Punahou senior guard Jordan Tanuvasa and Hawaii Baptist junior guard Stephanie Dang led their respective teams to victory on the hardwood last week. ScoringLive photo illustration

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Male Athlete of the Week: Jordan Tanuvasa, Punahou basketball
It's been a long road to recovery for Punahou's Jordan Tanuvasa — and it's not over yet — but his performance over the weekend surely was a good sign.

Tanuvasa, a 5-foot-11 senior point guard, scored a game-high 25 points, including five 3-pointers, to lead the Buffanblu to the Pete Smith Classic title with a 55-46 win over McKinley Saturday night. He missed all of last season after tearing a knee ligament during the 2013 football season.

"What people don't realize is that he's less than a year out from his ACL surgery and I think it was only a matter of time before he'd put up a good scoring game because he's worked really hard and he's come back stronger and a little bit faster — especially on the defensive end," Punahou coach Darren Matsuda said. "A big part of that is he's probably one of the hardest working kids that I've coached. He's spent hours doing physical therapy and that's helped him a lot. His explosiveness is better and his quickness is better."

Matsuda said Tanuvasa's accelerated return was a product of his hard work.

"The good thing about this team is everybody pulls for each other and they get along really well. We have nine seniors and I think they're very happy for him," Matsuda said. "A lot of people saw the hard work he had to do to get back on the court. An ACL tear usually takes a year and a half to get back, but he was back in six to eight months and he's pretty much physically where he wants to be, but I think he'll continue to get better as our season continues."

Tanuava's previous high in scoring this season was 13 points against Leilehua to open the year back on Dec. 3.

"Jordan and Dayson (Watanabe) have the toughest jobs because they're point guards, but we also rely on them for scoring and they both can score," Matsuda said. "With (leading scorer) JB (Kam) off Saturday, someone had to step up and Jordan really did that. At the same time he did a great job of getting other guys involved and that's when we're really tough, when he's putting up points and getting others involved."

The senior-heavy Buffanblu (9-1) are the top-ranked team in the first ScoringLive/OC16 Boys Basketball Power Rankings, which were released Monday. They have won seven consecutive games since a 61-53 loss to Farrington on Dec. 6.

"I'm pleased with our progress so far," Matsuda said. "After our loss we really worked on our defense and I thought that got substantially better. Last week it was more about our offense and sharing the ball and I thought we did a really good job of that. At the same time, this team knows that it's a marathon, not a sprint and we have to work to keep getting better. Last year we started 18-0 and didn't make states, so we can't peak right now."

Punahou will hosts its annual Boys Basketball Invitational this weekend and opens against Castle in an 8 p.m. game Friday.

Female Athlete of the Week: Stephanie Dang, Hawaii Baptist basketball
In Keith Sugiura's mind, it was just a matter of time until Stephanie Dang broke out of her funk.

It happened Saturday as the 5-foot-3 junior guard poured in a game-high 26 points — including eight 3-pointers — to lead Hawaii Baptist to a 61-24 win over La Pietra in an Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division II game.

"I think it was good for her because — I don't think she was pressing, but her shots weren't falling (earlier this season) — and she's been putting in extra work, so it's good to see the reward for her effort," Eagles' coach Keith Sugiura said.

Dang, who was named league Player of the Year as a sophomore last year, had made no more than one 3-pointer and seven points in a game this season. She was 8 of 11 from behind the arc Saturday, despite playing just 14 minutes.

"We had got out to a 25-3 first-quarter lead, so at that point we started to sub a little more liberally so she played in the first half and one series in the second half, but after that it was most of our subs on the court," Sugiura said of Dang.  

Sugiura said Dang, who has been a starter since her freshman year, worked diligently — much of it on her own time — to get back on track

"Her shots have been on line, but she's just been missing short or long," Sugiura said. "She's the type that would come in before practice and get in shooting reps, work on her shot, and even outside of practice she'd go to her neighborhood park and shoot. The good thing about her is she never got discouraged or too down on herself and she just kept working on her game."

Part of that is her personality, Sugiura said.

"She's somewhat stoic, so it was good to kind of see her excel (Saturday)," Sugiura said. "I think after the game she probably felt a certain amount of confidence in her game, which was nice to see."

