[ HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL ]
Iolani's Keilyn Fujioka battled for a rebound against Kaiser's Kehau Bangay last night.
Iolani warms up
to top KaiserAfter dealing with their inexperience,
the young Raiders pull away
for a 50-39 win
Once a young Iolani team got comfortable in the spacious surroundings of the Stan Sheriff Center, the Raiders were able to pull away from a feisty Kaiser team and advance to the quarterfinals of the Hawaiian Airlines Girls State Basketball Championship last night.The Raiders got 27 points from sophomores Hennasea-Sue Tokumura and Keilyn Fujioka and claimed a 50-39 win over Kaiser last night in a state tournament first-round game.
"It's different," Iolani senior Ginger Gravelle said of playing under state-tournament pressure at the Sheriff Center. "A lot of these girls didn't get to play in here before. Only two of us had played in here and that was two years ago. It was adjusting to a different atmosphere and we had some young girls come up big."
Iolani (11-3), the Interscholastic League of Honolulu runner-up, plays Maui Interscholastic League champion Baldwin in a quarterfinal game today at 4:30 p.m.
Tokumura hit seven of 12 shots from the field to lead all scorers with 18 points. Fujioka hit for nine points on 4-for-6 shooting.
Gravelle, the only senior on an Iolani roster featuring four freshmen and six sophomores, posted seven points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Kaz Masutani chipped in eight points.
"It's hard to play catch-up against a team like that and we were playing catch-up the whole game," Kaiser coach Lisa Mann said.
"Normally we'd say, 'Help on so-and-so.' But because they're so balanced it's very hard to help. When you help, the other person kills you."
An equally youthful Kaiser squad (11-4) fell into the consolation bracket with the loss. Like Iolani, the Cougars have just one senior and were led by sophomore forward Sharde Pratt's 15 points and 16 rebounds.
The Cougars never led in the game, but maintained contact with Iolani through the first three quarters, never letting the Raiders pull more than eight points ahead.
A 3-pointer by Tokumura early in the fourth quarter opened a 7-0 Iolani run that finally gave the Raiders some breathing room. They opened up a 40-28 lead on a Tokumura jumper just inside the 3-point line with 5:10 left and held off the Cougars the rest of the way.
"Our game plan was to get the ball inside. Once we got the ball inside it opened everything up," Iolani coach Glenn Takara said. "We told our shooters we just had to be patient."
Kaiser got six points each from Pratt, Jaime Nerona and Kehau Bangay in the first half and trailed 20-18 at intermission.
Iolani turned up the intensity on their man-to-man defense in the second half, making it tougher for the Cougars to find open looks at the basket.
"On a couple of plays we got caught on their screens," Takara said. "We showed our girls the play and they still got their shots off. What we did (in the second half) was just communicate a little bit more."
Said Mann: "They picked up the pressure and they were definitely helping out more down low. We only play seven players, so I thought we ran out of gas down at the end."
Kaiser loses senior point guard Shera Yamamoto, who closed her career with two points and four assists. But with the rest of the team returning next year, Mann hopes the Cougars' run this season bodes well for the future.
"I'm excited about next year," she said. "We have to find a point guard, those will be big shoes to fill, but I think we'll be OK."
Kaiser (11-4) 6 12 10 11 - 39 Iolani (11-3) 12 11 10 17 - 50 KAISER--Aja Yamamoto 0, Shera Yamamoto 2, Jaime Nerona 7, Chelsea Kapuniai 0, Sharde Pratt 15, Jolie Yoshino 0, Natasha Aloisio 0, Kehau Banguay 8, Kilioe Aliifua 7.
IOLANI--Kaz Masutani 8, Chelsea Unemori 0, Henasea-Sue Tokumura 18, Alana Matayoshi 2, Ginger Gravelle 7, Marci Kang 2, Alana Wall 4, Meilin Akamu 0, Sarah Turgon 0, Keilyn Fujioka 9, Chelsea Wong 0.
