Archbishop Mitty whips Konawaena, 79-39

Haley Jones puts up a shot in the paint over the Wildcats. Jones made her first six shots and scored 21 points in the Monarchs' win. Greg Yamamoto | SL

Too long. Too fast. Too good.

Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) showed Konawaena why its one of the best teams in the country with a 79-39 win over the Wildcats on the first day of the 10th annual Iolani Girls Classic at the Raiders' Lower Gymnasium Friday night.

The Monarchs, ranked No. 2 in the latest USA Today Super 25 Expert Power Rankings, were led by Haley Jones and Madeline Holland, who each made their first six shot attempts. Jones led all scores with 21 points on 8-for-10 shooting while Holland had a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds.

"They're gamers," Archbishop Mitty coach Susan Phillips said on Jones and Holland. "When the ball goes up, they're going to compete night in and night out, and if the game is on the line, those are the two kids that I would be thrilled if they were taking the shot."

When the Monarchs weren't slicing Konawaena in their half court sets, they were applying pressure on the Wildcats' guards. With no one on its starting roster under 5-foot-10, Archbishop Mitty was able use its length to force Konawaena into 33 total turnovers.

For those that have followed the Konawaena girls basketball team in recent years, it was strange to see the Wildcats on the losing end of a lopsided score. Konawaena has made it to the Classic's championship game in the past two years and is the two-time defending Division I state champs.

In spite of the loss, Konawaena coach Bobbie Awa remained optimistic and saw the game as a valuable teaching tool for her players.

"That was a very good team that we played. It's a good measure in terms of where we need to get to this year," she said.

There were also a lot of mental lapses that the Wildcats have to improve on.

"Our defense had trouble tonight," said Awa, whose team suffered its first loss of the year. "We left somebody open, then we tried not to switch, and then it was mismatches."

Life without three-time ScoringLive All-Hawaii Division I Player of the Year and now Washington State University freshman Chanelle Molina is also something that the Wildcats have to work through.

Molina's younger sister, Cherilyn, a junior guard, will probably be the go-to player for the Wildcats this season. She led the team in the loss with 11 points, five rebounds, four steals and three assists.

"We want the ball in her hand," Awa said on the younger Molina. "She's our most consistent shooter and she's our best defender too."

Awa is also hoping that some of the younger and inexperienced players on the team can benefit from the tournament experience before they start the regular season.

"They got to learn how to fly," she said. "Now is the time to get out there and get confident. That's what preseason is all about, that's what this tournament is all about."

Reach Michael Lasquero at [email protected].