Posted on: Sunday, May 20, 2001
Kalaheo, 'Aiea gain state final in basketball
By Kyle Sakamoto
Advertiser Staff Writer
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| Kalaheo's Bre Carson glides in for an uncontested layup during last nightâs state basketball semifinal against Honoka'a.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser |
'Aiea and Kalaheo will be playing in the first all-O'ahu Interscholastic Association girls state final since the tournament began 25 years ago.
Unseeded 'Aiea pulled off the upset of the tournament with a 63-54 victory over top-seeded Punahou in last night's second semifinal of the Hawaiian Airlines Girls State Basketball Championships at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Second-seeded Kalaheo defeated third-seeded Honoka'a, 64-52, in the other semifinal.
Kahuku was the only OIA team to win a state basketball title, capturing the 1983 championship.
Aritta Lane scored 35 points and grabbed 19 rebounds as 'Aiea overcame a nine-point first-half deficit to beat Punahou.
Lane dominated the lane in the second half. She scored 23 points on 10-of-11 shooting, and grabbed 10 rebounds after intermission.
"I was just going in there and doing my job," said Lane, a 5-foot-11 senior. "That's what I'm on the team for."
Na Ali'i went on a 25-14 run over the first seven minutes of the second half to take a 46-37 lead. Punahou was able to cut the deficit to four, but could get no closer.
" 'Aiea is an awesome team," Punahou coach Shelley Fey said. "They had a height advantage over us and they are quick and well polished. They have a lot of experience working well together."
Punahou was really hurt when 6-foot sophomore center Becky Hogue picked up her fourth foul with 5:41 left in the third quarter. She returned 1:40 into the fourth, but by that time 'Aiea led 49-42.
"She's one of their main post players," 'Aiea coach Fran Villarmia-Kahawai said. "By Aritta going at her, getting her in foul trouble it really helped us because they really couldn't score in the post after that."
'Aiea will get a second chance against Kalaheo. Last Wednesday, Kalaheo defeated 'Aiea, 67-51, in the OIA championship at the Stan Sheriff Center.
"I am so ready," Lane said. "I know what I did wrong the last time, and I'm ready to execute and give it my all."
Said Keesha Aldridge: "We're all really excited to get a second chance. We already made history for 'Aiea and the public schools."
Neither team got off to a good start. 'Aiea made 4-of-12 field goal attempts and Punahou made just 3-of-16 as the Buffanblu took an 11-8 lead after the first quarter.
The Buffanblu scored six consecutive points and took their largest lead, 19-10, with 5 minutes remaining before halftime.
'Aiea responded with a 9-0 run to tie the game at 19 with 1:02 remaining. Aldridge scored five points and Lane added four during the rally.
Punahou's Milia Macfarlane scored 13 of her 15 points in the first half points.
Kalaheo 64, Honoka'a 52
Honoka'a coach Daphne Honma told her players to not let Brandy Richardson beat them.
Richardson did it anyway.
Richardson, the two-time state player of the year, scored 29 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and had six blocks as second-seeded Kalaheo defeated third-seed Honoka'a, 64-52, in the other semifinal.
"We told the kids we want to stop her," Honma said. "They said yeah, we want to try and stop her. Tonight I don't know what it was. I don't know if playing against Brandy Richardson got them the intimidation factor. I told our kids not to give her open looks, and whatever she gets, she needs to earn."
Kalaheo's Heather Gonsalves, a 6-foot-2 senior, added 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting.
"I thought if Heather could have a good game and finish around the bucket and get 12-16 points, I felt that would be good," Kalaheo coach Chico Furtado said.
The Mustangs made 23-of-38 field-goal attempts. The Dragons made just 15-of-43 shots.
"Anytime you can shoot over 50 percent it's pretty good," Furtado said. "Sixty percent is attributed to getting the ball into the post. All we need from our perimeter people is to hit an occasional shot or two and keep defenses honest, and not throw the ball away."
Richardson, a 5-10 senior who has signed with UC Santa Barbara, scored seven points as Kalaheo jumped out to a 9-0 lead with 3:45 remaining in the first quarter.
"Our kids came out and were a bit intimidated," Honma said. "We didn't do the job we needed to do."
The Dragons missed their first four shots before Kami Shigematsu hit a 3-pointer with 3:25 remaining in the quarter.
A 3-pointer by Nicole Furtado and six straight points by Gonsalves gave Kalaheo its largest lead of the first half at 18-3 with just under a minute left in the first quarter.
Honoka'a settled down and went on a 15-6 run to cut the deficit to 24-18 with 4:13 remaining in the half. Shigematsu hit two 3-pointers and Malia Ah Loy scored all seven of her first-half points during the rally.
Jolene Hinds ended the run with two free throws.
Richardson finished the half with 16 points, eight rebounds and four blocks.
Shigematsu led Honoka'a with 15 points, all on 3-pointers.
