Girls basketball

‘Iolani’s 60-48 win over Kamehameha tonight means the Raiders have their first Interscholastic League of Honolulu girls basketball championship since 2012. In the six years since that crown, Kamehameha (’13), Punahou (’14) and Maryknoll (’15-’18) ruled the throne. In ’12, the Raiders reached the state final after defeating Mililani and Lahainaluna, but lost to Konawaena 56-45 for the title. Since then, the Raiders reached the big dance in ’13, losing to Konawaena in the semifinals, then went five seasons without […]

The four-time defending champion Konawaena Wildcats are back in the big dance. Sophomore Grace Lyn Hing scored 16 points and senior Caiyle Kaupu added 11 as No. 7 Konawaena edged No. 8 Hilo 37-33 on Friday night at Col. Ellison Onizuka Gym. Host Konawaena (11-3 overall) will meet No. 6 Waiakea (19-4 overall) on Saturday for the Big Island Interscholastic Federation crown. When they met during the regular season, the Wildcats rallied for a 46-44 win over the Vikings. This […]

The girls basketball season has entered jettison stage. There is shrinkage and not everyone likes it this way. In the Oahu Interscholastic Association, six teams qualified for the state tournament this week. That’s half of the state field because the OIA has half of the teams in all of Division I girls basketball. What longtime hoops fans lament is that the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, by that same ratio formula, is permitted just two state entries. That’s why Kamehameha’s 68-64 […]

It wasn’t a perfect day for Briarra Nakihei, but the Castle hoopster breathed a sigh of relief after the Knights pulled out a 63-52 overtime win over Farrington for the OIA Division II girls basketball title on Thursday night. Nakihei has been a force for the Knights, but her shot didn’t fall often on this night. She shot 3-for-13 from the field, but hustle (eight rebounds) and nonstop pressure defense were crucial from top to bottom for Castle. So was […]

On paper, this was Kalani’s championship for the taking. Three players back since the last time the Lady Falcons met Kahuku, including Kamalu Kamakawiwo‘ole and Alayna Akiona. When Kahuku won at Kalani 51-48 during the regular season, it wasn’t a true test of the OIA East’s top teams at full strength. On Thursday night, there was no doubt. No. 9 Kahuku got a career-high 33 points from sophomore guard/post boss Leiah Naeata in a 63-59 win over No. 9 Kalani […]

In the end, the rebounding numbers were almost dead even for No. 9 Kahuku and Kaiser. Kahuku outboarded Kaiser 31-30 in the final tally, but it was the third quarter when Leiah Naeata took the lead role. The sophomore point guard scored eight points and grabbed seven rebounds — five on the offensive glass — in the pivotal third period as the Lady Raiders turned a 17-15 lead into a 34-17 cushion. Kahuku went on to a 55-37 win over […]

For 24 minutes, the Lady Trojans of Mililani looked the part of a league champion. The Kalani Falcons simply persisted. On a night when shots weren’t falling and there was scarcely an offensive rebound to be seen, the Lady Falcons rallied in the final quarter for a 38-34 semifinal win over Mililani on Tuesday night at Radford. On Thursday, No. 4 Kalani will meet No. 9 Kahuku for the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I championship, again on Radford’s pristine hardwood […]