Girls basketball

There are some headliner names in the world of ILH Division II basketball. For a few years, it’s been St. Francis, which won the state crown last year with 6-foot-5 Matthew Nuumanaia playing multiple roles. This winter, Damien has been on fire with 6-7 center Kapi‘ina King patrolling the paint. Neither has surprised like Hawaii Baptist. The Eagles knocked off St. Francis 49-48 on Tuesday at the Saints’ gym. On Friday, HBA upended Damien 51-48 and rose to 3-0 in […]

Doubleheader is underway at ‘Iolani, where the Kamehameha Warriors are visiting for a basketball twinbill. The girls are at halftime and the boys will follow. BOYS ‘Iolani 19, Kamehameha 18, halftime A defensive struggle with a ton of blocks by the Raiders – particularly Kamu Borden, their big center. ‘Iolani 36, Kamehameha 28, end Q3 The defensive battle continues, though the Raiders are picking up momentum. Zach Buscher had a block in the corner on Kamehameha gunner Noa Kinimaka, but […]

Here are video interviews with a player (Haka Johnson of Saint Louis), referees Eric Morales, Tony Collazo and Pat Silva, and St. Francis coach Sol Batoon. The new emphasis on illegal contact/hand-checking in high school basketball is affecting the game positively — or negatively — depending on who you talk to. Here’s the extended version of the “Checking In” story that is on this blog, which also includes interviews with Alton Mamiya of HSBOA and coach Mike Taylor of Punahou.

(The shorter version of this story was published in Tuesday’s Star-Advertiser.) Some coaches and players are getting downright defensive about it. One of the three points of emphasis in basketball by National Federation of State High School Associations this season is simple: enforce the hand-check rule. But the actual enforcement or lack of it has left players and coaches bewildered. From the NFHS site: Guidelines to Enforce Illegal Contact – When contact occurs that affects the rhythm, speed, quickness and […]