[ HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL ]
Kahuku players celebrated after beating McKinley for the OIA title last night.
Red Raiders win OIA title
Latoya Wily won an Oahu Interscholastic Association girls basketball championship early in her high school career while at Kalaheo. Last night, she helped her Kahuku teammates experience the thrill as well.
Wily, who transferred to Kahuku last year, scored 16 of her 24 points in the first half to lead the Red Raiders to a 66-48 win over McKinley in the OIA Division I girls basketball championship game at McKinley gym.
"I wouldn't trade it for anything; these are my girls," Wily said. "Kahuku hasn't won the OIA in about 10 years and this was one of the things on our goal list. It was sweet, but it's not over yet. We have to go home and work even harder for states."
Kahuku (13-1) captured its first league title since 1994 and will be the OIA's seeded team in next week's Division I state tournament at the Stan Sheriff Center.
McKinley (10-4) fell short of winning its first OIA crown since 1997.
Kahuku guard Karla Tailele complemented Wily's interior play with 18 points, 12 coming in the second half, and Tina Soliai came off the bench to score nine.
McKinley guard Bre Carson, who also played at Kalaheo before transferring, led the Tigers with 17 points, while Melody Ababa hit for nine.
Three days after surviving a slow start against Kaiser in the OIA semifinals, Kahuku controlled last night's game from the tip, sprinting out to a 12-1 advantage, and led 36-21 at intermission.
"We were kind of disappointed with the way we played against Kaiser," Wily said. "We were really upset about that and that was one of our motivations for tonight, to make up for the other night."
Wily accounted for nine of the Red Raiders' first 12 points in the opening run and went on to make six of eight shots from the field in the half.
"She was huge," Kahuku coach Wendy Anae said. "She came out strong, she came out focused. She's definitely a leader and when she steps up usually good things happen."
Kahuku's height advantage translated into a 12-5 rebounding edge in the first half. Their work on the defensive boards triggered fast-break layups for the Red Raiders, who made 14 of 24 shots from the field before the break.
"It was our size against their speed," Anae said. "The girls did a great job of executing the press break, which gave our guards an opportunity to score. We had some nice fast breaks."
McKinley, content to shoot over the Kahuku defense, made just five of its first 23 attempts before the break.
After Kahuku took the early lead, McKinley chipped away to close to 16-11 in the second quarter. But that would be as close as the Tigers would get, as Kahuku went on a 14-4 run to take control of the game.
Wily contributed five points in the run, while Tailele had four.
McKinley coach Jesse Victorino was satisfied with his team's effort.
"They gave it their best shot," Victorino said. "We played the best we could tonight, but it just wasn't our night. I told them, 'We won't be in Kahuku's bracket (for the state tournament), so there's a good chance we could play them again for the state championship.' So they can use that as motivation."
At McKinley H.S. gym
Kahuku (12-1) 16 20 7 23 -- 66 McKinley (10-3) 9 12 8 19 -- 48 KAHUKU--Camilla Ah-Hoy 7, Delicia Wilson 0, Ane Vea 2, Monarisa Ale 2, Tina Soliai 9, Anny Soliai 0, Karla Tailele 18, Aisha Ale 2, Luseanae Kauvaka 0, Nancy Vave 2, Latoya Wily 24.
MCKINLEY--Bre Carson 17, Chantal Yadao 4, Janine Corpuz 0, Chelsie Sato 7, Christine Ching 0, Meagan Miyasaka 5, Melody Ababa 9, Linda Fowler 6.
3-point goals--Kah 2 (Ah-Hoy 1, T. Soliai 1). McK 7 (Ababa 3, Carson 2,Yadao 1, Sato 1).
THIRD PLACE
Kaiser 44 , Kalaheo 43
The Cougars held off a late rally by the Mustangs to win the third-place game in OIA Division I.Down 44-39 with one minute remaining, Kalaheo made a basket and then forced a Kaiser turnover. Randi Farstad scored with six seconds remaining, but Kaiser managed to hold the ball until the end of the game.
Kehau Bangay scored 14 points to lead Kaiser, while Shaina Siliga had 13 for Kalaheo.
At McKinley
Kaiser (11-3) 11 14 9 10 -- 44 Kalaheo (10-4) 11 12 11 9 -- 43 KAISER--Kuhia Arakaki 0, Aja Yamamoto 0, Shera Yamamoto 8, Jaime Nerona 4, Chelsea Kapuniai 0, Sharde Pratt 9, Jolie Yoshino 0, Natasha Aloisio 5, Kelsey Beck 0, Kehau Bangay 14, Kilioe Aliifua 4, Renee Shitanishi 0.
