The Baldwin girls basketball team was counting on Shauna Ah Yen last night and as usual, she found a way to cash in on offense.

Ah Yen proved she is the Bears' best player against Moanalua and was confident even when things appeared to be falling apart.

Ah Yen was 10-of-12 from the field and finished with 20 points as Baldwin held off Moanalua, 41-36, in the first round of the Hawaiian Airlines/HHSAA Girls Basketball Division I State Championships at Kaimuki High.

"Shauna is our go-to person and she makes our team really go," said Baldwin coach Angel Kalehuawehe. "We wouldn't be in the situation we are in right now (without her). She is our No. 1 person to go to."

Baldwin, the Maui Interscholastic League runner-up, will play No. 2 seed Konawaena, the Big Island Interscholastic Federation champion, today at 5 p.m. in the quarterfinals.

Baldwin (11-4) led by 11 early in the second half, but Moanalua went to a full-court press and weave offense to get back into it.

Na Menehune went on an 11-2 run over a 3:15 span to get within 26-24 with 1:45 left in the third.

Baldwin committed nine turnovers in the third.

"It was just a mental breakdown," Kalehuawehe said. "We can break the press really easily, but the atmosphere of the state tournament, and a lot of people in the gym."

Moanalua, the O'ahu Interscholastic Association's No. 5 team, got within two twice more, but couldn't catch the Bears.

Through it all, Ah Yen was confident her team would hold on.

"I believe in my team," said Ah Yen, a senior guard. "I knew we were going to come back."

Kalehuawehe wasn't as confident in his team.

"We thought we gave it away because we weren't grabbing rebounds, we weren't blocking out," he said. "They were getting most of it."

Na Menehune was within 37-34 with 1:47 remaining, but Samantha Agtunong and Ah Yen made field goals to give Baldwin a seven-point lead with 18 seconds left

"I just gave it my all today," Ah Yen said. "We have to win to advance. So I tried my best and gave it my 100 percent. So did these other girls."

Ah Yen scored most of her points in transition or on pull-up jumpers.

"That's a high-percentage shot," she said of the intermediate range jumpers. "We practice that a lot so we should be making them."

Ah Yen made her first three shots as the Bears took an 8-1 advantage three minutes in.

Moanalua closed to 12-11 midway through the second period, but Ah Yen scored six points during a 10-0 run, which put Baldwin up 11 with 2:10 left before halftime.

Malia Chang had seven of her 10 points for Baldwin in the first half. She finished 8-of-10 from the free-throw line.

Joanna Nicholas scored 11 points to lead Moanalua, which won the turnover battle 25-12.

Moanalua (6-12) will face Kailua in a consolation game today at 3 p.m.

MOANALUA (6-12) 7 6 11 12 — 36

BALDWIN (11-4) 10 12 6 13 — 41

MOANALUA — Brittney Calucag , Briana Dacoscos , Kiley Lau 4, Joanna Nicolas 11, Michelle Hardy 5, Melanie Smith 4, Jaiden Rego 3, Hoku Dela Cruz 2, A.J. Verdida 0, Justine Aguas 7, Amanda Selvey 0. Totals 14 7-20 36.

BALDWIN — Samantha Agtunong 7, Malia Chang 10, Shauna Ah Yen 20, Christine Co 2, Tasha Buika 0, Jennifer Alakai 0, Dayna Villanova 0, Dezerae Kodama 0, Breanna Gaddis 0, Malia Killiam 0, Danielle Ai 0, Ariana Newton 2. Totals 15 10-14 41. 3-point goals: Moanalua 1 (Nicolas). Baldwin 1 (Agtunong).

'IOLANI 42, KAILUA 29

'Iolani girls basketball coach Marlene Zeug normally doesn't like to use a man-to-man defense.

But last night against Kailua, the strategy helped the Raiders recover from a slow start in a first-round victory at Kaimuki.

'Iolani made its first field goal with 38 seconds left in the first period, and a switch to a man defense ignited the team.

At one stretch, the Surfriders went 14 minutes, 10 seconds between field goals — the final 7:20 of the first half and first 6:50 of the second.

"We went to a man and that's typically not what we've been running all season long, but we took advantage of it and we saw it was bothering Kailua, so we just kept the pressure on," Zeug said.

'Iolani, the Interscholastic League of Honolulu runner-up, will play No. 3 seed Farrington, the OIA champion, tonight at 7 in a quarterfinal.

Tami Konishi, who finished with 13 points, made the Raiders' first field goal, which cut the deficit to 3-2.

"We were a little bit sluggish today," Zeug said. "A lot of our girls are battling colds and it's a late game."

'Iolani (10-5) got breathing room by outscoring Kailua 12-4 in the second period to take a 19-7 advantage. The Raiders made only two field goals, but hit 7 of 12 free-throw attempts.

Kailua, the OIA's No. 4 team, made 10 of 44 field-goal attempts and committed 19 turnovers.

Sola Williams led Kailua (8-10) with 10 points.

KAILUA (8-10) 3 4 8 14 — 29

'IOLANI (10-5) 5 14 11 12 — 42

KAILUA — Jayna Hanawahine 1, Tawny Kiko 6, Sola Williams 10, Teuila Afele 0, Zsalei Kamaka 2, Ka'u Kohatsu 0, Anu Ah Yun 6, Tia Navarro 4. Totals 10 8-25 29.

'IOLANI — Elysse Tom 0, Tami Konishi 13, Kylie Maeda 1, Saphrye Rezentes 2, Lori Yamashita 12, Georgette Lopes-Liutolo 5, Kaitlyn Shikada 0, Kryn Masutani 0, Mahina Haina 4, Lahela Usui 2, Shauni Watanabe 1, Brittany Barnes 2. Totals 14 10-22 42. 3-point goals: Kailua 1 (Navarro). 'Iolani 4 (Konishi 3, Yamashita 1).