Wait pays off for Roosevelt's Thoemmes in win
POSTED: Friday, February 13, 2009
Roosevelt's Mikela Thoemmes waited a long time on the sideline.
The wait was worthwhile for the Rough Riders, who saw their versatile forward amass season highs of 24 points and 15 rebounds in a 54-43 win over Mililani last night in the OIA Red Conference girls basketball playoffs.
The Rough Riders (9-4) will meet top-ranked Farrington, an easy winner over Kailua, tonight when the double-elimination tournament resumes. Kailua will play Mililani in an elimination game.
A crowd of about 400 at Farrington's Richard Kitamura Memorial Fieldhouse saw Mililani (7-5) stay close for three quarters before Thoemmes took control. Behind the hot shooting of guard Chelsea Basilio, who scored 11 of her team-high 19 points in the third quarter, the Trojans led 35-31 with 2:31 to go in the third.
Roosevelt, which trailed for most of the first three quarters, kept feeding Thoemmes in the post. She hit a series of follow shots and turnaround jumpers, including one with her left hand to give the Rough Riders a 50-41 lead with 3:59 left in the contest. She scored 12 points during Roosevelt's 19-6 run.
“;We brought our game and did well as a team,”; said Thoemmes, who still wraps the right hand that was injured at midseason. “;We practiced well yesterday.”;
Mililani shot 22 percent (2-for-9) in the final quarter and got no closer than seven points the rest of the way.
Basilio was 6-for-10 from the field, but took only two shots in the fourth quarter.
“;They switched defenders on her and she was a little gassed,”; Mililani coach Patrick Basilio (no relation) said.
Roosevelt used Kathleen Nakata and Abcde Furuta-Harada to cover Chelsea Basilio.
“;Kat played a big part on defense, and so did Abby,”; Roosevelt coach Clint Chikamori said.
The Trojans played without center Pomai Grube-Hose, who is in Las Vegas for a club volleyball tournament.
“;She'd been coming along in the past two, three weeks,”; coach Basilio noted.
Instead, freshman center Darcey Goulsby had to contend with Roosevelt's smooth, strong post players: Thoemmes, Tasia Kamakawiwoole and Joshy Noga. Kamakawiwoole finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds as the Rough Riders outboarded the Trojans 43-19. Eighteen of Roosevelt's caroms came on the offensive glass.
Point guard Kelcie Namba issued eight assists. In all, the Rough Riders had 16 assists and only 10 turnovers against Mililani's fullcourt pressure.
“;It was a really good win. Mililani's tough, scrappy, quick,”; Chikamori said. “;The girls stuck together and everybody did their job.”;
| Roosevelt (9-4) | 10 | 16 | 12 | 16 | — | 54 | |
| Mililani (7-5) | 13 | 9 | 15 | 6 | — | 43 |
ROOSEVELT—Kelcie Namba 3, Samantha Murakami 0, Kathleen Nakata 2, Nicole Ramirez 6, Abcde Furuta-Harada 2, Mikela Thoemmes 24, Joshy Noga 2, Tasia Kamakawiwoole 15.
MILILANI—Chelsea Basilio 19, Kellise Dela Cruz 0, Sam Yuki 0, Jordan Sakai 2, Amber Ogata 2, Abby McKoy 2, Darcey Goulsby 6, Elima Pangorang 0, Sophie Chang 10, Cory Ramos 0, Kyla Alcantra 2.
3-point goals: Roosevelt 3 (Ramirez 2, Namba), Mililani 3 (Chang 2, Basilio).
No. 1 Farrington 48, Kailua 16
Sophomore Brydgette Tatupu-Leopoldo scored 12 points and Lucky Crichton added 11 for Farrington (19-4, 13-0 OIA Red).
The Governors used a stifling halfcourt man-to-man defense and a mix of fullcourt presses to take a 20-4 lead after one quarter. In the second quarter, Farrington switched to a 1-2-2 zone—saving some of its legs for tonight's game—and took a 36-6 lead. The visiting Surfriders went nearly 12 minutes during the half without scoring a point.
Coach Caroline Tatupu emptied her bench in the second half, giving her starting unit plenty of rest for tonight's matchup against Roosevelt.
