At the St. Francis Merv Lopes Classic, Wasilla (Alaska) took the court and lost 47-41 to defending Hawaii state champion Punahou on the morning after the big blackout.

The significance? Wasilla is the alma mater of former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who was a point guard on the school's girls state championship team. Punahou, of course, is alma mater of president-elect Barack Obama, who happens to be vacationing right down the highway from the tournament at King Armory in Kaneohe.

None of the current players were born when Palin played on Wasilla's 1982 title team. This year's tallest player, 6-foot-7 John Knowles, was a Palin supporter.

“;I would've voted for McCain,”; the junior said. “;But I don't think any of us really think about it.”;

David Green, a 6-4 sophomore, straddled the fence.

“;My parents voted for Obama. They thought his stance was the best,”; he said, pointing out that he is neutral when it comes to politics. “;I didn't really study it much.”;

Green has an older sister attending the University of Hawaii, and he dreams of playing football for the Warriors. He was stunned to learn, however, that UH doesn't use tight ends, his natural position.

A foot of snow was on the ground when they boarded their plane in Anchorage, delaying their departure for an hour. By the next day, another 16 inches fell. The temperature when they boarded the flight from Anchorage: 13 degrees.

Punahou reached the semifinals of the tourney before losing to powerful De La Salle (Calif.). Wasilla was 3-1 in the tourney.

Raiders reign

When it comes to boys basketball, there is no other team with 'Iolani's relatively recent success - five titles in a row during the earlier part of the decade.

“;They look like their 'five-peat' team. They've got all the pieces,”; Kaimuki coach Kelly Grant said after his team lost to 'Iolani in the semifinals of Na Menehune Reebok Holiday Classic.

The Raiders are physical - they sent Kaimuki's 270-pound center, Desmond Tautofi, to the ground three times. They also convert turnovers into fast-break points in the blink of an eye, and it doesn't change when the second team gets on the floor.

“;We have great confidence in them,”; 'Iolani coach Mark Mugiishi said, noting that they will continue to go 12 or 13 deep into the lineup. “;They bring that energy and it's contagious.”;

'Iolani held the ball in the final few minutes, but it wasn't by design.

“;I still wanted us to be aggressive,”; Mugiishi said of his hesitant team. “;We don't have a break-you-down point guard. We're not going to hold the ball for 5 minutes and be effective.”;

Despite an unbeaten record against local teams, 'Iolani was behind No. 1 Kamehameha and No. 2 Punahou in the Star-Bulletin Preseason Top 10. That was enough to ruffle a few feathers, though none of the Raiders will say anything on the record.

“;No comment,”; Raiders leading scorer Pablo Warner said.