3 for Bre

By Leila Wai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Bre Carson has found a home at McKinley after playing for Kalaheo her freshman and sophomore seasons. This year, she's averaging 20 points per game and leads the OIA East with 20 3-pointers. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

"She's an athletic young lady, but she's very injury-prone," McKinley coach Jesse Victorino said. "We try to minimize that, that's why we make her shoot outside all the time."

That strategy is one of the reasons Carson is leading the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Eastern Division in 3-point shooting this season.

The 5-foot-4 guard has 20 3-pointers in five games this year. Her teammates Melody Ababa and Chantal Yadao are second with 10, and Kaimuki's Flora Mesa and Keri Nakahashi follow with eight apiece.

Carson, who sufered a concussion against Kahuku last year, is averaging 20 points per game for the Tigers — not bad for a guard used to playing with dominating post players.

Carson, who transferred from Kalaheo after playing there for two years, played with three-time State Player of the Year Brandy Richardson her freshman season, then with All-State center Latoya Wily — who is now at Kahuku — her sophomore season, and All-State center Amber Lee last season with the Tigers.

But this season, the Tigers are without a player taller than 5 feet 9. They utilize a run-and-gun strategy, trying to prevent defenses from organizing and preventing outside shots — the Tigers' specialty.

Carson, who Victorino calls "one of the better 3-point shooters in the state," fit nicely into McKinley's offense when she transferred.

"She didn't have to adjust or learn too much," he said. "We play an up-tempo game, and that fits in well with Bre."

Carson said she enjoys the Tigers' system, "because I like to run and beat the other team by running. We can rely on all the guards to shoot, and that's a good thing, because if one of the guards is off, we can depend on the others."

And because they depend so much on the 3-point shot, Carson has been able to flourish. In her junior season, Carson averaged 12 points a game, with a league-high 22 3-pointers in nine games, and was named to the OIA Eastern Division second team.

"Bre has always been a good 3-point shooter, and she's gotten better — her release is quicker," said Wily, a former teammate at Kalaheo and now a rival at Kahuku. "If you give her even one foot of space, it will sink. I would tell players not to let her out of your sight."

Carson transferred from Kalaheo to McKinley one quarter into her junior year, in mid-November. The Kailua-native received a geographical exemption (GE) to attend McKinley for its Academy of Finance program — all classes with a business emphasis.

"I learn about money — like how to invest it," Carson said. "We learned how to do job interviews, they had people come to our class and we got to do pretend job interviews. That was a good experience."

She said her decision to transfer was a family decision.

"Because my parents work in town, the commute was easier," she said.

But transferring actually made Carson's mornings harder. Instead of waking up at 7 like she did when she attended Kalaheo, she must wake up at 5:45, and she's out the door by 6.

"I put my clothes out and pack everything, all I have to do is put them on and brush my teeth," Carson said.

She drops her mother off at work, and then gets an hour nap in before school at her father's office in the Ward area.

She first had the idea to switch schools after playing in a PAL league with some of the McKinley players.

And one of her closest friends now, fellow guard Meagan Miyasaka, was on the PAL team — although at the time they viewed each other as rivals.

"We used to not like each other; when we played against each other we would guard each other," Carson said. "(Senior guard Yadao) introduced us, and we were like, 'eeew,' but on the court we clicked. We laugh about it now."

The soft-spoken guard said she is happy with her decision to change schools, because of the friendships she has made.

It seems to be the norm for Carson. When she played for Kalaheo with Wily, they became fast friends, and they still speak to each other about once a month.

"She's really fun to be with; she's funny," Wily said. "She's the type of person you can talk about anything to. She's down-to-earth, and she never speaks highly about herself, and that's what I like about her."

Carson will be attending Cal-State Hayward in the fall, and walk on to the basketball team.

"I was mainly looking at a school to go to," said Carson, who carries a 3.3 grade point average. "My mom wanted me to go to a small school, so I could apply myself, and basketball is a bonus."

Victorino said Carson received interest from several Division II and III schools from Oregon, Northern California and Arizona.

For now she is concentrating on helping the Tigers (3-2) climb out of a tie for sixth place in the OIA East. Their two losses this season have come to first-place Kahuku and Kalaheo, which is tied for second place.

But Carson is optimistic about the Tigers' chances for the rest of the season.

"I think we're up for the challenge, and if we play hard and listen to coach, then I think we can go far."

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2457.