Roosevelt, Mililani a cut above the rest in OIA girls basketball


Just two girls basketball teams on Oahu remain undefeated going into Wednesday. That will change by the end of the night.

The Oahu Interscholastic Association season comes to a close with a pair of championship games Wednesday at McKinley's Student Council Gymnasium. The Red (Division I) title game pits Eastern Division champ Roosevelt against Western Division titlist Mililani at 7:30 p.m. The Rough Riders, who are ranked third in this week's ScoringLive/OC16 Girls Basketball Power Rankings, and the fourth-ranked Trojans sport matching 12-0 records entering the showdown.

The teams are clearly a cut above the rest of the league. Consider the following: Roosevelt leads the OIA in scoring average at 67.1 points per game; Mililani is second at 62.9 points per game. The Rough Riders' average margin of victory is 29.9 points in 12 league games; The Trojans' average margin of victory is 36.2 points in 12 league games.

Roosevelt's projected starting lineup is made up of guards Sharice Kawakami, Starr Rivera and Devyn Kauhi to go with posts Tavae Sina Sofa and Keala Quinlan. Each player averages at least 8.9 points per game, led by Quinlan's 12.9 ppg, which ranks her 15th in the OIA Red. Right behind her are Rivera (11.5 ppg), Kauhi (10.1), Sina Sofa (9.7) and Kawakami (8.9). The Rough Riders thrive on speed. They play at a frantic pace and love to get up and down the court.

In contrast to Roosevelt's balance, Mililani relies heavily on two players to do most of its scoring. Center Sarah Liva ranks fourth in the OIA with 15.7 points per game, while guard Mikaela Limper is eighth with a 13.9 points per game average. Forward/center Shantel Appleby chips in 9.2 points per game and forward Summer Bolibol 5.3 ppg. They like to utilize a high-low game with Liva and Limper — both seniors.

Both teams have already clinched a spot in the state tournament, but the winner gets a first-round bye in the 12-team bracket.

Expect a high-scoring game Wednesday between two heavyweight contenders; It should be a good one.



Reach Kalani Takase at [email protected].