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Malu Cleveland

Kaimuki basketball  •   #1  G/F  Senior

Malu Cleveland's senior season of basketball has been one of maturation.

The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Cleveland has done a lot of growing up this winter, which has coincided with a successful campaign for his Kaimuki boys basketball team.

The Bulldogs (9-4) captured their fourth league championship and first since 2007 last Wednesday with a 55-37 win over Waipahu in the title game of the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II tournament.

"Oh, what an experience, what a feeling for the kids," Kaimuki seventh-year coach Greydon Espinda said.

"Especially for these kids, they have everyday challenges and they find a way to overcome it. Being together on this basketball team, these kids develop a great bond with each other and I told them that this something that no one can take away from them; it will be with them for the rest of their lives," Espinda said.

Cleveland was the team's second leading scorer against the Marauders. He finished with 10 points and registered a double-double with 12 rebounds, as well as six assists, four steals and three blocks.

"For him it's not about how much he scores, it's about winning, whether it's scoring two points to win the game or even twenty points to win the game and that is why I can put him at any of the five positions because I know that he will do well in that position," Espinda said.

Two nights prior to the Waipahu game, Cleveland filled his usual role of leading scorer. He poured in 20 points to help the Bulldogs cruise to a 63-39 semifinal win.

"He wants to win and he is going to do whatever he has to do to win, whether it's passing, rebounding, shooting, blocking shots — he'll do whatever it takes to win for the team," Espinda described.

Earlier in the season, when the Bulldogs were in the midst of a three-game losing streak, Espinda ended up benching Cleveland during a game against Roosevelt.

"He was too hard on his teammates and he needed to realize that he needed to help them in a different way and not just get on them and I benched him because he needed to learn a lesson, which he did, because when I did put him back in he almost brought us back single-handedly," Espinda said.

Since then Cleveland has been able to channel that competitive spirit into positivity and encouragement toward his teammates.

"The overall leadership has been great," Espinda said. "He's been there to support his teammates, help them out when they needed help, let them know that everything's gonna be OK and that's what the scorebook doesn't always show."

Cleveland has also been more diligent about staying out of foul trouble as of late, which wasn't always the case just a month or two ago.

"Malu finally realized that when he's on the court he can be that much of a bigger asset to the team than on the bench in foul trouble. In the last few games I think it finally sunk in and he doesn't get himself into foul trouble, (but) he knows that he's more valuable on the court," Espinda said.

He went on, "He finally realizes that he is a presence out there. In the beginning of the season, he was in foul trouble every game and fouling out almost every other game, but he finally realized that we need him on the court to give us a better chance to win."

As far as the type of player that Cleveland is, he can really do it all, Espinda said.

"He can play all five positions. He can play the point, he can play center, he can play wherever we need him. Offensively, I like to put him at the one (point guard) because he can handle the ball, but I think whever we need him in the best of times we'll put him — if that means putting him in the post to score, he can play the post, he can shoot the ball from the outside and if we go with a five-guard offense, I know he can play any position out there and wherever he needs to go, he'll go," Espinda said.

As for what Cleveland does best?

"Oh, attacking the basket," Espinda said. "He's relentless going for offensive rebounds, putbacks — he has a motor and what he's really working on is his attitude has grown so much in the positive — and I think that's the thing that he's grown the most."

Espinda said that Cleveland's athleticism is off the charts.

"With the length that he has, the height that he has, his ability can change the game single-handedly, whether it's blocking shots, getting rebounds or just being a presence out there," Espinda said.

Cleveland is averaging a team-high 15 points per game. He had a four-game stretch that culminated with Monday's win over Waialua in which he has scored 20-or-more points each night. Cleveland had a season-high 26 points in the regular-season finale against McKinley on Feb. 10.

"Malu is a slasher. He likes to attack the basket and he finishes well. If you play off of him, he can still shoot the ball and he has good range, but again, he's come a long way in terms of being a leader," Espinda reiterated. "He's really developed into a great teammates that really helps out the others in terms of where to go and what to do, so yeah, he's like an extra coach on the court right now."

Espinda believes that Cleveland has the ability to play basketball at the Division I level in college. But before he turns his attention to his post-high school plans, there's still the matter of this week's Heide & Cook/HHSAA Division II State Championships.

