Lahainaluna holds off Maryknoll, 53-43

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

Lahainaluna's Monique Blando tries to muscle up a shot against a Maryknoll defender in the second quarter. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

Vehikite scored a team-high 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and Halaapiapi scored seven of her 13 points in a critical third quarter as Lahainaluna fended off Maryknoll, 53-43, in the opening round of the Hawaiian Airlines Girls State Basketball Championships last night.

"Our main focus was to get the ball into No. 50 (Halaapiapi) and No. 33 (Vehikite)," Lahainaluna coach Todd Rickard said. "When teams start sagging down and double-teamming, then we have guards who can shoot the ball. I think our girls executed the offense pretty good tonight."

Lahainaluna led 21-11 after the first quarter, but Maryknoll closed to 28-25 on Jessica Akamine's basket and trailed 30-26 at halftime.

That's when Lahainaluna turned to Halaapiapi, a 6-foot-2 senior center, who scored seven points during a 9-2 third-quarter run that gave the Lady Lunas a 39-28 lead with 4:46 left.

The Spartans closed to 39-33 on a steal and layup by Tammie Andres with 1:57 remaining in the third, but could get no closer.

Halaapiapi fouled out in the fourth quarter with Lahainaluna leading 48-36 and five minutes remaining. But the Lady Lunas refused to panic and ran down the final two minutes of the game.

"I know that our team is good and we can step up even though I'm out of the game," Halaapiapi said. "I was so proud of my teammates because they're young."

Vehikite, a 5-foot-11 forward, scored nine points in the final quarter to secure the win.

"She played awesome tonight," Halaapiapi said of Vehikite. "She really stepped up tonight."

Maryknoll suffered through one of its worst shooting nights — shooting 16 of 59 from the field, including 2 of 12 from 3-point range. One bright spot was sophomore forward Cheryl Lee, who had 15 points and nine rebounds.

"We didn't shoot the ball the way we normally shoot the ball," Maryknoll coach Robert Samson said. "Credit Lahainaluna. Even without Fatai, they did well that last five minutes."