ALIAMANU – The Roosevelt Rough Riders continued their quest for a league title with a overwhelming 23-point win over the Kailua in an Oahu Interscholastic Association semifinal game at Radford’s Jim Alegre Gymnasium Saturday night.

Roosevelt, ranked No. 3 in the ScoringLive/OC16 Girls Basketball Power Rankings, controlled the pace from the start of the game, culminating in a 71-48 victory over the Surfriders. With the win, the Rough Riders will take part in their first OIA Red Division championship game since 2010. They last won the league title in 2007.

“It feels great,” said Roosevelt coach Hidano Higa. “We fell short last year (in the playoffs) so it’s good to get back. We’re a getting a step closer to where we want to be.” 

The victory also extends the Rough Riders win streak to 12, a streak that dates back to the start of the OIA Eastern Division regular season. Roosevelt has been red-hot ever since, winning their games by an average of 29.9 points per game.

Leading the way for the East’s top-seeded team was Devyn Kauhi. The 5-foot-10 senior guard finished with 16 points, six rebounds, three assists and six steals.

“Devyn’s been leading us in rebounding, defensively she gets blocks and steals. We’ve never had a player that can kind of jump out of the gym,” Higa said on Kauhi. “The bonus part tonight was that she scored a lot for us.”

Roosevelt’s defensive intensity was dominant all night long, causing Kailua to commit 28 turnovers. Rough Riders’ were very active with their hands and their man-to-man defense, helping them to accumulate 15 steals.

“Defensively we wanted to take the ball out of the point guard’s hands, she makes everything happen for them – as well as denying (Taufau) Williams the ball from attacking the basket,” Higa said on their defensive game plan.

The Rough Riders also defended the perimeter well, limiting Kailua to just one made 3-pointer on eight attempts.

“We practiced a lot about or defense and how we just need to flow and cover every part of the court and leave nothing open,” Kauhi said.

Ball movement was also a key factor in the Rough Riders’ victory. Roosevelt spread the floor really well, resulting in 13 assists on 28 made field goals. Junior guard Starr Rivera led the effort with four assists. 

“We have a lot of girls that can play inside and outside, we’ll run the floor,” said Higa. “A key actually is spacing for us, being able to move the ball so the defense moves with us so hopefully we catch them off guard one way or another.”

Another contributing element in Roosevelt’s win was the strong effort off the Rough Riders’ bench. Leading the bench effort was forward Tatiana Mariano who scored 13 of the reserves’ 26 points. She also added five rebounds with an assist, a steal and a blocked shot. 

“She’s coming back from a shoulder injury, she’s missed half of the regular season,” Higa said on Mariano. “With her (in) there, that just gives us a deeper bench. She gives us energy out there, (communication) and knowledge of basketball. She’s a big presence for us.”

Despite having to sit point guard Sharice Kawakami with two quick fouls in the first minute, the Rough Riders manage to take an 18-10 lead after the first quarter. The Rough Riders also forced 11 Kailua turnovers in the period. 

Roosevelt continued their blistering pace in the second quarter, even doubling up the score on the Surfriders, 42-21, heading into the break. Their unselfish ball movement enabled the Rough Riders to convert on 54.8 percent of their shot attempts in the first half. 

“It’s been up and down throughout the season so I’m glad it did happen tonight,” Higa said on their field goal percentages. “We’re hoping it does carry over to the championship game.

Kailua had no answer for Roosevelt in the second half and the Rough Riders were able cruise the rest of the way for a 71-48 rout.

Leading Kailua in the loss was Tara Takata who finished with 13 points, three rebounds and two assists. Taufau Williams also added 12 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals for the Surfriders.

Roosevelt will take on the Mililani, the West's No. 1 seeded team, in the OIA Red championship game on Jan. 29. The Trojans defeated Moanalua later the same evening, 60-53.