Chase for the Championship
It's Wildcats & Spartans for 3rd year in a row


Stacy Kaneshiro | ScoringLive
February 3, 2018, 1:17am

 


Will three-time defending champion Konawaena continue its reign or is it Maryknoll's time to shine?

For the third consecutive year, the Wildcats (25-2) will meet the Spartans (28-2) in Saturday's Snapple Division I state girls basketball tournament championship at the Neal Blaisdell Arena. Konawaena is trying to become the first team to win four straight titles since Kamehameha did it from 1990 to 1993.

Second-seeded and No. 3 Konawaena was all fundamentals — making free throws and dominating the boards — to knock off third-seeded and No. 2 Lahainaluna, 50-45, in one of Friday's semifinals, while top-seeded and No. 1 Maryknoll used is length to dominate No. 7 Waiakea, 75-40 in the other.

"Well, that's what we said last year," Maryknoll coach Chico Furtado on his thoughts if his team could break through this year. "We still gotta go play. That Kona team, they're always getting better by the end of the year."

"I'm excited," Konawaena co-coach Bobbie Awa said of a return to the title game.

The Wildcats beat the Spartans 44-34 in 2016 and 53-48 in 2017 in the past two title games. Konawaena is shooting for its ninth crown, while Maryknoll is seeking its first since 1978, when it won its second title in a row in the first two years of the state tournament.

Maryknoll beat Konawaena on Nov. 11, 56-37, in the McKinley preseason tournament.

Maryknoll's starting lineup celebrates after a big play by one of the Spartans' reserves.

Maryknoll 75, Waiakea 40
The taller Spartans cleared their bench — all 12 reserve players saw action — in a dominating win against the under-sized Warriors, who played 12 of their 13 players.

No Spartan played more than 20 minutes thanks to an early commanding leads of 11-3 after the first and 31-9 at the half.

Maryknoll's length was a noticeable factor, outrebounding Waiakea, 48-27. Isabella Cravens had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. She was among three Spartans scoring in double digits. Kamalu Kamakawiwoole led with 19 points, Moe Notoa added 12. Kamakawiwoole was a force on defense with three blocks and four steals to go along with her seven rebounds (three on defense).

Zaelynn Lui-Cabinatan led the Warriors with 11 points.

Maryknoll never trailed in the game. The Warriors did not make a field goal until 22 seconds into the second period on a pull-up jumper by Kelsie Imai.

Furtado is banking on his rested starters being fresher than the heavily-used Wildcats, who are used to ironwoman basketball.

"I hope so," Furtado said of his rested personnel. "I thought the pace of our game was heavier than theirs (the Wildcats). The Kona-Lahaina game was a little more deliberate. They did a lot of half-court sets. Ours was was kind of up and down. We like to push tempo. We have a lot of depth, so we'll see."


Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].




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