After slow start, Mililani runs off Leilehua, 48-30

Mililani sophomore guard Dahlis Sablay tries to get past Leilehua's Kimberly Owens in the first quarter. Michael Lasquero | SL

WAHIAWA — Mililani overcame an early deficit with a 16-0 run to turn back Leilehua, 48-30, in its Oahu Interscholastic Association Western Division season opener Thursday night at Paul T. Kobayashi Gymnasium & Richard Townsend Court.

Kalena Gibson led the Trojans (1-0) with 14 points, while Kimberly Owens paced the Mules (0-1) with 11.

"Great start," said sophomore guard Dahlis Sablay, the Trojans' second-leading scorer with 10 points and three steals. "We'd like to show everyone that we're ready to come out and play this year."

Great start overall, but not at the outset.

The Trojans fell behind 7-2 in the first six minutes of the game, but scored seven points — five by Gibson - in the last two minutes of the first quarter and the first nine points of the second in taking a commanding 18-7 lead. The Mules closed to 18-9 after two Owens free throws with 4:43 in the half, but Mililani followed with a 6-0 run and maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the game.

"I think there was a little jitters in the beginning," Trojans' acting coach Daryl Kawamoto said. "First OIA game, away from home. But after we regained our composure, ran some of our presses, I guess they kind of got into the flow of the game."

The Trojans' press was the dam that slowed the Mules' early flow. Mililani scored off of two steals to bounce back from the 7-2 deficit.

"They pressured us and we just fell apart," said Mules' first-year coach Conrad Shidaki. "They didn't do what we told them to do. We ran the 21 the whole practice and when they came out, it's like they fell apart, but my team is young so I can understand that. Most of them never really played basketball."

The Mules also were without 5-foot-9 Kaylen Kamelamela, who injured an ankle at practice.

"Not having Kamelamela for them is a big thing for (Leilehua)," Kawamoto said. "But that's a good team they have there."

Also hurting the Mules was 5-7 forward Asia Castillo drawing foul trouble in the second half. She had two 3-pointers, the only ones made by Leilehua.

The Trojans also had a height advantage with 6-2 center Cheyenne Ardona, who had six points, seven rebounds and a blocked shot. Jailah Bowen also had seven rebounds for the Trojans.

The new OIA season also featured coaching debuts.

Shidaki, as assistant the past four years, took over for Elroy Dumlao.

"He told me he was going to take one year off," Shidaki said of Dumlao. "I hope so (that he comes back). I don't know, but I hope so."

Shidaki had been coaching at Iolani before Dumlao asked him to join the staff. Shidaki was a star player at Pearl City and later Hawaii Pacific College (now HPU).

Kawamoto, the JV coach, served as varsity coach for Patrick Basilio, who coached part of the preseason before leaving for personal reasons, Mililani athletic director Glenn Nitta said.

"Coach Francis (Dagan, a varsity assistant) had to work today, so it kind of went down the line and I kind of got stuck with it, but these girls are pretty good; they can do stuff on their own. They're smart enough. Just give'em a little guidance here and there. Going from the JV to the varsity level is a big step. (At JV), we don't have all these plays and sets that (the varsity) has, so we're slowly learning."

Kawamoto characterized his position as "acting coach for today. We'll see how it goes."

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].