OIA foursome a threat to dominance of ILH
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
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| Rachel Kane has Punahou in the driver's seat as the tourney's No. 1 seed.
Advertiser library photo 2003 Hawaiian Airlines State Basketball Championships Today Game 1—Farrington (10-4) vs. Waimea (9-3), 3 p.m. Game 2—McKinley (9-5) vs. Kealakehe (10-3), 4:30 p.m. Game 3—Maryknoll (9-7) vs. Lahainaluna (12-3), 6 p.m. Game 4—Kahuku (11-2) vs. Kamehameha (12-2), 7:30 p.m. Wednesday Game 5—Losers of Games 1 and 2, 2 p.m. Game 6—Winner of Game 1 vs. Baldwin (13-2), 3:30 p.m. Game 7—Winner of Game 4 vs. Konawaena (13-0), 5 p.m. Game 8—Winner of Game 3 vs. Moanalua (13-0), 6:30 p.m. Game 9—Winner of Game 2 vs. Punahou (14-0), 8 p.m. Thursday Game 10—Losers of Games 3 and 4, 2 p.m. Game 11—Losers of Games 6 and 9, 3:30 p.m. Game 12—Losers of Games 7 and 8, 5 p.m. Game 13—Winners of Games 6 and 9, 6:30 p.m. Game 14—Winners of Games 7 and 8, 8 p.m. Friday Seventh place—Winners of Games 5 and 10, 3 p.m. Fifth place— Winners of Games 11 and 12, 4:30 p.m. Third place— Losers of Games 13 and 14, 6 p.m. Championship—Winners of Games 13 and 14, 8 p.m. Admission: $7 adults, $5 students kindergarten through 12th grade. Parking: $3. TV: OC-16 (championship game only) Radio: 1420 AM (Thursday semifinals only) |
But the O'ahu Interscholastic Association's four-team army invading the University of Hawai'i's Stan Sheriff Center for this week's Hawaiian Airlines State Championship Tournament is a big threat to break into that string.
First-round play begins today with four games. The quarterfinals are set for tomorrow, the semifinals Thursday and the championship game Friday.
Here is a closer look at players, teams and games to watch:
First-round showdown
Similar to the huge first-round meeting in the boys tournament between Kaimuki and Saint Louis, tonight's 7:30 meeting between Kahuku (11-2) and Kamehameha (12-2) could just as well be a semifinal in terms of intensity and quality of teams.
Kahuku, which finished third in the OIA, came the closest of all league teams to beating champion Moanalua. The Red Raiders led 34-31 heading into the final period before falling 49-44.
Kahuku's other loss was to Farrington, 56-46, in the OIA third-place game. The Red Raiders lost to No. 1-seeded Punahou (14-0) by two points in a preseason game.
"They are scary — very athletic and very aggressive," Punahou coach Mike Taylor said. "I'm glad they're not in our bracket."
Kahuku has one of the state's top post players in 6-foot junior Latoya Wily, who is averaging 13.5 points per game in the regular and postseason. Against most teams, an entry pass into Wily on the block usually resulted either in a basket or two free throws.
The youthful Red Raiders (only three seniors) can score in bunches and are especially dangerous when they get their transition game into gear. But it's a double-edged sword, as a fast pace also can make them prone to turnovers.
Kamehameha, meanwhile, returns four starters from last year's state championship team. The Warriors' only regular-season losses were to Punahou, the second one by a mere two points (47-45).
Kamehameha has a solid point guard in Tiffiny Shim, a defensive stopper in off-guard Lehua Wood, the reigning Advertiser State Player of the Year in wing Megan Ching and an athletic post in Mounia Nihipali.
In addition, the Warriors have two scorers off the bench in guards Amber Carter and Tatriana Lorenzo.
Kamehameha also has a tough tournament schedule — if the Warriors get past Kahuku, they will face No. 3 seed Konawaena (13-0) in tomorrow's quarterfinals.
"On paper, they've got a tough road," Taylor said. "But they're the defending champs, and they've got a lot of pride."
Collision course?
The field is considered to be as balanced as ever, but Punahou and No. 2 seed Moanalua (13-0) appear to be the early favorites to meet in the final.
Punahou has three excellent guards in seniors Rachel Kane and Elyse Umeda, and sophomore Shanna-Lei Dacanay. All three can dribble against pressure, and Kane can do everything else — shoot, rebound, dish assists and make steals. She was an Advertiser first-team All-State selection as a junior.
Punahou also has a first-team All-State player down low in 6-1 center Becky Hogue. Sophomore wing Christine Takara can dribble and contribute on the boards.
"Their guards are the ones people look at, but you can't take anything away from Becky," Moanalua coach Roy Dias said. "With them, it's pick your poison, because if you pay too much attention to the guards, the post can come up and hurt you, too. And they've all played together for so long, that's what makes them tough."
Moanalaua similarly has a strong and veteran starting five, with senior guard Patti Hardimon leading the way. Hardimon is a scorer (12.4 ppg) who likes to take the ball to the basket. She also can rebound and is quick enough to make steals in the backcourt.
Junior wing Kepua Lee (10.9 ppg) provides spirited all-around play and is coming off her best game, a 16-point, five-steal performance against Farrington in the OIA title game.
Point guard Amy Kotani, power forward Sasha Silva and center Marleen Leautu are players who fit their roles perfectly — Kotani as a ball-handler directing the offense, Silva as a quick defender who can rebound and Leautu as a 6-foot presence in the low post.
"They all can play, and they give a lot of teams matchup problems," Taylor said. "And they always play with a lot of enthusiasm."
A key difference between the teams is the bench. The Buffanblu are deep, using as many as five or six reserves even in a tight game.
The Menehunes, meanwhile, went with only six players for all but the final two minutes of last Friday's OIA championship game, despite being up by double digits most of the time.
Sophomore Ronni Keli'iho'omalu is a valuable reserve who can contribute points and rebounds, but guard Christina Sierra — a key ball-handler — has been slowed by injuries. She played only sparingly in the OIA semifinals and not at all in the title game.
If any of the starters gets hurt or into foul trouble, it could pose problems for Moanalua.
"It's always in the back of our mind, because it's happened before," Dias said. "But we're not too worried."
The sleepers
Konawaena, which surprised some last year by leading Punahou until the final two minutes of their quarterfinal game, returns many of the same players and won't sneak up on anybody this time.
The Wildcats are again led by first-team All-State center Nancy Hoist, a 5-10 junior. Sophomore forward Jessica Hanato also had a strong tournament last year. Konawaena still is a young team, with only three seniors.
The other two OIA teams, Farrington and McKinley, also have the potential for upsets.
Farrington (10-4) is similar to Kahuku, with a large supply of athletes who can run and score. The best of the bunch is junior post Sunshine Misa-Uli, who has averaged 14.6 points per game.
McKinley (10-4) has a first-team All-State center in senior Amber Lee (14.6 ppg) and a dangerous 3-point shooter in Bre Carson (11.9 ppg), plus several other guards who can add points and ball-handling.
All four OIA teams are from the Eastern Division.
"Playing that schedule can only make you better," Taylor said. "We've got two of those teams in our bracket, so it won't be easy."
