HHSAA Girls Basketball
Depth carries No. 1 Maryknoll over No. 3 Lahainaluna, 62-49


  



Fri, Feb 3, 2017 @ Blaisdell


Final 1 2 3 4  
Lahainaluna (14-0, 20-4) 10 13131349
Maryknoll (13-1, 28-3) 14 19 15 1462
K. Kamakawiwoole 20 pts  1 3pm  5/6 FTs
L. Hafoka 12 pts  6/7 FTs
I. Cravens 6 tot  1 off  5 def
L. Hafoka 5 tot  5 def
R. Omori 4 ast

KAKAAKO – It was a far cry from last year's semifinal thriller.

Kamalu Kamakawiwoole and Rhianne Omori combined for 38 points and No.1 Maryknoll beat No. 3 Lahainaluna, 62-49, Friday night in the semifinals of the Snapple Divison I girls' state basketball tournament at the Blaisdell Arena.

The Spartans (28-2) will play two-time defending champion and No. 2 Konawaena (17-2) in a rematch of last year's title game.

Last year, the Spartans rallied to a thrilling 63-61 win against the Lunas to make the title game.

"Todd (Rickard, Lahainaluna's coach) had some very good teams in the past," Maryknoll coach Chico Furtado said. "He just didn't have the kind of depth that we have, so when they lose a girl to foul trouble or lose a girl to injury, it hurts them."

Kamakawiwoole and Omori had season-highs with 20 and 18 points, respectively, for the Spartans, who have won 15 of their last 16.

Lahainaluna had a 19-game win streak, including preseason, snapped.

The Lunas (15-1) had three players score in double figures in Lisa Hafoka (12), Keiko Aotaki (11) and Braeanne Estabilio (11). But early foul trouble did not help the Lunas, who eventually saw Susi Namoa and Erin Hookano foul out. They also lost Estabilio to a second-period injury when she sustained a cut on her forehead after a collision with Maryknoll's Moe Notoa, who suffered a tooth injury. And went to the hospital, Furtado said. Rickard said Estabilio also might have sustained a concussion.

"I think she was dizzy and didn't want to walk," Rickard said of having to carry Estabilio off the court.

As for Notoa's status for the title game, Furtado said, "If she cannot go for us because she's a three-year starter."

Estabilio was leading her team in scoring at time of her injury with 11 points, including three 3-pointers.

"That's our point guard, the one that runs our team," Rickard said. "Now when you have to bring in someone else to bring up the ball, you're going to have a hard time."

The injury and foul trouble played into Maryknoll's strength, its depth.

"I think when we decided to go pressure them full court, especially with Kamalu (Kamakawiwoole, a 5-foot-9 sophomore) on the ball with her length caused problems. YZ (Ysabelle Halemano), Jett (Georgjette Stietzel), Chayse (Milne) and Rhianne (Omori), they're all quick to the ball…We got into an up and down game and got into a game with way too many fouls. But I told our kids, I think we have more players than them."

Maryknoll's depth wasn't lost on Rickard.

"They're tall, they're athletic and they have a lot of depth," Rickard said of Maryknoll. "They're a great team."

The game was close early in the second quarter when the Lunas took a 17-16 lead Braeanne Estabilio's dribble drive. But Kamakawiwoole scored the next five points to put the Warriors up 21-17 before Erin Hookano's three-point play with 3:33 pulled Lahainaluna to 21-20.

Then the game seemed to fall apart for the Lunas in about a 90-second span. The Spartans' full-court press caused four turnovers in a row leading to eight unanswered points to make it 29-20 with 2:28 left in the half. Shortly after, Notoa and Estabilio collided.

The Spartans then extended their lead to 33-21 at the half.

The Lunas closed to within six on two occasions early in the second half, but the Spartans pulled away with their deep bench.

Maryknoll outrebounded Lahainaluna, 38-21. Kamakawiwoole and Isabella Cravens led with six each. Notoa had five. The Lunas also turned over the ball 24 times to Maryknoll's 18.



Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].




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