Warriors return
to poll at No. 9

Kamehameha-Hawaii is back after
a one-week absence following a pair
of wins last week

The Warriors of Kamehameha's Big Island campus are back with a kick.

Kamehameha-Hawaii dropped out of the Star-Bulletin Girls Basketball Top 10 last week for the first time this season.

The senior-less Warriors, however, are back in the poll at No. 9 after last week's victories over Waiakea and Kealakehe. Kamehameha-Hawaii improved to 13-4 overall and 5-1 in Big Island Interscholastic Federation play.

Not only that -- they surpassed their big sisters at Kapalama for the first time in the girls basketball rankings.

Kamehameha's Oahu squad dropped out of the poll after losses to fifth-ranked Iolani and No. 1 Punahou.

Kamehameha-Hawaii is the only team to hand Punahou a loss this season, though the Buffanblu played without star center Shawna-Lei Kuehu in that nonconference game.

The Buffanblu commanded all 20 first-place votes to top the Star-Bulletin poll for the fifth consecutive week.

The Buffanblu outlasted third-ranked Maryknoll 42-36 before derailing Kamehameha last week. Punahou is 3-0 in Interscholastic League of Honolulu play and 12-1 overall.

Konawaena, Maryknoll, Kahuku, Iolani and Kalaheo all won and stayed put in their respective positions behind Punahou.

Honokaa (9-4, 2-1) moved up a notch to seventh place following a 35-18 victory over Hilo at the Hilo Armory on Friday.

Kaiser, which nearly won at Kahuku after losing to Kalaheo, dropped just one notch to No. 8. The two losses left the Cougars at 10-6 overall and 4-3 in league play.

After Kamehameha-Hawaii, Lahainaluna returned to the poll in 10th place after a victory over King Kekaulike last week. The Lady Lunas, who defeated Kamehameha and Kaiser last month, are 2-0 in Maui Interscholastic League play.