These champions are clutch.
Mele Sake scored the go-ahead basket with 52.9 seconds left as top-seeded ‘Iolani rallied from a 14-point second-half deficit for a 52-47 win over unseeded Campbell in the quarterfinal round of the Division I Heide & Cook/HHSAA Girls Basketball State Championships at McKinley Student Council Gymnasium.
Sake, a 6-foot-1 senior who suffered an ACL injury last spring, also collected four rebounds. Justice Kekauoha tallied 13 points. Mia Frye was clutch with a big blocked shot on a potential go-ahead shot by Campbell, and scored 10 of her 16 points in the fourth quarter.
With ‘Iolani clinging to a 48-47 lead, Campbell’s Taysia Molina-Schulte had an open 3 from the left wing, but Frye soared out from the elbow to partially block the 3-point try. ‘Iolani rebounded with 12.1 seconds left.
“I just remember we couldn’t give a 3-pointer so I had to try as hard as I can and hope for the best. I’m very grateful that I blocked it,” Frye said.
After Frye swished two free throws with 9.6 seconds remaining, ‘Iolani led 50-47. With only two team fouls, the Raiders hounded Campbell point guard Cayden Parado and fouled her with 2.9 seconds to go.
On the sideline inbounds, Campbell was whistled for a five-second violation. Frye iced the game with two foul shots at :00.4 on the clock.
Four-time defending state champion ‘Iolani (24-3 overall) will face Lahainalunatoday.
“We knew we were still in it, but we really stuck together and kept motivating each other,” Sake said. “I think that helped a lot. But the job’s not done yet.”
Raiders coach Dean Young praised his team for its poise.
“I’m relieved. I’m proud of these girls for coming back. They never wavered. It was always, ‘We’re not losing.’” Young said.
Jaynalyn Sotelo finished with 16 points despite suffering an ankle injury in the second half. Taysia Molina- Schulte added 11 points for Campbell.
Campbell will play the Waiakeain consolation action. The loss capped a heartbreaking stretch for the Sabers, who lost to Kahuku in the OIA final last week. That cost Campbell an opening-round bye and set them up against the dynastic Raiders. It was a rough matchup for ‘Iolani as well. When the teams met in the state tourney last year, Campbell was the only one of ‘Iolani’s three opponents to stay within a single-digit margin of defeat.
The Lady Sabers were loose and aggressive, driving and kicking through the entire first half. Campbell shot 5-for-13 from the arc and never trailed in the first 16 minutes.
By the end of the third quarter, Campbell had splashed seven 3-pointers against ‘Iolani’s normally air-tight man-to-man defense.
After falling behind 41-27 late in the third quarter, Young switched the Raiders to a 2-3 matchup zone — very similar to the one that Kahuku used to beat Campbell for the OIA title.
Sake scored nine of her 13 points in the final quarter as the Raiders pounded the ball to her on the right-side block. Campbell’s double- and triple-teams on Sake didn’t materialize by that point.
Sake scored inside again for a 48-47 Raiders’ lead with 52.9 seconds left. Tehani Docktor missed a baseline jumper, rebounded and fed Molina-Schulte on the left wing for what seemed to be a wide-open, money-ball shot — until Frye sprang to action.
Frye later was fouled as Campbell doled out fouls, and sank two free throws for a 50-47 edge with 9.6 seconds left.
“One of our game plans was no 3s (by Campbell), to stay close enough to close out,” Young said. “They’ve got five shooters. We wanted to keep the pressure on, transition and wear them out. We knew our bench was stronger than theirs.”
The opening quarter was a revelation as Campbell stormed ahead. Shanna Sardon’s wing 3 opened the lead to 17-8 early in the second quarter. Kealoha had seven points in the quarter, but back-to-back treys by Molina-Schulte and Bantolina kept Campbell ahead, 25-19.
The Sabers led at the break, 28-25.
The Raiders showed clutch comeback ability in wins over Kamehameha late in the season. However, Campbell kept pouring it on. Molina-Schulte splashed a 3 and Bantolina hit a mid-range jumper during a 13-0 run, opening their largest lead, 41-27, late in the third quarter.
‘Iolani switched from man to zone defense in the fourth quarter, and the kryptonite effect froze Campbell’s perimeter shooting. The Raiders pounded the ball inside to Sake, who scored five quick points as they cut the lead to 42-38.
‘Iolani then turned the ball over three times a in a row, and Campbell’s Jaynalyn Sotelo drove for a layup and a 44-38 lead.
The Sabers also switched to a 2-3 matchup zone. Frye’s high-post jumper cut the lead to four points with 4:07 left.
‘Iolani’s fullcourt press rattled Campbell. Keiki McGee’s steal led to a layup by Frye, and after Hailey Fernandez drove uncontested down the middle for a bucket, the game was tied at 44 with 3:24 left.
On the next play, Sotelo injured her ankle and was helped to the bench.
‘Iolani regained the lead on another power move on the block by Sake, 46-44, but Campbell responded with a 3 from Sotelo, who had returned to the game. The Sabers led 47-46 with 1:08 remaining.
OTHER D-I QUARTERFINALS
Konawaena 47, Radford 19
Tavina Harris had 12 points and eight rebounds as the second-seeded Wildcats turned a 7-5 lead into a 31-11 lead going into the fourth quarter and breezed by the the Rams at Moanalua to advance to the semifinals.
Konawaena will play Kamehameha at 7:30 p.m. today at McKinley.
Kamehameha 47, Kahuku 31
Makenzie Alapai had 13 points and nine rebounds, leading the Warriors to a victory over the third-seeded Red Raiders.
Mikylan Labanon added 10 points and Nihoakealii Dunn had seven points and 16 rebounds for Kamehameha.
DIVISION II QUARTERFINALS
Kapaa 64, Hawaii Baptist 32
Olivia Malafu had 21 points and nine rebounds, Skylyn Fagarang added 19 and Trinity Guillen gobbled up 19 rebounds, including nine offensive caroms, as the top-seeded Warriors dominated the Eagles at Kalani.
Kapaa will face Hanalani in a 7 p.m. semifinal at Kalani.
Hanalani 63, McKinley 28
Ellana Klemp tallied 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Piha’eu Akiona had 14 oints and 11 rebounds and the Royals tamed the Tigers at Kalani gym to advance to the semifinals against Kapaa.
Grace Pham had 16 points for McKinley.
Kamehameha-Hawaii 70, Kapolei 14
KeanuMarie Huihui poured in 35 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Maela Honma had 23 points and 18 rebounds as the Warriors dismissed the Hurricanes in a quarterfinal game at Kaimuki.
Kamehameha-Hawaii will face Maryknoll in a 5 p.m. semifinal at Kalani gym.
Maryknoll 70, Farrington 27
The second-seeded Spartans rolled past the Govenors to reach the semifinals against Kamehameha-Hawaii, set for today at Kalani.
