Punahou plays Kamehameha in key ILH game
By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer
Punahou (11-0) and Kamehameha (10-1) meet tonight in a significant Interscholastic League of Honolulu girls basketball game at Kamehameha's Kekuhaupi'o Gym. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30.
A Punahou victory clinches a tie for the ILH championship. A Kamehameha victory ties the race with two games remaining for each team.
They are ranked 1-2 in the Hawai'i Sports Network state poll of coaches. In their first meeting on March 21, Punahou dominated the Warriors 58-36, applying full-court pressure the entire game.
"We've always been a defensive team. We have to do a much better job on the defensive side," Kamehameha coach Clay Cockett said.
Punahou already has clinched one of the league's three state tournament berths. Kamehameha would clinch a berth by winning tonight.
The ILH's third berth will be determined in a tournament May 6-10. Maryknoll (7-4) and Iolani (6-5) are the main contenders.
Crowded at the top
Three teams enter the final week of O'ahu Interscholastic Association Western Division girls basketball tied for first with two games to play.
The standings could shake out tomorrow night when two of the three first-place teams meet and the other plays defending state champ 'Aiea, which is also in contention.
Tomorrow, starting at about 6:30, Leilehua (7-1) plays at Pearl City (7-1) and 'Aiea (6-2) visits Campbell (7-1). ('Aiea's record was incorrectly listed in Saturday's Advertiser.)
Each of the four contending teams has one Western Division game left after tomorrow; their four opponents have six victories among them.
Perhaps more important than the divisional title, the final standings will be used to determine seeding in the OIA Championship Tournament starting May 3. The teams seeded first and second get free passes through the first round and play second-round and semifinal games at home.
Victors in the OIA second round on May 4 get the league's four berths in the state tournament May 15-18.
In case of a tie for the divisional title, tiebreakers are used to determine seeding. Pearl City has the inside track on No. 1 if it beats Leilehua because the Chargers defeated Campbell, the other team with one loss.
If Leilehua and Campbell win, Campbell has the inside track on the top seed because it defeated Leilehua. Pearl City's only loss was to 'Aiea.
Determining the second seed might be more complicated, and could send OIA basketball coordinator Mel Imai to back-up tiebreakers, some of which might require a math degree to figure out.
McKinley can clinch
McKinley (8-0) can clinch its first OIA Eastern Division girls basketball championship since 1997 when it plays at Kalani tonight at 6:30.
At least as important, the Tigers would clinch the East's No. 1 seed in the OIA Championship Tournament starting May 3. That means a free pass through the first round and home-court advantage in the second round and semifinals.
It will be firepower vs. stinginess tonight. Kalani has scored more than 50 points in seven of eight games and won its last four to improve to 6-2 and join a four-way tie for second place. McKinley has held six of eight opponents under 40 points.
Should Kalani's offense prevail tonight, the title and top seed will be at stake Friday when McKinley is host to Moanalua and Kalani visits Kalaheo on the final night of the OIA East season.
Kalani, Kalaheo, Kahuku and Moanalua share second place at 6-2. (Moanalua's record was incorrectly reported in Saturday's Advertiser.)
"The battle in the East is starting to get interesting. Every team is battling it out to make playoffs," Moanalua athletic director Dana Dias noted.
Only Moanalua and Kalani have a chance to beat McKinley for the No. 1 seed because McKinley has beaten both Kalaheo and Kahuku. (The first tiebreaker is head-to-head results. Tiebreakers are used only for seeding, not for determining the division championship.)
McKinley's top accomplishment so far this season was ending Kalaheo's 50-game OIA win streak, 33-29, on March 28.
Konawaena on verge
Konawaena clinched a tie for the regular-season Big Island Interscholastic Federation championship with a 70-48 victory over Hilo Saturday and can win the title and a state berth by winning Friday night at Hawai'i Prep (6-2).
Honoka'a (7-2) also is in contention for the league's second state berth.
Konawaena has the state's most productive offense, averaging 64.2 points per game.