KALAHEO--Hoku Kaiu-Denning 2, Shaina Siliga 13, Kandice Kinney 0, Randi Farstad 7, Wesley Whitman 0, Shantel Marumoto 2, Kaila Samson 2, Malia Samson 0, Shanadee Canon 10, Kaiena Huihui 2, Kaliko Kepa 3, Kamala Kau 2.
3-point goals -- Kaiser 2 (S. Yamamoto 2), Kalaheo 3 (Siliga 2, Canon 1).
BACK TO TOP |
Roosevelt earns state berth
with D-II championship
In the end, Bobby Keanini was a minor prophet.
After the Roosevelt coach summoned his Rough Riders to concentrate on charity work down the stretch, they sank seven of eight foul shots to overcome Kalani 57-49 last night.
The win propelled Roosevelt to the Oahu Interscholastic Association's inaugural Division II championship. The Rough Riders (9-4) earned the league's lone berth in the state tournament next week.
"We've had a hard time getting the intensity up," Keanini said of his squad, which barely missed qualifying for the Division I playoffs. "Hopefully, this jump-starts us."
Kalani, a young team with loads of promise, finished the season 4-9.
Tati Beasley, a 5-foot-9 sophomore, led Roosevelt on both ends of the floor. Beasley scored 20 points and corralled 16 rebounds. "We had to try to control Tati," Kalani coach Daniel Kahalioumi said.
Shannon Miyashiro, another sophomore pivot, added 15 points and five boards.
"Can't say enough about Tati," Keanini said. "All the things she does for us. We're living and dying with our sophomores, Tati and Shannon."
No other Rough Rider scored in double figures, but Roosevelt's pesky 2-3 zone defense stifled Kalani for most of the night.
Larisa Nakasone, a junior guard, tallied seven points and seven steals for Roosevelt. Kalani committed 20 turnovers.
Junior forward Tamari Miyashiro paced Kalani with 16 points and six caroms, but did not score in the final quarter.
"Kalani is tremendous. They shoot incredibly well," Keanini said.
The game was tied at 42 entering the final quarter, but Kalani went cold from the field. The Falcons shot 3-for-10 from the field in the final eight minutes. Keri Hee's layup gave the Falcons their final lead, 44-43, with 5:35 remaining.
Miyashiro powered her way in the post for a bucket and three-point play to give Roosevelt a 46-44 lead with 5:18 to play. After Alisa Lum drilled a 3-pointer from the top to pull Kalani within 48-47, Roosevelt closed out the final three minutes with a 9-2 run.
"I told the girls, 'We win the game at the line, or we lose the game at the line,' " Keanini said.
Miyashiro sank a turnaround jumper on the low post, and Nakasone sank five of her next six foul shots. After Nicole Yoshimoto made two free throws, Roosevelt led 57-49 with 40 seconds remaining.
In all, Kalani shot 30 percent (18-for-60) from the floor, including just 5-for-26 from 3-point range.
Kalani stayed with a man defense all game long. "Coach Bobby spread us out all over. We got caught standing a lot," Kahalioumi said. "Offensively, the shots and openings were there."
The Falcons lose one senior starter, Lum, to graduation.
"All of our girls are tough. There were many times this season when we didn't have a full team," Kahalioumi said. "I think we're one position away from being a contender in Division I."
That position, he added, is center.
At McKinley
Kalani (4-9) 12 15 15 7 -- 49 Roosevelt (9-4) 17 8 18 14 -- 57 KALANI--Richline Batoon 1, Liandra Bonifacio 0, Kim Cabudaya 8, Keri Hee 7, Megan Kamehiro 6, Alisa Lum 8, Tamari Miyashiro 14, Karlie Saiki 0, Kristie Saiki 0, Chelsea Kimura 2, Raynani Camara 3.
ROOSEVELT--Tati Beasley 20, Chelsie Kadota 2, Dasha Kawakami 0, Larisa Nakasone 6, Nicole Yoshimoto 9, Shannon Miyashiro 16, Nicole Okada 2, Miya Frank 2.
3-point goals -- Kalani 5 (Lum 2, Miyashiro 2, Camara 1), Roosevelt 0.
