Ikaika Phillip, a senior basketball players for the Raiders, and Jasmine Mau, a senior swimmer for the Buffanblu, were pivotal to their teams' success last week. ScoringLive photo illustration

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Male Athlete of the Week: Ikaika Phillip, Iolani basketball
The Iolani boys basketball team has been on quite the ride over the past two weeks.

The Raiders notched two wins over Punahou in a week's span and followed that up with impressive wins over at then-No. 1 Maryknoll on back-to-back nights en route to their first Interscholastic League of Honolulu championship since 2011. Leading the way for Iolani in all four games was senior guard Ikaika Phillip.

Phillip scored 76 points during that stretch, including a season-high 21 points in a 53-37 win over Punahou in a semifinal game of the league single-elimination tournament — which secured a state-tournament berth for the Raiders and eliminated the Buffanblu from postseason contention.

"It was incredible — no doubt about it," Iolani coach Dean Shimamoto said. "I thought our guys were capable of it, but you never really know though. With games that game together against teams that good, one bounce of the ball the right way, or wrong way, could have made the difference. Over the last couple of weeks, we had the fix of things and some bit of luck always comes into play with teams that good, so it was surprising and not surprising at the same time."

Phillip ranks fifth in ILH Division I in scoring at 14.3 points per game and is among the top free-throw shooters on the team at 85.5 percent.

"He's been pretty consistent all season long," Shimamoto said. "He's our leading scorer, one of our better rebounders, he plays most of the game and finishes games with free throws to help close teams out. I feel like he's been doing the same thing the whole time, but to step up in those games, that's the kind of player he is and is capable of that. It's great to have a guy like that to count on for his consistentcy and ability to step up at big times."

Having survived the rigors of a rugged ILH schedule, the Raiders now turn their sights on the state tournament, which gets underway Wednesday.

"I think we're the best we've been all season, but at the same time I still think there's things we can improve on," Shimamoto said. "Every game (in the ILH) feels like a playoff game and especially over these past two weeks, they were must-win games for us and when you go into states, it's a survive-and-advance attitude."

Iolani is the top seed in the 12-team tournament and has a first-round bye before meeting the winner of Lahainaluna and Kalaheo in Thursday's quarterfinal round. Despite the designation of being the tournament-favorite, Shimamoto hopes his team will not change its attitude.

"I hope we still take that same underdog mentality into the state tournament," Shimamoto said. "None of these guys, nobody on this roster, has been to states yet, much less won one, so that hunger is definitely there. We're hoping we can kind of keep up what we're doing, focus on how we do things and focus on the process and just say the result is the result. Wherever we're seeded, whoever we're playing, we will come out and try and do same things that made us successful last few weeks."

The Raiders are returning to the state championship for the first time since 2011 and will be seeking their 10th state title in school history and first since 2010.

Female Athlete of the Week: Jasmine Mau, Punahou swimming
Jasmine Mau is one of a kind. In the final meet of her highly-decorated high school swimming career, the Punahou senior put on a performance to remember.

Mau won gold in each of the four events she entered — setting a state-meet record record along the way in each race — to lead the Buffanblu to the girls' team title at last week's OC16/Hawaii High School Athletic Association Swimming and Diving State Championships at Kamehameha-Hawaii's Naeole Pool.

"It was pretty special," Punahou coach Jeff Meister said. "She was excited as a senior to go out and do well. She hoped to swim well and accomplish all of that and it was one of those rare performances you're ever going to see."

Mau, who will swim at the University of California, Berkeley next year, won the 100-yard butterfly race in a time of 52.23 seconds, the 200 freestyle in 1:47.14 and was a member of the winning 200 medley and 400 freestyle relay teams. Her time in the 100 fly not only broke her previous state-record time, but also set a new national independent school record.

"She has unbelievable form on her butterfly stroke and I know that Cal wants her to be a swim freestyle and butterfly there, but I think she can swim any event really," Meister said.

Punahou won both the girls' and boys' team titles after missing out on both a year ago.

"It was great because both (defending state championships) Mid-Pacific on the girls' side and Kamehameha on the boys' side are really great teams," Meister said. "The girls have great respect for Mid-Pacific and they knew that it would be tough, so I don't think their motivation was so much from losing last year, but because they have so much respect for them and they knew they would have to work really hard to win."

The Buffanblu girls added to their already heralded history, claiming their 48th state championship in the 57-year history of the tournament. Meister has been the coach of 15 of those titles (and another 12 of the boys' 43 state crowns) and helped thousands of swimmers during that time. He says Mau is "one of the best.

"We're going to miss her as a person first and for her ability second," Meister said. "She's such a great kid, she comes into practice and works hard every day and on top of that, she's just fast. She can be just spectacular when she gets to Cal. She responds well to hard work and training and I think having some elite-level teammates there will motivate her even more and I know she's looking forward to that challenge."

Despite her many achievements, Meister said out of the pool Mau is like any other Punahou student.

"She has confidence and you have to be confident when you're as a good as she is, but when she's around her teammates, she's as humble as everybody else," Meister said. "She's never displayed any kind of arrogance or attitude of being better than anybody else. She works with the strongest kids, the weakest kids and everybody in between. I'm just very happy for her — all of this couldn't have happened to a better kid and a better family."