“;We've got two more games (to win),”; Tatupu said of her team's OIA title quest. “;We need to take each game like it's our last. It's the playoffs now and teams are going to play tougher.”;
Sola Williams paced Kailua (12-10, 5-8) with six points and five rebounds.
The Governors outrebounded the Surfriders 34-15 and shot 55 percent from the field (17-for-31). Kailua struggled from the field and shot 14 percent (6-for-42).
| Kailua (5-8) | 4 | 2 | 6 | 4 | — | 16 | |
| Farrington (13-0) | 20 | 8 | 8 | 12 | — | 48 |
KAILUA—Jayna Hanawahine 0, Tawny Kiko 2, Malia Pearson 2, Sola Williams 6, Teuila Afele 0, Zsalei Kamaka 4, Ka'u Kohatsu 2, Alysha Franco 0, Anu Ah Yun 0.
FARRINGTON—Jasmine Funtanilla 5, Angie Argel 2, Natalie Mata 4, Lucky Crichton 11, Brydgette Tatupu-Leopoldo 12, Precious Maave 0, Janell Nance 0, Macilee Moi 4, Kirsten Liana 7, Sofia Folaumahina 0, Aisha Gaea 1, Lusina Otineru 2.
3-point goals—Kailua none, Farrington 3 (Tatupu-Leopoldo 2, Funtanilla).
Moanalua 37, No. 10 McKinley 34, OT
Hoku Dela Cruz's 3-pointer with 7.3 seconds left in overtime lifted Na Menehune over the Tigers to advance to the semifinals against Kalani.
McKinley's last-second response, a 3-pointer by Tatiana Dinson, fell short.
| Moanalua (5-7) | 10 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 7 | — | 37 |
| McKinley (7-5) | 16 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 4 | — | 34 |
MOANALUA—Joanna Nicolas 7, Michelle Hardy 7, Amanda Selvey 0, Meleane Smith 0, Jaidon Rego 3, Hoku Dela Cruz 7, A.J. Verdida 6, Justine Aguas 7.
MCKINLEY—Kylie Sato 12, Twanzyna Spencer 0, Ashley Gravley 4, Tatiana Dinson 2, Hanna Yoo 2, Jorina Faletoi 4, Juwill Starks 4, Jackie Tihano 6.
3-point goals—Moanalua 3 (Nicholas, Hardy, Dela Cruz), McKinley 3 (Tihano 2, Sato).
Kalani 71, Aiea 51
Ashlyn Onaga scored a game-high 27 points, hitting 5-for-10 from 3-point range as the Falcons advanced to the semifinals.
| Kalani (8-6) | 14 | 17 | 20 | 20 | — | 71 | |
| Aiea (10-3) | 16 | 11 | 8 | 16 | — | 51 |
KALANI—Violet Alama 17, Ashlyn Onaga 27, Jamie Higa 5, Kelsie Maslanka 2, Corie Kuia 14, Kiera Iinuma 0, Christina Sasano 2, Kristi Belshe 0, Loretta Misaalefua 0, Tiare Maafala 0, Tiffany Liao 0, Joyce Lam 0, Hikaru Kumagai 4.
AIEA—Ashlei Liilii 0, Celeste Fong 0, Natasha Helsham 17, Natasha Fong 4, Briana Brooks 0, Crystal Tagudin 4, Rayna Strom-Okimoto 0, Maria Holtzman 0, Kaui Kuehu 9, Carol Sio 6, Emily Tausaga 11, Kaala Leopoldo 0, Tiara Fetui 0, Maccyn Samisoni 0.
3-point goals—Kalani 10 (Onaga 5, Kuia 4, Higa), Aiea none.
OIA White Playoffs
No. 8 Kahuku 71, Kaiser 55
Vaimalama Tito stepped it up in the final period, scoring nine of her 17 points, to lead the Red Raiders into the White title game.
| Kaiser (9-5) | 10 | 15 | 9 | 21 | — | 55 | |
| Kahuku (12-1) | 20 | 13 | 16 | 22 | — | 71 |
KAISER—Hailey Durham 6, Lijah Boyverman 6, Chelsy Okuma 18, Keely Bitanga 10, Kaitlyn Nakano 2, Daryn Vorderbruegge 6, Bailey Miller 1, Shelby Pa 4, Krysta Yasui 2.