Cleveland and the Bulldogs, who are seeded second in the eight-team bracket, are all in.

"The greatest thing about this is award for Malu is that we all know it's because it was a team effort and everybody knows that," Espinda said. "We try to stress that it's really about the team and it will always be about the team."

Kaimuki will open the state tournament against Le Jardin at 7 p.m. Thursday.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Pookela Aiu, Kamehameha-Maui — Scored 25 points in a win over Lahainaluna

Quintan Akaka, Baldwin — Scored 18 points in a win over Maui

Aiva Arquette, Saint Louis — Scored 19 points with 10 rebounds, five steals and two assists in a win over Iolani

O'Shen Cazimero, Kohala — Scored 22 points with eight rebounds, four assists and four steals in a win over Konawaena and scored 21 points with six rebounds and three steals in a win over Hawaii Prep

Josh Dobashi, Island School — Scored 22 points in a loss to Waimea

Ayden Gambino, Lanakila Baptist — Scored 20 points in a loss to Hanalani

Luke Higashi, Mid-Pacific — Scored 20 points in a win over Damien

Kamuela Kaaihue, Roosevelt — Scored 18 points in a win over Leilehua and scored 18 points with 13 rebounds in a loss to Kailua

Ellice Kapihe Jr., Kamehameha — Scored 19 points in a win over Punahou

Laakea Kauka, Kohala — Scored 19 points with nine rebounds, three steals, one block and an assist in a win over Konawaena

Kai Kimhan, Le Jardin — Scored 22 points in a win over Hawaiian Mission

Koa LaBoy, University Lab — Scored 18 points in a win over Hanalani

Kelani Lewis, Waimea — Scored 19 points, including five 3-pointers, in a win over Island School

Trey Lieb, Mililani — Scored 27 points, including six 3-pointers, in a win over Kahuku

Giovanni Loia, Punahou II — Scored 31 points, including six 3-pointers, in a loss to Iolani II

Zion Milare, Maryknoll — Scored 20 points in a win over Mid-Pacific

Malcolm Nichols, Leilehua — Scored 19 points in a win over Kalaheo and scored 26 points in a loss to Kapolei

Austin Oguma, Hanalani — Scored 25 points, including seven 3-pointers, in a win over Lanakila Baptist

Mikey Questin, Kapaa — Scored 19 points in a win over Island School

Kala Rall, Kapaa — Scored 19 points in a win over Island School

Ashton Rivera, Waipahu — Scored 12 points with 12 rebounds, two assists, one steal and a block in a loss to Kaimuki

Duke Thomas, Le Jardin — Scored 22 points in a win over Hawaiian Mission

Amari Westmoreland-Vendiola, Kahuku — Scored 15 points with 10 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal in a win over Kapolei and scored 20 points in a loss to Mililani

Kunique Yandall-Parker, Kapolei — Scored 21 points in a win over Leilehua

Justin Yap, Maryknoll — Scored 19 points in a win over Mid-Pacific

Hudson Yarbrough, Baldwin — Scored 26 points in a win over Maui

BOYS SOCCER 

Allan Gabriel Donis-Sablan, Kailua — Scored two goals in a win over Waipahu

Matthew Enriquez, Kealakehe — Scored two goals in a win over Waiakea

Luke Fujioka-Silva, McKinley — Scored three goals in a win over Leilehua

Kisei Ikeda, Roosevelt — Scored three goals in a win over McKinley

Chase Kaetsu, Pearl City — Scored two goals in a win over Kahuku

Bryson Kau, Kamehameha — Scored the lone goal in a win over Mid-Pacific

Ian Kikuchi, Baldwin — Scored three goals in a win over Maui

Kai Martin, Mililani — Scored two goals in a win over Kahuku

Seamas Mercado, Kaiser — Scored two goals in a win over Kailua

Keoni Perez-Martin, Baldwin — Scored two goals in a win over Seabury Hall

Kai Nishimoto, Punahou — Scored the lone goal in a win over Iolani

Max Scott, Mililani — Scored two goals in a win over Kahuku

Ethan Senter, Kalani — Scored a goal and assisted on another in a win over Pearl City

Aron Taguiam, Kauai — Scored two goals in a win over Waimea

Kelly Takara, Aiea — Scored two goals and assisted on another in a win over Castle, scored the lone goal in a win over Kaiser and scored two goals in a loss to Kapolei

Kahekili Vega, Radford — Scored two goals in a win over McKinley

Robert Wilson, Radford — Scored two goals in a win over Waialua

Jovi Wahinekapu Lefotu

Iolani basketball  •   #21  G  Senior

There was only one way that Jovi Wahinekapu Lefotu was going out: on top.

