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


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

Konawaena's Mikayla Tablit and Maryknoll's Kamalu Kamakawiwoole led their respective teams to victory in the semifinals. CJ Caraang | SL

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.


Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].