[ HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL ]
McKinley adds state berth
to list of accomplishments
In recent years, many of the athletes wearing McKinley High School basketball jerseys were merely a bunch of guys who wanted something to do after football or volleyball season.
Not so for this edition of the Tigers. First-year varsity head coach Bob Morikuni has himself a basketball team. Make that a state-tournament basketball team.
McKinley earned a state berth for the first time since 1989 with a 45-29 victory over No. 7 Castle yesterday in the Oahu Interscholastic Association quarterfinals. In the second game, also at Mililani, a crowd of around 350 saw the host No. 3-ranked Trojans beat Radford 44-42 to also advance and remain unbeaten.
"We used to have a thing about volleyball players, football players. But this year we're just basketball players," said McKinley point guard Lokahi Holder, who scored a game-high 19 points. "Our new coach turned everything around and got us to play as a team."
Mililani (10-0 regular and postseason) hosts McKinley (9-4) in the OIA final four next Wednesday. The Tigers, who lost by three points to the Trojans in December, will be underdogs. But they're used to it.
"I think they had an off night when we played them," Morikuni said. "We just gotta do our thing. We don't have much out there."
That's true by appearances. McKinley would be small even for a junior varsity team; its only player close to 6 feet tall is 6-2 forward Iakopo Taumua. The Tigers, who only look like the team that went 4-8 before league play, made up for their lack of height last night with gritty zone defense and a very deliberate offense.
"Taumua (six rebounds and three blocks to go with seven points) stepped up. He's our only big man. He's smart, didn't get into foul trouble. With Castle's physicalness we needed Taumua to be smart, and he was," Morikuni said.
The style of play also allows the depth-challenged Tigers to go with only six or seven players. Yesterday it was six, since one of McKinley's starters couldn't play due to grades.
Castle led 11-9 after the first quarter, but the Knights hit only one shot in 12 tries in the second quarter. Holder, meanwhile, scored 12 in the first half and McKinley led 21-13 at the break.
Abel Werner sent the Tigers into intermission on a high note by stealing a Castle pass with six seconds left, racing down the court and hitting a layup at the buzzer.
Werner, who finished with 11 points, made four free throws down the stretch and helped Holder run out the clock.
The Tigers' star quarterback in football and basketball team captain agreed there is something special about this McKinley team, regardless of what happens next.
"I told them as a sixth seed we've got nothing to lose. I told them it's a dream for us to be playing at Mililani, because we've got a little bit of history over here. My sophomore year with the same coach, Coach Bob, we played Moanalua here to win a JV playoff game," Werner said. "It's been such a long time since McKinley got into states. For us it was, go get your heart, and if you have one time in your lifetime to bring it out, do it now."
Morikuni said Werner -- who addresses the team during timeouts -- makes his job easier.
"Abel's leadership is very big. It's more important than his points," the coach said. "He keeps the team together. The kids respect him a lot."
Jonathan Horner led Castle (9-3) with seven points.
In the Trojans' win, the back court came up big as starting guards Puna Neumann scored 12 points and Alex Patykula added 10. Mililani took a 3-2 lead on Neumann's free throws less than three minutes into the game and never trailed.
Radford's Justin Quinones hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the final score.
"I think we needed one more quarter," Rams (8-4) coach Kai Enos said. "Mililani made the big plays when they needed them."
Greg Solomon and Tauran Moore both scored 11 for Radford.
Trojans coach Mike Coito said he was glad his team was able to fight off the dreaded OIA West Curse; last year Radford went unbeaten in the regular season, only to lose its state tournament bid in the playoffs.
"Our guys have responded well to pressure all season," Coito said. "It will be an interesting game against McKinley because of their style of play."
McKinley 45, NO. 7 Castle 29
At Mililani H.S. gym
MCKINLEY--Mark Nakatsuka 2, Abel Werner 11, Kapena Quisano 6, Iakopo Taumua 7, Lokahi Holder 19, Golden Lawrence 0.
McKinley (9-4) 9 12 8 16 -- 45 Castle (9-3) 11 2 8 8 -- 29
CASTLE--Bryan Pelangka 0, Jonathan Horner 7, Louis Mansanas 4, Bryce Kalauokaaea 2, Jordan Bruhn 2, Antone Watanabe 4, Victor Clore 2, Blaze Soares 6, Scott Argue 2, Herbert Lee 0, Brad Guillermo 0.
3-point goals -- McKinley 2 (Holder, Quisano). Castle 1 (Horner).No. 3 Mililani 44, Radford 42
At Mililani H.S. gym
RADFORD--William Kerrins 0, Justin Quinones 9, Ricardo Shipley 10, Jordan Rellin 0, Greg Solomon 11, Tauran Moore 11, Mike Davis 0, James Herron 1.