The senior made sure of that in a memorable performance last week to help the Iolani girls basketball team capture its third straight state crown.

Wahinekapu Lefotu averaged better than 13 points and 10 rebounds in three games for the Raiders, who won three games in as many days to win the Heide & Cook/HHSAA Division I State Championships.

"Not only am I happy for the team that we were able to win states, but I'm just happy that these players had a chance to play this year because it was really hard to have last year canceled because your high school career is so short, so just to be back in the gym, playing against other teams and other coaches and having fans, I'm just really grateful for all the hard work that all the administrators did," Iolani coach Dean Young said.

Young was ecstatic not only for his team — which completed a 14-0 run through the regular and post seasons — but especially for Wahinekapu Lefotu, the lone senior on the roster. She was selected as the tournament's most outstanding player.

"I'm super happy for her; it's so well-deserved and not only is she a good player, but she's such a great person, such a high-character person," said Young, who coached both Jovi Wahinekapu Lefotu and her older sister, Lily, at Iolani.

"They're such great people. I'm so happy for them that she's having this success because it's so well-deserved. I've had her for four years, she's a superstar, but just like Lily, they're so humble and Jovi's personality never changed from her freshman year through all the accolades and state championships, she's always been appreciative, always been respectful, always been humble and always working hard, so yeah, I'm super happy for her," Young said.

Young enjoyed the luxury of both sisters on the team for two years, but the COVID-19 pandemic robbed the sisters of the 2020-'21 season — which would have been Lily's senior campaign and Jovi's junior year. Lily Wahinekapu is in the midst of a breakout freshman season at Cal State Fullerton.

"Jovi played outstanding back then, but she deferred to some of the older players a lot and then all of a sudden, she's the only senior and Lily is gone, so no big sister and now she's the bigger sister to the rest of the team, so her role really changed but she was critical because she was our only returning player who saw significant minutes, so she needed to bring that experience and leadership to show this team how it's done," Young explained.

And she did just that, way back from the offseason all the way through to the final buzzer of Saturday's state championship game.

Young recalled Wahinekapu Lefotu's demeanor in the lead-up to the state tournament.

"One thing was she was really calm," he said. "She was loose, she was keeping the team loose, but at the same time there was that kind of underlying tone with her of, ‘Hey, we ain't losing,' you know? Like, ‘I'll do whatever it takes, but we're not losing.' "

After the Raiders enjoyed a first-round bye Monday, they opened tournament play with a 51-32 win over Maui in the quarterfinals Thursday. Wahinekapu Lefotu scored 10 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. She also had two assists and two steals.

"That was huge. I mean, fifteen rebounds and she's not even our center," said Young, whose team out-rebounded Maui, 46 to 28.

"But when we rebound we transition, so it allowed us to really get out in transition, get the other girls in space, so Jovi's work on the boards goes so much further than it shows on paper," Young added.

The following night, Wahinekapu Lefotu powered Iolani to a 54-39 win over previously-undefeated Campbell with 16 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block.

"That's when she really was trying to establish the mentality of she's not letting us lose," Young said. "Campbell is a really good team, but we had a height advantage so she went down into the paint, she starting posting up and just doing the dirty work in the paint — whatever it took to get the W — but that just shows her versatility."

Then, in her final prep basketball game Saturday night, Wahinekapu Lefotu accounted for half of the Raiders' points in a 28-17 win over Konawaena. She was the lone player on either team to finish in double digits with 14 points and also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds. Wahinekapu Lefotu added two assists and a pair of blocks and played all 32 minutes.

"A lot of the season she let the other guards handle the pressure and close out games with the ball, but not against Kona," Young said. "She made sure that she had the ball in her hands and that she was taking care of it and not turning it over and knocking down the free throws at the end."

It was the culmination of four years of growth and development by Wahinekapu Lefotu, whose legacy will include three state championships and three Interscholastic League of Honolulu titles as well.