Sugiura said that Dang is pivotal to the Eagles, not just as a point-scorer, but as a leader.

"She's kind of a glue person for us because, as a junior, she's bridging the gap between our seniors and some of our younger sophomores and freshmen, who look up to her. She can relate to the drive of our seniors and she know's what is needed as far as the learning (process) for our underclassmen."

After winning the ILH last season — and a third-place finish in the state tournament — Hawaii Baptist is off to a 2-0 start in league play this year.

"We have seven seniors and a lot of them have been with us since their sophomore year, so I think it's good because a lot of the motivation comes from them and they try to work with our underclassmen," Sugiura said. "It's nice to see them build chemistry and encourage each other in practice, but we just trying to take it one day at a time, one practice at a time and improve each day and build as a team."

Dang and the Eagles' next game is against University High on Jan. 6.

BOYS BASKETBALL
David Benevedes, Castle — Scored 18 points in a win over Radford

Ken Colombe, Mid-Pacific — Scored 24 points in a win over Fuxin New Star (China)

Kenan Cooper, Hanalani — Scored 16 points in a win over Island Pacific

Kevin Foster, Roosevelt — Scored 24 points in a loss to Second Baptist and 16 points in a loss to Kailua

Keanu Furtado, Roosevelt — Scored 16 points in a loss to Kauai

Kaleb Gilmore, Kalaheo — Scored 24 points in a loss to Farrington

Hugh Hogland, Iolani — Scored 18 points in a win over Second Baptist (Houston)

BJ Hosaka, Hawaii Baptist — Scored 22 points in a win over Waialua

Chance Kalaugher, Kaiser — Scored 17 points in a win over Fuxin New Star and 19 in a win over Saint Louis

Kelsey Lewis II, Kaiser — Scored 18 points in a win over Saint Louis

Isaac Liva, Hawaii Baptist — Scored 19 points in a win over Waialua

Alec MacLeod, Kalaheo — Scored 19 points in a loss to Farrington

Zane Pantil, Hanalani — Scored 22 points in a win over Island Pacific

Jake Smith, Farrington — Scored 19 points in a win over Kalaheo

Gilbert Tapat, Pearl City — Scored 17 points in a win over Maryknoll II

Latoine Thompson, Radford — Scored 16 points in a loss to Castle

Melvin Tingzon, Kauai — Scored 29 points in a win over Roosevelt and scored 16 points in a loss to Mid-Pacific

Brent Quakenbush, Roosevelt — Scored 17 points in a loss to Kauai

Dan Villejo, McKinley — Scored 27 points in a win over Campbell

Maleek Walker, Radford — Scored 16 points in a loss to Castle

Erik Yamada, Iolani — Scored 16 points in a win over Second Baptist (Houston)

BOYS SOCCER
DJ Chinen, Castle — Scored two goals in a win over Kaimuki and three goals in a win over Farrington

Jhonah Felipe, Kalaheo — Scored two goals in a win over Roosevelt and two goals in a win over Kailua

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

Shandon Hopeau, Kapolei — Scored three goals in a win over Waialua and three goals in a win over Waipahu

Takahiro Kosins, Kalani — Scored three goals in a win over Kahuku

Garrison Lee, Kapolei — Scored two goals in a win over Waialua

Alex Liu, Iolani — Scored two goals in a win over Saint Louis

Desmond Mahor, Waipahu — Scored two goals in a win over Aiea

Tyler Morton, Moanalua — Scored five goals in a win over Farrington

Graham Panilinan, Mililani — Scored three goals in a win over Nanakuli

Matt Parke, Iolani — Scored two goals in a win over Saint Louis

Stanton Spencer, Waianae — Scored six goals in a win over Leilehua

Mikel Sodini, Kahuku — Scored two goals in a win over McKinley

Erik Tabiolo, Moanalua — Scored two goals in a win over Farrington and four goals in a win over McKinley

Daniel Woo, Pearl City — Scored two goals in a win over Leilehua

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Tywanna Abbott, Leilehua — Scored 24 points in a win over Waialua

Shantel Appleby, Mililani — Scored 15 points in a win over Pearl City

Riana Arima, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored 25 points in a win over Kohala

