less than 20 seconds left as the Governors handed the Chargers their first loss, and assured the Eastern Division of getting four teams in the state tournament.
Farrington (9-3) erased a 45-41 deficit in the final minutes. The Governors were just 9-for-23 from the line, while Pearl City (10-1) went 11-for-19.
At Pearl City H.S. gym
Farrington (9-3) 13 6 14 13 -- 46 Pearl City (10-1) 9 10 10 15 -- 45 FARRINGTON -- Revelyn Cabaya 7, Ellaine Bihag 4, Joanne Fernandez 0, Sandy Tauta 2, Paepaetele Poasa 0, Tanya Alualu 11, Meleane Mateaki 7, Laosamoa Misa-Uli 15.
PEARL CITY -- Darcie Hamamoto 0, Jillan Soria 7, Amy Fujihara 12, Kellie Nishikida 0, Christie Ayers 9, Chalice Kaapuni 5, Jamie Iwata 1, Tina Questel 0, Marci Lobendahn 8, Lusia Kleinschmidt 3.
3-point goals -- Farrington 1 (Mateaki), Pearl City 6 (Fujihara 4, Soria 2).
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