"I think early on, before she really understood her role, I think she was more concerned about just being the best player on the court and trying to lead by example by scoring, but she realized that to be a better leader she not only needed to score, but she needed to show the underclassmen that she trusted them and believed in them by sharing the ball and setting them up for their shots, which made the whole team better," Young said.

Wahinekapu Lefotu averaged 15.7 points per game this season. Next year she will play for the University of Hawaii, which takes on Cal State Fullerton — and older sister, Lily — twice a year during Big West Conference play.

Young laughed, "I can't wait for that game."

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Theresa Anakalea, Damien — Scored 33 points, including eight 3-pointers, with four rebounds and one steal in a loss to Sacred Hearts and scored 24 points with four rebounds in a win over Hawaii Prep

Tiare Arquero, Damien — Scored 16 points with two assists, two steals and one rebound in a win over Hawaii Prep

Angel Asaah, Radford — Scored 15 points with nine rebounds, three assists and a steal in a loss to Punahou

Kyana Brucelas, Hawaii Prep — Scored 15 points with 13 rebounds, one assist and a steal in a loss to Hanalani and scored 11 points with 10 rebounds and one steal in a loss to Damien

Brittlay Carillo, Seabury Hall — Scored 17 points with three rebounds, four assists and two steals in a win over Kailua

Myah Galdeira, Kailua — Scored 17 points with 10 rebounds, seven steals, three assists and one block in a loss to Seabury Hall

Chera-Lei Hiers, Hanalani — Scored 16 points with 11 rebounds in a win over Seabury Hall

Kalia Kaahu, Hawaii Prep — Scored 18 points with five rebounds, four steals and an assist in a loss to Hanalani

Ellana Klemp, Hanalani — Scored 21 points with 11 rebounds and four steals in a win over Hawaii Prep

Joey Lin, Hawaii Baptist — Scored 12 points with 12 rebounds and two steals in a win over Kauai and scored 12 points with nine rebounds, two steals and one block in a win over Sacred Hearts

Tanea Loa, Punahou — Scored 12 points with 11 rebounds in a loss to Lahainaluna and scored 11 points with nine rebounds, one assist and a block in a win over Maui

Alexus Maae, Kaiser — Scored 17 points in a loss to Maui

Jaety Mandaquit, Iolani — Scored 16 points, two rebounds and three steals in a win over Campbell

Jolie Mantz, Waiakea — Scored 18 points with four rebounds, two assists and one steal in a win over Moanalua

Faith Mersburgh, Hanalani — Scored 14 points with four rebounds, two assists and seven steals in a win over Kalaheo and scored 15 points with 10 rebounds, seven steals, two assists and one block in a win over Seabury Hall

KalysaMarie Ng, Sacred Hearts — Scored 21 points, including five 3-pointers, with two rebounds, four assists and three steals in a win over Honokaa and scored 28 points with five rebounds, two steals and an assist in a win over Damien

Ledjan Pahukoa, Lahainaluna — Scored 20 points with three rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block in a win over Campbell

Julien Parado, Campbell — Scored 17 points with eight rebounds and one block in a win over Waiakea

Kristen Ragasa, Honokaa — Scored 22 points with three rebounds, two assists and one steal in a loss to Sacred Hearts

Maria Ralar, Hanalani — Scored 16 points with one rebound in a loss to Hawaii Baptist

Kaliana Salazar-Harrell, Konawaena — Scored 24 points with four steals, two assists and one rebound in a win over Mililani and scored 27 points with six rebounds, three steals and an assist in a win over Lahainaluna

Brooke Samura, Hawaii Prep — Scored 20 points with four rebounds, three assists, one steal and a block in a loss to Damien

Shastyne Selesele, Damien — Scored 11 points with 12 rebounds in a win over Hawaii Prep

Meleani Siostrand, Seabury Hall — Scored 11 points with 12 rebounds in a win over Kailua

Avery Snyder, Waiakea — Scored 10 points with 10 rebounds, one assist, one steal and a block in a win over Moanalua

Laynee Torres-Kahapea, Punahou — Scored 22 points with two rebounds, one steal and a block in a win over Radford

Emi Wada, Hawaii Baptist — Scored 15 points with six rebounds, one assist and a steal in a win over Hanalani

Leela Waterford, Seabury Hall — Scored 16 points with two rebounds, three steals and two blocks in a win over Kamehameha-Hawaii