3-point goals--Kaiser 1 (Nerona 1). Iolani 4 (Tokumura 2, Masutani 1, Gravelle 1).Kalaheo 62, Kauai 38: The Mustangs, bolstered by the return of junior forward Taylor Smith, cruised past the Kauai Interscholastic Federation champion Red Raiders.
Smith, Kaiena Huihui and Kaliko Kepa led the Mustangs with 11 points each and Shanadee Canon added 10.
Smith, who was expected to be among the OIA's top players this season, had been out of action since the preseason with a broken bone in her foot and was cleared to return to practice on Saturday.
Smith was a bit rusty after eight weeks off as she made five of 14 shots off the bench. Kalaheo coach Chico Furtado hopes her return can spark the Mustangs in today's quarterfinal meeting with No. 3 seed Punahou.
"It's huge, especially with the struggles we've been having offensively," Furtado said. "We hope that's where her skills will kick in and it's one more person the defense has to be aware of on the floor."
The Mustangs held Kauai to 23 percent shooting from the floor. The Red Raiders were led by Holly Iloreta's 12 points. Farren Higley added nine points and nine rebounds.
Kalaheo (11-4) 14 11 23 14 - 62 Kauai (8-2) 8 6 14 10 - 38 KALAHEO--Hoku Kaiu-Denning 0, Shaina Siliga 7, Kandice Kinney 0, Randi Farstad 4, Welsey Whitman 0, Shantel Marumoto 0, Kaila Samson 2, Malia Samson 0, Shanadee Canon 10, Taylor Smith 11, Kaiena Huihui 11, Kaliko Kepa 11, Kamala Kau 6.
KAUAI--Janee Correia 2, Stephanie Kashiwabara 0, Rachael Tira 2, Starlene Kelekoma 7, Ashley Silva 0, Allison Jackson 4, Valerie Aficial 0, Sheri Gebauer 2, Holly Iloreta 12, Farren Higley 9, Lindsay Sugihara 0.
3-point goals--Kalh 1 (Siliga 1). Kauai 3 (Iloreta 2, Kelekoma 1).Lahainaluna 47, Honokaa 28: Six of the Lunas' 10 field goals came from behind the 3-point line, as Lahainaluna advanced to a quarterfinal date with OIA champion Kahuku today.
Jessica Maielua led Lahainaluna with 12 points. Alise Hatch drained three shots from long range to finish with nine points. The Lunas also made 21 of 31 free throws.
Lahainaluna stifled the Dragons with pressure defense in the backcourt and an active 2-3 zone. The Lunas limited Honokaa to eight field goals in 40 attempts and forced 29 turnovers.
The Lunas will look for another solid defensive effort today to help negate Kahuku's size advantage.
"We have no size to match up with their size and the only thing we can do is play the zone and hope they miss their shots from outside," Lahainaluna coach Todd Rickard said. "We're still going to press them, that's our style and that's what we're going to do."
Keisha Kanekoa led Honokaa with 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
Lahainaluna (12-4) 12 5 13 17 - 47 Honokaa (12-3) 7 5 8 8 - 28 LAHAINALUNA-Tasha Pagdillao 6, Krystal Omlan 7, Kelci Fushikoshi 0, Jessica Maielua 12, Paige Curimao 0, Casey Bartolome 0, Tekiri Rickard 0, Piilani Uyeda 0, Monika Vehikite 4, Monique Blando 9, Alise Hatch 9, Danielle Yakut 0, Cheryl Ann Pali 0.
HONOKAA-Kari Heers 6, Alyssa Souza 0, Jerrika Lorenzo 8, Keisha Kanekoa 10, Charven Rodrigues 4, Noelani Cariaga 0, Megan Gibo 0, Lurline Lorenzo 0, Alexandria Bader 0, Jaliese DeMello 2, Jessika Lorenzo 0, Joliese DeMello 0.