BOYS BASKETBALL
Brandon Awa, Konawaena — Scored 17 points in a win over Waiakea Saturday

Noel Bueno, Mililani — Scored 19 points in a win over Roosevelt Tuesday

Josh Burnett, Maryknoll — Scored 19 points in a win over Kamehameha Wednesday, 15 in a loss to Iolani Friday and 21 in a loss to Iolani Saturday

Elijah Butler, Mililani — Scored 23 points in a win over Leilehua Thursday

Jonah Bredeson, Konawaena — Scored 21 points in a win over Waiakea Saturday

Gilbert Dayanan, Campbell — Scored 19 points in a loss to Farrington Thursday

Kealen Figueroa, Kohala — Scored 25 points in a win over Pahoa Friday

Kaleb Gilmore, Maryknoll — Scored 19 points in a win over Kamehameha Wednesday, 16 in a loss to Iolani Friday and 23 in a loss to Iolani Saturday

Joseph Gouty, Leilehua — Scored 17 points in a win over Radford Tuesday

Kupaa Harrison, Kalaheo — Scored 31 points in a loss to Campbell Tuesday

Antoine Hines, Moanalua — Scored 19 points in a loss to Kalaheo Thursday

BJ Hosaka, Hawaii Baptist — Scored 21 points in a loss to Hanalani Wednesday

Val Inaura, Roosevelt — Scored 18 points in a loss to Mililani Tuesday

Mikala Jordan, Kohala — Scored 19 points in a win over Hawaii Prep Saturday

Joshua Luna, Christian Academy — Scored 27 points in a loss to Hawaiian Mission Monday

Jacob McEnroe, Farrington — Scored 21 points in a win over Moanalua Tuesday

Isaiah Smith, Farrington — Scored 18 points in a win over Campbell Thursday

Kekai Smith, Kalaheo — Scored 19 points in a win over Moanalua Thursday

Aaron Stuart, Moanalua — Scored 18 points in a loss to Farrington Tuesday

Mark Valencia, Hawaiian Mission — Scored 23 points in a win over Christian Academy Monday

Isaiah Visoria, Farrington — Scored 23 points in a win over Campbell Thursday

Jamaal Willis, Moanalua — Scored 19 points in a loss to Farrington Tuesday and 17 in a loss to Kalaheo Thursday

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Loke Basques, Lahainaluna — Scored 17 points in a win over Hilo Friday

Sharlei Graham-Bernisto, Hilo — Scored 16 points in a loss to Lahainaluna Friday

Sarah Liva, Mililani — Scored 18 points in a loss to Punahou Friday and 16 points in a win over Hilo Saturday

Tyra Moe, Punahou — Scored 19 points in a win over Lahainaluna Saturday

Alexis Pana, Hilo — Scored 17 points in a loss to Mililani Saturday

BOYS SOCCER
Josh Adachi, Iolani — Named Most Outstanding Player of Division I state tournament

Preston Branco, Honokaa — Scored two goals in a win over Christian Liberty Friday

Thomas Butenbah-Leong, Kaiser — Scored two goals in a win over Kapolei Friday

CJ Harvey, Kapolei — Scored two goals in a win over Hilo Wednesday

Brandon Ho, Mid-Pacific — Named Most Outstanding Player of the Division II state tournament

Kama Hurwitz, Hawaii Prep — Scored two goals in a win over Leilehua

Micah Ishikawa, Mililani — Scored two goals in a win over Hilo Saturday

Marc Matas, Mililani — Scored two goals in a win over Moanalua Thursday

Louis Moylan, Christian Liberty — Scored two goals in a win over Christian Liberty Thursday

Keaton Schneider, Kapaa — Scored four points in a win over Seabury Hall Saturday

Nikolai Shumov, Hilo — Scored two goals in a win over Pearl City Thursday

Demar Stewart, Leilehua — Scored three goals in a loss to Hawaii Prep

SWIMMING & DIVING
TJ Dawson, Kamehameha — Member of winning boys' 200-yard freestyle relay and 400 freestyle relay teams at HHSAA state championships Saturday

Lia Foster, Punahou — Won the girls' 100-yard backstroke in a time of 57.20 seconds and was on the winning 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay teams at HHSAA state championships Saturday

Aja Grande, Iolani — Won the girls' 50-yard freestyle in a time of 23.31 seconds and the 100 freestyle in 51.13 seconds at HHSAA state championships Saturday

Jonah Hu, Baldwin — Won the boys' 200-yard individual medley in a time of one minute, 53.51 seconds and the 100 breaststroke in 55.72 seconds (HHSAA record) at state championships Saturday

Cara Jernigan, Kealakehe — Won the girls' 200-yard individual medley in a time of two minutes, 4.8 seconds and the 100 breaststroke in 1:02.41 (HHSAA record time) at state championships Saturday

Kanoa Kaleoaloha, Kamehameha — Won the boys' 100-yard freestyle in a time of 45.65 seconds and was winning 200 medley relay team at HHSAA state championships Saturday

Ryan Stack, Kamehameha — Won the boys' 200-yard freestyle in a time of one minutes, 38.22 seconds, won the 500 freestyle in 4:30.96 and was on winning 200 medley relay team at HHSAA state championships Saturday

Sam Sutherland, Punahou — Member of winning boys' 200-yard freestyle relay and 400 freestyle relay teams at HHSAA state championships Saturday

Zack Woo, Punahou — Member of winning boys' 200-yard freestyle relay and 400 freestyle relay teams at HHSAA state championships Saturday