Tayhila-Lee Chong, Waianae — Scored 20 points in a loss to Campbell

Kelsie Fukuda, Iolani — Scored 18 points in a win over Punahou II

Makamae Gabriel, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored 17 points in a win over Kohala

Moli Heimuli, Farrington — Scored 33 points in a win over Kalani

Brooke Ho, Kaiser — Scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds in a win over McKinley

Sharice Kawakami, Roosevelt — Scored 17 points in a win over Kalani

Kirstin Kouchi, Kalani — Scored 17 points in a loss to Farrington

Jazmina Lafitaga, Leilehua — Scored 18 points in a win over Waialua

Mikiala Maio, Kamehameha — Scored 17 points in a loss to Maryknoll

Maegen Martin, Maryknoll — Scored 15 points in a win over Kamehameha

Markayisha Masani, University High — Scored 19 points in a win over Hanalani

Cherilyn Molina, Konawaena — Scored 25 points in a win over Keaau

Kiara Peterson, Hanalani — Scored 18 points in a loss to University High

Keala Quinlan, Roosevelt — Scored 20 points in a win over Moanalua

Starr Rivera, Roosevelt — Scored 22 points in a win over Kalani

Aloha Salem, Konawaena — Scored 17 points in a win over Keaau

Roselyn Shimaoka, Kaiser — Scored 17 points in a win over Kaimuki

Naai Solomon-Lewis, Kohala — Scored 17 points in a loss to Kamehameha-Hawaii

Patria Vaimaona, Kailua — Scored 18 points in a win over Castle

GIRLS SOCCER
Hoku Afong, Moanalua — Scored two goals in a win over Farrington and four goals in a win over McKinley

Kamaile Aluli, Kahuku — Scored three goals in a win over McKinley

Helena Ankien, Kailua — Scored two goals in a win over Kalani

Nicole Baltazar, Mid-Pacific — Scored two goals in a win over Sacred Hearts

Taylor Cadiz, Mililani — Scored two goals in a win over Radford

Jaelynn Chargualaf, Campbell — Scored two goals in a win over Waialua

Tayzha Cubit, Castle — Scored two goals in a win over Kaimuki

Alyssa Dela Pena, Moanalua — Scored two goals in a win over Farrington

Randi Fontes, Pearl City — Scored two goals in a win over Leilehua

Tia Furuta, Mililani — Scored three goals in a win over Radford

Biance Gonzales, Kapolei — Scored two goals in a win over Waialua

Destinee Hanaike, Castle — Scored two goals in a win over Farrington

Kai Hasegawa, Kaiser — Scored five goals in a win over Kaimuki

Tommi Hintnaus, Kaiser — Scored three goals in a win over Kaimuki

Victoria Lara, Kapolei — Scored two goals in a win over Waialua

Noelle Mercado, Kaiser — Scored two goals in a win over Kaimuki

Dior Motas, Moanalua — Scored two goals in a win over McKinley

Bethany Nazareno, Pearl City — Scored two goals in a win over Radford

Sara Olanda, Aiea — Scored three goals in a win over Waipahu and three goals in a win over Nanakuli

Jewels Olizuiano, Castle — Scored three goals in a win over Kaimuki

Allison Portis, Punahou — Scored two goals in a win over Saint Francis

Alyssa Tanigawa, Castle — Scored two goals in a win over Kaimuki

Daelenn Tokunaga, Pearl City — Scored two goals in a win over Radford and three goals in a win over Leilehua

Emily Viola, Punahou — Scored two goals in a win over Saint Francis

Kayla Watanabe, Mid-Pacific — Scored two goals in a win over Sacred Hearts

Kylie Wong, Pearl City — Scored two goals in a win over Leilehua

WRESTLING
Liam Corbett, Leilehua — Won the boys' 152-pound weight class and earned 30.5 points for his team at the Hawaii Wrestling Officials Association Scholarship Tournament

Diamond Freitas, Lahainaluna — Won the girls' 112-pound weight class and earned 32 points for her team at the Hawaii Wrestling Officials Association Scholarship Tournament

Christian Lee, Mililani — Won the boys' 160-pound weight class and earned 30.5 points for his team at the Hawaii Wrestling Officials Association Scholarship Tournament