‘Iolani collected all 13 first-place votes to remain at No. 1 in the Star-Advertiser Girls Basketball Top 10 this week.
The Raiders withstood a late charge by the Kamehameha Warriors for a 54-45 win to stay in first place in the ILH Division I standings.
The normally static rankings had two changes this time. Coming off lopsided wins over Waialua, 68-5, and Pearl City, 72-31, two-time defending OIA champion Campbell moved ahead of Waiakea to the No. 4 spot. Lahainaluna routed Baldwin 67-18 and moved back into the poll at No. 10. Lola Donez scored a season-high 39 points for the Lady Lunas in the win.
No. 3 Konawaena avoided the century mark in a 96-4 win over Kau.
Some coaches expressed concern after Kahuku’s 118-17 win over Kalaheo. Coach Artevia Wily-Ava’s team didn’t press full court, and she wanted players deep on her bench to play a normal game.
“I didn’t want to tell them not to shoot,” she said.
Two other coaches noted that they have avoided scoring 100 points in a game by instructing their teams to hold the ball rather than run fast breaks, then running as much time off the shot clock as possible.
Running one or two minutes off the clock is a thing of the past, of course. The shortage of skilled players across the state combined with the implementation of a shot clock has created better games in some cases, and wider margins in others.
Star-Advertiser Girls Basketball Top 10
Monday, Jan. 8, 2024
Rank School (1st) (Record) Pts LW
1. ‘Iolani (13) (16-3, 1-0 ILH) 130 1
> next: at Punahou, Tuesday
2. Kamehameha (15-3, 2-1 ILH) 112 2
> next: at Punahou, Thursday
3. Konawaena (15-3, 7-0 BIIF) 109 3
> next: at KS-Hawaii, Monday
> next: vs. Christian Liberty, Friday
4. Campbell (11-4, 6-0 OIA) 82 5
> next: vs. Waianae, Wednesday
> next: at Kapolei, Friday
5. Waiakea (13-3, 8-1 BIIF) 81 4
> next: vs. Parker, Monday
> next: (at Christian Liberty, Thur Jan 18)
6. Maryknoll (15-3, 4-0 ILH D-II) 69 6
> next: at Hanalani, Monday
> next: vs. Sacred Hearts, Thursday
7. Kahuku (10-6, 7-0 OIA) 50 7
> next: vs. Kaimuki, Wednesday
> next: vs. Roosevelt, Friday
8. Moanalua (11-7, 7-0 OIA) 32 8
> next: at Castle, Wednesday
> next: vs. Kalaheo, Friday
9. Punahou (6-6, 0-2 ILH) 16 9
> next: at ‘Iolani, Tuesday
10. Lahainaluna (8-5, 6-1 MIL) 15 NR
> next: vs. King Kekaulike, Tuesday
No longer in Top 10: Kapaa (No. 10).
Also receiving votes: Kapaa 10, Kamehameha-Maui 4, Radford 3, KS-Hawaii 2.
