Lahainaluna waits
out Kamehameha

The balance of power in Maui Interscholastic League girls basketball has swung to the west side.

Alise Hatch drained four first-half 3-pointers as Lahainaluna surprised Kamehameha 43-32 last night in the Lady Tiger Challenge at McKinley Student Council Gym.

Hatch, a 5-foot-9 junior, finished with 16 points and classmate Tasha Pagdilao added 12 for the Lady Lunas. They look very much like the strongest contender to dethrone defending MIL champion Baldwin.

Sophomore forward Analee Viena-Lota led Kamehameha (3-2) with 14 points. Tatriana Lorenzo had six for the Warriors, ranked No. 4 in the Star-Bulletin Top 10.

"Lahainaluna has a good team. They're good shooters and they move the ball well," Kamehameha coach Clay Cockett said.

Lahainaluna was the more poised team, patiently attacking Kamehameha's man-to-man defense deliberately with lots of motion and sharp cuts to the basket. A good number of Todd Rickard's players have been together since middle school, when Rickard was their age-group coach.

Their chemistry was quite evident. In addition to Pagdilao, a quick 5-3 guard, and Hatch, Kelci Fushikoshi, ran the point effectively. Hobbling somewhat with a sore ankle, Fushikoshi, a 5-7 senior, was one of several Lady Lunas playing with nagging injuries.

"Her ankle was bothering her before the game. Even Alise's knee was bothering her," Rickard said. "We don't have the size, so we gotta play as a team and be disciplined, or we can get blown out."

Hatch drilled her first three 3-point tries as the Lady Lunas zoomed to a 19-8 lead late in the first quarter. Kamehameha applied full-court man pressure, but Lahainaluna handled it rather flawlessly.

"The strength of our team is definitely the leadership of our guards," Rickard said. Another plus for the Lady Lunas is their balance. Fushikoshi scored 29 in a win over Maui last week, but didn't hit double figures last night. So, Pagdilao became a force.

"I told her, you just gotta wait. When other players aren't scoring, you can step up," Rickard said.

Hatch drilled her fourth trey shortly before the half as Lahainaluna took a 30-16 advantage.

Leading 37-21, the Lady Lunas switched to a 2-3 zone near the end of the third quarter, but Kamehameha's sharpshooters couldn't take advantage. The Warriors got no closer than 10 the rest of the way.

"It's always good to get a win over a team of that caliber," Rickard added. "Coach Clay has been there for years, playing for state titles. But when we left Maui, we didn't come to lose by 5 (points). We wanted to show that we can play and win at this level."

Kamehameha, as usual, will have plenty of time to grow over the course of the season. Cockett looks forward to it.

"We've spent a lot of time working on our offense, but it was feeble tonight," he said, referring to his team's penchant for taking jump shots. "The only thing I like is we have one player who has been consistent," Cockett added, referring to junior guard Miki Nakamura.

Kamehameha point guard Johanna Sai has missed two weeks due to an ankle injury. She is expected back in time for the Interscholastic League of Honolulu regular season.

No. 5 Maryknoll 56, Waimea 17

Cheryl Lee had 13 points as the fifth-ranked Spartans overpowered the Menehunes. Jessica Akamine added nine points, while Sela Fisilau tallied eight points and six rebounds for Maryknoll (7-1).

Sophomore Moani Durant led Waimea (0-1) with five points.

No. 10 Kaiser 57, Kamehameha II 42

Center Kilioe Aliifua scored 15 points and guard Nicole Lehner added 14 as the Lady Cougars opened a big lead and cruised to victory. Sharde Pratt added eight points for Kaiser (6-1).

Shannon Spencer-Kennedy led the Division II Warriors with 22 points.

Hilo, Mid-Pacific win in Moanalua tourney

Hilo and Mid-Pacific advanced to the semifinals. Hilo will play Mid-Pacific in a semifinal today at 7:30 p.m. In the other semifinal, Sacred Hearts battles host Moanalua at 6 p.m.

Hilo 56, Nanakuli 25

Senior forward Lynelle Paranada led the Vikings with nine points. Tasha Montez scored 12 points for the Golden Hawks.

Mid-Pacific 49, Kamehameha-Maui 23

Jasmine Vieira pumped in 17 points for the Owls, who are on a three-game win streak. Kisha Kaya and Shavonn Matsuda paced the Warriors with six points each.