Radford (8-4) 6 11 12 13 42 Mililani (11-0) 14 7 15 8 44
MILILANI--Lorenzo Abernathy 0, Puna Neumann 12, Scott Neumann 0, Aaron Kanno 6, Clarence Gray 5, Charles Richie 3, Andrew Tokumi 2, Alex Patykula 10, Jon Santos 0, Nick Rogers 6.
3-point goals -- Radford 3 (Moore, Solomon, Quinones). Mililani 3 (Kanno 2, Richie).No. 4 Kalaheo 55, Moanalua 47
The Mustangs clinched a berth in the state tournament with a quarterfinal victory last night.Tied at halftime, Kalaheo outscored Moanalua 16-12 in the third quarter to take over the game.
Sam Wilhoite scored 15 points and William Elliott had 14 in the win.
Joseph Nishimura hit three 3's and finished with 20 points as Moanalua ended its season 9-4.
At Kalaheo H.S. gym
MOANALUA--Glenn Gascon 0, Joseph Nishimura 20, Michael Loeschke 7, Marquise Du Vall 5, Jonathan Austad 0, Greg Morgan 0, Glenn Taijeron 6, Zachary Pendergast 6, Darin-Jay Shinagawa 4, Eric Keys 3, Sean Mullaney 2, Jameson Iereneo 0.
Moanalua (9-4) 10 8 12 17 -- 47 Kalaheo (11-1) 12 6 16 21 -- 55
KALAHEO--Elias Ayau 0, Chris Tumaneng 3, Matt Nakashima 3, Theo Fujita 7, Kahua Hollinger 0, William Elliott 14, Neil Bowers 12, Joshua Perry 0, David Moore 1, Clifton Pires 0, Jason Tanaka 0, Daniel Phair 0, Sam Wilhoite 15, Marvin Judd 0.
3-point goals -- Moanalua 3 (Nishimura 3), Kalaheo 6 (Elliott 3, Nakashima 1, Fujita 1, Bowers 1).Kaimuki 58, Leilehua 36
The Bulldogs upset the Mules to earn a berth to the state tournament.Jimmy Miyasaka scored 17 points and Tone Faasoa added in 13 for Kaimuki.
Angelo Massey scored 13 points as Leilehua, the Western Division's second seed, ended its season at 7-4.
The game was close until the fourth quarter, when the Bulldogs sealed the game by outscoring the Mules 24-9.
Kaimuki took advantage of foul-prone Leilehua, making 20 of 24 free throws. Leilehua's Anthony Hall received a technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct.
At Kalaheo H.S. gym
KAIMUKI--Davey Nguyen 0, Kekoa Onaga 10, Dexter Tautofi 3, Isiah Ano 7, Jimmy Miyasaka 17, Reginal Palfrey 0, Keanu Lockwood 0, Tone Faasoa 13, Nick Milan 8.
Kaimuki (10-3) 12 12 10 24 -- 58 Leilehua (7-4) 13 6 8 9 -- 36
LEILEHUA--Angelo Massey 13, Edward Garcia 3, Kennedy Orteza 0, Anthony Palomares 2, Antonio Carter 2, Kekoa Kama 0, BJ Fruean 0, Anthony Hall 6, Angel Fontanez 6, Joshua Fetters 0, David Spore 0, Clayton Laurel 1, Yahweh Yago 3.
3-point goals -- Kaimuki 4 (Onaga 2, Ano 1, Miyasaka 1), Leilehua 4 (Massey 1, Garcia 1, Yago 1, Fontanez 1).
ILH
Third-place tournament
Tuesday
Game 1: Maryknoll vs. Word of Life at Damien, 5 p.m.Wednesday
2: University vs. Saint Louis at Damien, 6:30 p.m.
3: Game 1 winner at Mid Pacific, 6 p.m.Thursday
4: Game 2 winner at Kamehameha, 5 p.m.
5: Game 3 winner at Damien, 5 p.m.
6: Game 4 and 5 winners at Saint Louis, 6 p.m.Junior varsity I
Iolani 42, Kamehameha 36
Varsity Division II boys
Thursday's score (corrected)
Christian Academy 61, Assets 56
High scorers--CA: Joshua Dirnberger 20, James Higa 11. Ast: Matt Takayesu 13, Nick Castello 12, Lucas Arnold 11.
OIA
Thursday
At Kaimuki
Game 1: Moanalua 71, Kapolei 51
2: Kaimuki 69, Nanakuli 45
At Pearl City
3: Radford 54, Kahuku 38
4: McKinley 54, Pearl City 38Yesterday
At Kalaheo
5: Kaimuki 58, Leilehua 36
6: Kalaheo 55, Moanalua 47
At Mililani
7: McKinley 45, Castle 29
8: Mililani 44, Radford 42Wednesday
At higher seed
9: Kaimuki vs. Kalaheo, 5 p.m.
10: McKinley vs. Mililani, 6:30 p.m.Friday
At McKinley
Third place: Game 9 and 10 losers, 6:30 p.m.
Championship: Game 9 and 10 winners, 8 p.m.
