Moanalua's Lachae McColor takes the ball to the basket against Farrington. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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010814_SL-GBKB-moa_farr-7233.jpg - Greg Yamamoto | SL

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First place in the Eastern Division of the Oahu Interscholastic Association will be on the line Thursday night when Roosevelt visits Moanalua in a pivotal girls' basketball game.

The Rough Riders, ranked fourth in the ScoringLive/OC16 Power Rankings, and the ninth-ranked Na Menehune each have an unblemished 8-0 league record heading into their showdown. Both teams were in action Tuesday: Roosevelt defeated Castle, 68-50, while Moanalua beat Kailua, 63-52. Roosevelt is averaging an OIA Red-best 68 points per game offensively, while allowing 35.6 points defensively.

Sophomore forward Keala Quinlan averages a team-high 13.9 points and junior guard Starr Rivera 12.0. Quinlan — who is the tallest player on the team at 5-feet, 11-inches — has twice eclipsed the 20-point mark this season, including a season-high 22 points against McKinley on Dec. 18. Rivera, one of three 5-foot-3 players on the roster, posted 21 points with three 3-pointers and 22 points with two treys against Kaiser and Kalaheo, respectively. Junior guard Sharice Kawakami averages 9.9 points, senior forward Tavae Sina Sofa 8.8 points and senior guard Devyn Kauhi 8.7 points.

The Rough Riders have largely gone unchallenged in the regular season, beating opponents by an average of more than 27 points. Their largest margin of victory was an 80-20 win at Kalaheo on Dec. 30, while their closest game was Tuesday's 18-point home win over Castle.

Moanalua ranks fifth offensively in the OIA with 57.4 points scored per game and allows 44.4 points defensively. Senior wing LaChae McColor is second in the OIA Red in scoring at 18.1 points per game. McColor scored 24 and 25 points, respectively, in early-season wins over Farrington and Kalani nearly a month ago. Senior post Hokukealani Mateo is second in scoring at 9.4 points per game and junior guard Ciera O'Brien contributes 7.1 points.

Na Menehune have posted their share of blowouts, as well, including a season-best 28-point victory at Kaimuki on Dec. 18. They have also won close games (Four-point win at Farrington on Dec. 10 and six-point win vs. Kaiser on Dec. 26).