KAHUKU—Nile Te'o 4, Vaimalama Tito 17, Temutisa Te'o 0, Maria Tonga 0, Lavania Latu 7, Jessica Falemalu 9, Jovan Falemalu 9, Uluakimata Tonga 0, Rachel Tailele 11, Hi'ilei Cummings 14, Vaunelle Hingano 0.
3-point goals—Kaiser 2 (Okuma, Vorderbruegge), Kahuku 7 (Cummings 3, Tito 2, Latu, Je. Falemalu).
Kaimuki 47, Leilehua 35
Olivia Phommachanh scored a game-high 16 points to lead the Bulldogs into the White final.
| Kaimuki (12-2) | 8 | 12 | 12 | 15 | — | 47 | |
| Leilehua (7-5) | 3 | 17 | 7 | 8 | — | 35 |
KAIMUKI—Olivia Phommachanh 16, Pua Akaka 5, Tanya Villanueva 0, Dinishah Fa'asoa 2, Justell Arthur 0, Letishah Faasoa 1, Dejah Fa'asoa 10, Leti Mikaele 0, Ashley Fortson 2, Lani Mikaele 11.
LEILEHUA—Chelsy Fontes 0, Patricia Lindo 8, Alaina Johnson 6, Vanessa Bocobo 4, Michelle Fletcher 6, Mariyah Tamaalemalo 3, Toe Motu 4, Alondra Hooks 0, Ashley Gonzales 4, Carline Wilson 0.
3-point goals—Kaimuki 3 (Phommachanh 2, Akaka), Leilehua 2 (Lindo 2).
ILH Division I
No. 2 Punahou 44, Sacred Hearts 28
Janelle Nomura scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Buffanblu to a ninth straight win.
| Punahou (10-1) | 7 | 13 | 10 | 14 | — | 44 | |
| Sacred Hearts (1-11) | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | — | 28 |
PUNAHOU—Kaylin Okuma 0, Rebecca Lau 3, Julianne Nomura 5, Janet Li 0, Anna Merrifield 0, Brittnie Lau 0, Janelle Nomura 21, Ashley-Anne Feria 6, Jennifer Ching 0, Julia Brand 3, Kysa Ludviksen 0, Tressa Torres 6.
SACRED HEARTS—Rayna Munos 3, Lynsey Overstreet 0, Kamri Lin 10, Sara Souza 3, Crystal Maria 0, Lindsey Bareng 0, Raecha-Ann Kauahikaua 6, Theresa O'Connor 0, Kuhina Luis 4, Naihe Paikai 2.
3-point goals—Punahou 3 (Nomura 2, Lau), Sacred Hearts 2 (Munos, Souza).
No. 6 Mid-Pacific 67 , No. 5 'Iolani 62
Ashley Yamachika led Mid-Pacific with 21 points in the victory over the Raiders.
| 'Iolani (7-5) | 10 | 11 | 13 | 28 | — | 62 | |
| Mid-Pacific (6-6) | 14 | 13 | 17 | 23 | — | 67 |
'IOLANI—Elysse Tom 4, Kylie Maeda 13, Saphyre Rezentes 0, Lori Yamashita 29, Georgette Lopes-Liutolo 3, Kaitlyn Shikada 0, Mahina Haina 0, Lahela Usui 10, Shauni Watanabe 0, Brittany Barnes 3.
MID-PACIFIC—Ashley Yamachika 21, Paige Young 7, Johnnelle Kapua 7, Mahina Docktor 0, Shanon Nishimura 0, Kelli Shibata 0, Jordan Kealoha 14, Taylor Babbitt 1, Keaton McFadden 5, Jenna Savusa 12.
3-point goals—'Iolani 10 (Yamashita 5, Usui 3, Maeda 2), Mid-Pacific 7 (Kealoha 4, Young, Yamachika, Kapua).
Ilh Division II
Varsity boys
Hanalani 66, Island Pacific Academy 48
Leading scorers—Han: P.J. Minaya 24. IPA: Theo Duplechin 19.
Varsity girls
St. Andrew's Priory 64, Hanalani 55, OT
Leading scorers—StA: Nina Watanabe 33, Noelani Kawashima 23. Han: Rachel Matalau 25.
BIIF Boys
Kamehameha-Hawaii 49, Kona 45
