Serina Aumua-Tuisavura scored six of her game-high 14 points during a key third-quarter run as Kahuku ousted Maryknoll 43-27 in the quarterfinals of the Snapple/HHSAA Girls Basketball State Championships at Kalani High School in Division I on Thursday.
Leiah Naeata was steady as always with 12 points and seven rebounds, and Tati Kamae tallied nine points for Kahuku (18-7), the Oahu Interscholastic Association champion. Kahuku will meet second-seeded Konawaena in the semifinals at Kalani tonight.
“Going into practice, we practiced like it was a championship game. Coming into the game, it was just natural,” Aumua-Tuisavura said.
It was quite a change from a preseason matchup in late November at Kahuku, when the Spartans won 58-32 with Naeata away on a family trip.
>> Photo Gallery: Girls basketball: Kahuku vs. Maryknoll
“The best thing is we really came into this game knowing that the state didn’t really believe in us, that we would beat an ILH team and make the semis,” said Naeata, who led the Lady Raiders on the boards and often ran the point. “It started with our defense, our rebounding and our hustle.”
Interscholastic League of Honolulu runner-up Maryknoll (17-8) was affected by a cold bug all week, but Kahuku played one of its best games of the season despite a sluggish offense.
“Kahuku played excellent defensively in halfcourt,” Maryknoll coach Chico Furtado said. “They took away penetration lanes and closed out well.”
Kahuku coach Latoya Wily counts on Aumua-Tuisavura as an elite defender, but her aggressiveness on offense was a big plus.
“I would say, yes, that’s the best defense we’ve played so far,” Wily said. “I’m proud of the girls. They definitely work hard. They showed that they’ve got a lot of fight and heart. Of course, we’re going up against a top-notch team like Maryknoll, we’ve got nothing but love and respect for them.”
Maryknoll’s energy level and perimeter shooting were not the same this week with illnesses of three starters: Lilly Koki, Aloha Akaka and Mahalo Akaka. One of them, Mahalo Akaka, had an allergic reaction to medicine, Furtado said. She did not play in the second half.
“I don’t want to make excuses,” said Furtado, who shared information about his ill players after being pressed.
Serenity Moananu and the Akaka sisters missed two days of school before returning on Thursday.
Kahuku led wire to wire. Maryknoll cut the lead to one point, 11-10, early in the second quarter. By then, two early fouls by Aloha Akaka led Furtado to switch the Spartans from man defense to a 2-3 matchup zone. Kahuku led 15-10 at intermission.
Maryknoll cut the lead to 15-14 early in the third quarter, but Kahuku answered with an 11-2 run. Aumua-Tuisavura hit a 10-foot pull-up baseline jumper, then turned a steal into a layup. After Naeata rained in an NBA-range wing 3, the Lady Raiders had a 26-16 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Maryknoll got within 28-23 on a 3 by Koki with 3:08 left, but got no closer. After Moananu’s layup kept Maryknoll within 30-25 with 2:40 to go, the Lady Raiders went on a 13-2 run to close the game out. Aumua-Tuisavura made two foul shots, Kamae scored on a fastbreak and added three free throws to open the lead to 37-27 with 1:19 left.
Naeata and Maya Claytor scored Kahuku’s final four points at the foul line.
Konawaena 40, King Kekaulike 37
Kaliana Salazar-Harrell scored 23 points, including five 3-pointers, as the BIIF champion Wildcats (22-3) escaped with a win over the MIL runner-up Na Alii.
“It was very sloppy, so we’re very glad we came out with the win,” Salazar-Harrell said.
Freshman Ledjan Pahukoa led King Kekaulike (17-5) with 15 points. Namahana Kaeo-Young added nine.
Salazar-Harrell’s fifth 3-pointer gave Konaweana a 38-35 lead with 1:55 remaining. Pahukoa’s layup cut the lead to one point with 1:41 to go, but Salazar-Harrell sank two foul shots with :25.8 left for a 40-37 Wildcats lead.
After a steal by Julianna Losalio-Watson, Salazar-Harrell went back to the line, but missed the front of a one-and-one with 15 seconds left. Na Alii guard TC Pahukoa missed a straightaway 3 and Kaeo-Young missed a point-blank putback.
Losalio Watson went to the line with 5.6 seconds remaining, but missed the 1-and-1. King Kekaulike called time out at midcourt with 1.9 seconds left. Cailyn Ukida’s 3-point try missed at the buzzer.
“The best thing is we came out with the ‘W’,” Konawaena coach Bobbie Awa said. “King Kekaulike played great. They packed the house (key) and took away our inside game.”
Konawaena endured despite foul trouble for its best inside scorer and defender, Caiyle Kaupu. She picked up her third and fourth fouls in a 15-second span and sat down with 4:56 to play in the third quarter.
‘Iolani 65, Moanalua 31
Lily Wahinekapu and Kylie Yung led the way with 16 points apiece as the defending state champion Raiders rolled into tonight’s semifinals against Waiakea.
Yung and Jovi Lefotu had four steals apiece and ‘Iolani (14-1) forced 26 turnovers against Na Menehune (11-5).
Waiakea 37, Lahainaluna 26
The Warriors held the Lunas to 22-percent shooting (9-for-41) and just 11 first-half points to advance to the semifinals for the second time in three years.
Kelsie Imai had 13 points to lead Waiakea (12-2) and Tayvia Cabatbat added six points, six rebounds and two steals off the bench.
Taylor Eldredge had 14 points and 10 rebounds to lead Lahainaluna (12-3), which failed to advance to the semifinals in consecutive years for the first time since 2007-08.
Division II
Hawaii Baptist 50, Seabury Hall 37
Alexis Dang had a game-high 18 points and 10 rebounds and Sasha Phillip added 11 points and 14 rebounds for the defending state champion Eagles, who beat the Spartans in a rematch of last year’s state final.
Emi Wada chipped in 15 points for HBA (9-2), which will play fellow ILH team Hanalani in the first semifinal today at 5 p.m.
Leela Waterford led Seabury Hall (14-1) with 10 points and Anau Tuivai added nine points and 13 rebounds.
Hanalani 63, Waimea 60
Faith Mersburg scored on an and-1 layup with one second left and converted the free throw to give the Royals a three-point win over the Menehunes.
Mersburg added nine rebounds, seven assists and three steals and Maria Ralar finished with a game-high 23 points to lead Hanalani (10-1) into the semifinals for the second straight year.
Kaye Serapio finished with 13 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block to lead Waimea (10-3).
Mid-Pacific 59, Damien 41
Madisyn Sagawa scored a game-high 24 points to lead the top-seeded Owls (10-0) into the semifinals against Kamehameha-Hawaii.
Caylina Lindbo added 12 rebounds for MPI, which used a 24-11 second quarter to pull away from the Monarchs (7-6).
KS-Hawaii 51, Farrington 37
Sara Schubert led three Warriors in double figures with 14 points and added 12 points for Kamehameha-Hawaii (9-4).
Lorraine Peralta had 16 points and Champagne Leopoldo added 14 for the Govs (8-7).
