Iolani claims ILH's second state basketball berth

Advertiser Staff

Kamehameha will not three-peat as state girls basketball champion and Iolani standout Monica Tokoro will play in her first state tournament.

Iolani dissected the Warriors, 56-42, in a special play-in game last night at neutral McCabe Gym for the Interscholastic League of Honolulu's second spot in the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association tournament starting Friday on O'ahu.

Kamehameha had won two games from Iolani by a total of 14 points during the round-robin season, but the Raiders got a third chance, thanks to the private-school ILH's system of holding a tournament involving all teams except its champion (Punahou this year) for the league's last state berth.

Tokoro turned playmaker last night. She scored only six points but had a game-high six assists, and provided leadership in helping keep the Iolani offense spread to take advantage of the Raiders' superior speed.

Junior Trisha Nishimoto scored a game-high 23 points for Iolani and created several of her own scoring opportunities with a game-high six steals.

Kamehameha had lost only four games since the 1998-'99 season, three of them to rival Punahou. Last year, the Warriors were the first team in Hawai'i in 22 years to go through the entire season unbeaten.

But last night the Warriors reacted like they were wearing cement sneakers as Nishimoto, Tokoro and freshman Ginger Gravelle sliced through their defense time after time. Gravelle finished with 14 points.

"We played like a team tonight," Nishimoto said. "Everybody stepped up."

Kamehameha was led by senior Noelle Russell with 13 points and Megan Ching added 12.

Iolani led all the way and took control in the third quarter, outscoring the Warriors 16-8 for a 40-26 lead. Nishimoto and Gravelle each scored six in the third.

"Everybody doubted us," after the Raiders went 8-4 in the round-robin season, Tokoro said, "and we wanted to show everybody what we were capable of. Everybody contributed tonight, including the bench."

Going to the state tournament, Tokoro said, "is my dream — since the seventh grade —it feels so good."

Meanwhile, seven-time state champion Kamehameha will be in the unaccustomed role of spectator this weekend. Some of the Warriors could hardly believe it. Senior Tai Soo sat on steps outside the gym for about 30 minutes with a towel draped over her head, alone in deep thought. Finally, someone nudged her and said it was time to go.

Kamehameha finishes the season 12-3 in the ILH and 21-4 overall.

Iolani—Trisha Nishimoto 23, Jennifer Nagamine 0, Monica Tokoro 6, Lana Young 2, Janna Young 0, Fabrian Gin 7, Raeceen Woolford 0, Kristin Kutara 0, Ginger Gravelle 14, Jackie Sasaki 0, Elyssa Street 4, Emma Prince-Wilson 0, Diane McLain 0 .

Kamehameha—Napua Naumu 0, Tiffiny Shim 2, India Soo 0, Ashley Ruff 2, Courtney Chai 0, Beth Nakamura 0, Ashley De Silva 0, Jeneka Taeoalii 0, Lehua Wood 0, Tai Soo 9, Mounia Nihipali 0, Krystalynn Ontai 2, Megan Kanoa 2, Megan Ching 12, Noelle Russell 13.

3-point goals—Kamehameha 1 (Russell).

Correction: Jade Savusa of Mid-Pacific Institute was the leading scorer during the 2000 Interscholastic League of Honolulu girls basketball season with an average of 16.9 points per game. Another player was credited in a previous version of this story.