Lahainaluna moves up
to ninth place in poll

The waiting is under way for Todd Rickard and his Lady Lunas basketball team.

Lahainaluna wrapped up a perfect 8-0 record in the Maui Interscholastic League. The Lady Lunas (16-2) improved to No. 9 in today's Star-Bulletin Girls Basketball Top 10 and will have the MIL's top seed at the state championships.

Punahou remained No. 1 in the poll, collecting 19 of 20 first-place votes. Teams at the bottom of the poll, like Lahainaluna and Kamehameha-Hawaii, are under the radar to some extent, and could pose problems for the favorites at the state tourney.

KS-Hawaii has already beaten Punahou, handing the Buffanblu their only defeat during a nonconference tournament. Lahainaluna has a win over No. 8 Kaiser.

Rickard's team has another two weeks before it plays another game. That doesn't include an exhibition game against a "Select" team before Friday's MIL playoff games.

The Select team is comprised of seniors from the teams that did not qualify for the playoffs.

"I'll play all my players and get them involved, but it's nothing real special. I'll probably set up a couple of scrimmages with the (tournament) champions in D-I and D-II," Rickard said.

Point guard Kelci Fushikoshi is a major contributor, controlling the tempo and hitting big shots from the perimeter. Tasha Pagdilao, another guard, and swingman Alise Hatch scored 11 points each in the physical, hard-earned win at Baldwin.

Two weeks off may present some problems, but the Lady Lunas could use some time to heal.

"The last two, three weeks, we've had a lot of sick players with the flu. Monique (Blando) had a concussion. This will help us get our health back together," Rickard said.

During the preseason, the Lady Lunas took a shellacking from Maryknoll.

The Spartans dropped to No. 5 in this week's poll after blowing a 20-point lead at Iolani and losing 51-48 on Saturday.

"To me, Maryknoll plays smart, but I know they're an aggressive team," Rickard recalled. "They busted us up, but our center wasn't playing, also. Blando is only 5-5, but she's as tough as anyone in the state. They came at us with a 2-2-1 press, and we don't see that a lot."

Lahainaluna is somewhat similar to teams like Kamehameha-Hawaii, heavy with guards and lacking interior height. That puts a premium on execution and valuing each possession.

"We're not going to work on new plays, but we'll work on executing our offense better and our defensive schemes. We need to get the girls fully prepared," Rickard said. "We'll be all right. We lack height, but our guards can get us through, especially at the state tournament. They know what it takes. They've been there the past three years."

Rickard has high expectations, but won't put a number on them.

"Any time you go to states, you want to win. Realistically, no MIL team has gotten past the semifinals. Last year, when Baldwin beat Iolani in the quarterfinals, that was the first time in a long time the MIL got to the semis," he said. "We're going there to play hard, and whatever we come out with, I'll be happy, regardless."

The Lady Lunas will be happier if they can improve on their 17-for-41 accuracy from the line during the Baldwin game.

"We take 100 free throws a day," Rickard said. "What else can you do?"