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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Girls' basketball: ILH Division I

Advertiser Staff

ILH GIRLS BASKETBALL

WHAT: Season opens today in two divisions. WHEN: Times vary.

DIVISION I

Kamehameha at ‘Iolani, 6:30 p.m.

Mid-Pacific vs. Maryknoll at Damien, 6:30 p.m.

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'IOLANI
Coach: Glenn Takara
Key players: Jamie Smith (6-0, jr., forward); Alana Matayoshi (5-8, sr., forward).
Notes: Smith, an ILH first-team selection last season, and Matayoshi are returning starters ... Smith is a hard worker, who can rebound and score inside ... Matayoshi is a tough defender, who runs the floor well and makes a lot of hustle plays.
Style of play: “With the people we have we’ll be more of an uptempo team,” Takara said. “We have a good bunch of girls coming up from JV and intermediate who can step up and play.”

KAMEHAMEHA
Coach: Clay Cockett
Key player: Analee Viena Lota (5-9, sr., forward)
Notes: Viena Lota is the only available senior ... Johanna Sai (5-7, sr., guard) is out with a knee injury ... Viena Lota is a great athlete who has a good understanding of the game and provides leadership. She and Rhani Kanealakala (5-7, jr., forward) are returning starters.
Style of play: “We’ll try to run the ball up,” Cockett said. “We’ll put a lot of pressure hopefully.”

MARYKNOLL
Coach: Robert Samson
Key players: Nicole Fu (5-6, sr., guard); Kristen Canencia (5-3, sr., guard).
Notes: Fu, an ILH first-team selection last season, averaged in the mid- to high-20s last season despite teams keying on her, including 44 in a double-overtime victory over Sacred Hearts. Her jumper is tough to defend. Fu is the team’s lone senior and will play at Concordia (Irvine, Calif.) next season ... Canencia is a solid ball-handler and shooter.
Style of play: “We’re going to have to open it up because of our size and inexperience,” Samson said. “We have to play defense and score in transition, and not turn the ball over and give up easy layups.”

MID-PACIFIC
Coach: Byron Cheng
Key player: Johnnelle Kapua (5-6, so., guard/forward).
Notes: The Owls will start four freshmen and one sophomore ... Only eight players are on the roster ... Kapua, last season’s leading scorer, has taken on more of a leadership role.
Style of play: “That’s our style — uptempo,” Cheng said. “We have to alter it to our personnel. Because of our number we have to slow it down at times. We have hard workers. They have a high basketball IQ. ”

PUNAHOU
Coach: Mike Taylor
Key players: Chelsea Deptula (5-10, sr., guard/forward); Ciana Aiwohi (5-7, sr., guard); Melanie Feldman (5-6, sr., guard).
Notes: Twins Shawna-Lei and Shaena-Lyn Kuehu both have torn ACLs ... Deptula and Aiwohi are four-year varsity members ... Deptula, an ILH first-team selection last season, is the tigger person on the Buffanblu’s pressure defense. She anticipates well and is adept at reading passing lanes ... Aiwohi, who played through a torn ACL last year, sees the floor well and has a high basketball IQ ... Feldman brings a lot of enegy and will be called upon to guard the other team’s best offensive player.
Style of play: “Our defense triggers our offense,” Taylor said. “We have a lot of long, athletic bodies. We want to pressure 94 feet. If we can make layups and free throws that will be beneficial to us.”