3-point goals-Lah: 6 (Hatch 3, Omlan 2, Maielua 1).Kamehameha 52, McKinley 42: Warriors freshman Analee Viena-Lota scored nine of her game-high 19 points in the fourth quarter as Kamehameha broke open a close game and set up a meeting with top-seeded Konawaena today at 6:15 p.m.
Viena-Lota hit eight of 14 shots from the field and all three of her free throws to lead the Warriors to the quarterfinals.
"She's not really human," Kamehameha coach Clay Cockett said. "Her basketball attitude has really improved. She wants to play. She's become a lot more comfortable playing in this kind of situation and at this level. Having to play in a system is new to her and she's adapted real well."
Kamehameha's work on the boards helped the Warriors overcome the outside shooting of McKinley guard Chantal Yadao, who drained five 3-pointers, one short of the tournament record.
Mounia Nihipali scored 13 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for the Warriors, who owned a 49-27 edge on the boards. Lori Nakamura finished with 12 rebounds, while guard Tatriana Lorenzo had 13 points and seven rebounds.
With the game tied at 35 after three quarters, Viena-Lota hit a jumper and scored on a layup off an assist from Lorenzo to put Kamehameha ahead.
After a driving layup by McKinley's Melody Ababa cut the lead to 39-37, Kamehameha went on a 13-2 run to put the Warriors in control. Four different Warriors contributed to the spurt capped by Viena-Lota's three-point play.
Seven of McKinley's 15 turnovers came in the final period as Kamehameha pulled away.
Yadao and Bre Carson led McKinley with 15 points each. The Tigers play Kaiser in a consolation-round game today.
Kamehameha (11-4) 8 14 13 17 - 52 McKinley (10-5) 11 14 10 7 - 42 KAMEHAMEHA--Miki Nakamura 3, Mounia Nihipali 13, India Soo 0, Jordan Tangonan 0, Tatriana Lorenzo 13, Lori Nakamura 4, Analee Viena-Lota 19, Leah Godinet 0, Danna Friedemann 0, Lilia Lee 0.
MCKINLEY--Chelsie Sato 4, Linda Fowler 1, Bre Carson 15, Chantal Yadao 15, Meagan Miyasaka 5, Janine Corpuz 0, Melody Ababa 2, Christine Ching 0.
3-point goals--Kamehameha 1 (M. Nakamura 1). McKinley 6 (Yadao 5, Carson 1).
HHSAA girls basketball
At Stan Sheriff Center
Division I
Seeds: 1. Konawaena. 2. Kahuku. 3. Punahou. 4. Baldwinyesterday
Game 1: Lahainaluna 47, Honokaa 28
2: Kalaheo 62, Kauai 38
3: Iolani 50, Kaiser 39
4: Kamehameha 52, McKinley 42today
5: McKinley vs. Kaiser, 11:15 a.m.
6: Honokaa vs. Kauai, 1 p.m.
7: Kahuku vs. Lahainaluna, 2:45 p.m.
8: Baldwin vs. Iolani, 4:30 p.m.
9: Konawaena vs. Kamehameha, 6:15 p.m.
10: Punahou vs. Kalaheo, 8 p.m.tomorrow
11: Losers 9 & 8, 11:15 a.m.
12: Losers 7 & 10, 1 p.m.
13: Winners 9 & 8, 6:15 p.m.
14: Winners 7 & 10, 8 p.m.saturday
15: Winners 5 & 6 (seventh place), 12:45 p.m.
16: Winners 11 & 12 (fifth place), 2:30 p.m.
17: Losers 13 & 14 (third place), 4:15 p.m.
18: Winners 13 & 14 (championship), 8 p.m.
Division II
tomorrow
Game 1: St. Andrew's vs. St. Joseph, 2:45 p.m.
2: Roosevelt vs. St. Anthony, 4:30 p.m.saturday
3: Losers 1 & 2 (third place), 11 a.m.
4: Winners 1& 2 (championship), 6 p.m.
