Hawaiian Electric Game of the Week
Rough Riders, Na Menehune to face off in battle of unbeatens




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).



Reach Kalani Takase at [email protected].




Show your support

Every contribution, no matter the size, will help ScoringLive continue its mission to provide the best and most comprehensive coverage of high school sports in the state of Hawaii and beyond.

Please consider making a contribution today.

ADVERTISEMENT


MORE STORIES

Crusaders knock off Rough Riders in mercy-rule finish

Shannon Fee and Jonah Brub combined on a two-hitter and No. 2 Saint Louis downed Roosevelt in five inning...

Laboy persevered through early-season injury for UH Lab; Fake rose to the occasion for Kamehameha

The junior OH came back from a severe ankle sprain to help the Jr. 'Bows claim their first state title,...

Pearl City outlasts ninth ranked Aiea in 11-inning marathon

Devin Fujino's two out single in the bottom of the 11th won it for the Chargers, the first over Na Alii...

Plays made and not aid No. 8 Waiakea to first-round victory

Loren Iwata pitched a complete game gem, and the Warriors made the most of two crucial plays that both...

Mortensen's sac fly in seventh leads Baldwin in first-round play

Pinch hitter Douglas Mortensen's sacrifice fly scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh inning...

Kamehameha outlasts Punahou in overtime to go back-to-back

Warriors got the game winning goal by Tea Brandon with 1:56 left in regulation and hung on to deny the...