The OIA girls basketball playoffs tip off Friday with four Division I first-round games. Here’s a look at the opening week matchups.
Friday
W6 Kapolei (5-5) at E3 Farrington (8-2), 6 p.m.
Farrington lost out on the East No. 2 seed and a bye when it lost to Kaiser, 43-37. The Govs feature the No. 2 scorer in the East in Moli Heimuli, who averaged 16.4 points per game in league play, including a career-high 40 in a win over Moanalua. Channy Mailou (9.1 ppg) is a threat from deep, connecting on 15 3-pointers this season. Kapolei was held to 30 points or less five times this season but averaged 42 points over its last three games. Seleni Bartley is a big reason why, averaging 13.7 ppg during that stretch. She scored more points in her last three games combined than her first seven games combined.
W5 Campbell (6-4) vs. E4 Kahuku (5-5) at Leilehua, 5:30 p.m.
Kahuku had a bye on Saturday but jumped up spot to fourth place in the East when Kailua lost to Farrington. The Red Raiders do a lot of their work inside and boast two double-digit scorers in Cheyenne Teo (10.7 ppg), who missed four games during the middle of the season, and Brittini Blake (12.5 ppg), who had eight straight double-digit scoring games before the season finale against Kaiser. Campbell is led by Gieani Balino, who is averaging 11.2 ppg and made 11 3’s during the regular season. Cydney Curran tied a season-high with 16 points in the regular season finale against Pearl City and the Sabers are 3-0 when she scores in double figures.
E5 Kailua (5-5) at W4 Nanakuli (7-3), 6 p.m.
The Surfriders were the lowest-scoring Division I team in the East this season yet feature two of the top scorers in the division in Tau Williams (13.9 ppg) and Tara Takata (13.6). Takata dialed it up from long range early in the season with seven 3’s in her first five games but she has only one since. Nanakuli’s Alana Nuuanu led the West in scoring at 14.7 ppg but didn’t play in the season finale against Waialua.
E6 Kalani (4-6) at W3 Leilehua (8-2), 7 p.m.
The Mules were the top scoring team in the West at 52.7 ppg but are balanced with only one player (Tywanna Abbott) averaging more than 10 points a game (10.5). The Mules won six of their last seven games but in that one loss (to Radford) scored a season-low 25 points. The Falcons will not hesitate to shoot from long range, averaging 5.4 made 3-pointers a game. Noelle Suzuki (17) and Kirstin Kouchi (14) are the biggest threats from long range and Logan Luke (10.6) is another solid offensive player.
Saturday
W1 Radford (10-0) vs. Camp/Kah winner at Mililani, 5:30 p.m.
The undefeated Rams won an OIA D-II title in 2012 and advanced to the D-I final last year before losing to Roosevelt. The Rams are tough defensively and don’t have a player averaging double figures, although Kyle Johnson has scored at least 10 points in four of her last five games. Campbell gave Radford an extremely tough game this season, losing by only two points (44-42).
Kapo/Farr winner at W2 Mililani (9-1), 7 p.m.
Jazmina Lafitaga (13.2 ppg) has been on a tear over her last five games, averaging 16.4 points a game, including 25 in a win over Kapolei. Kayla Torres had her best game of the season in the biggest one, scoring 14 of Mililani’s 28 points in a one-point loss to undefeated Radford.
Kail/Nan winner at E1 Roosevelt (10-0), 6 p.m.
Roosevelt features the OIA’s leading scorer in Keala Quinlan (20.1 ppg), who scored at least 19 points in eight of 10 regular season games. Ashley Kiko adds balance on offense averaging 11.6 points per game and Haven Gabriel is a threat from deep, scoring 33 of her 53 points all year on 3-pointers. Roosevelt beat all but two teams (Kailua and Farrington) by double digits.
Kaln/Lei winner at E2 Kaiser (8-2), 6 p.m.
Kaiser rolls into the playoffs as winners of eight straight games. The Cougars played two games this season with only five players and had to slow the tempo as a result, but have some dynamic playmakers in Rose Shimaoka (14.2 ppg) and Brooke Ho (11.7 ppg). In search of depth, the Cougars may have find a boost in Chelsea Soong, who played in only four games, but had a season-high 13 points against Moanalua after scoring only 4 points all year coming in.
The D-II playoffs are also set and look as follows:
Saturday
W3 Aiea (1-9) at E2 McKinley (4-6), 6 p.m.
E3 Kalaheo (2-8) at W2 Pearl City (2-8), 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 3
Games at Moanalua
E1 Kaimuki (7-3) vs. PC/Kalh winner, 5:30 p.m.
W1 Waipahu (3-7) vs. McK/Aiea winner, 7 p.m.
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