Konawaena senior Braelyn Kauhi puts up a shot from the top of the key in the second half against Kamehameha. Michael Lasquero | SL

×

_23020335_GBKB-2.2.23-KSKvsKONA-3779.jpg - Michael Lasquero | SL

Purchase this image
4x5 5x7 8x10 image download

Don't count out these cats just yet.

Konawaena increased its scoring output in every quarter to rally past Kamehameha Thursday night in the semifinals of the Heide & Cook Division I Girls Basketball Championships at McKinley's Student Council Gymnasium.

Braelyn Kauhi led the Wildcats in scoring with 12 points to help punch the Wildcats' ticket into Friday's title game against reigning champion Iolani at the SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center.

The senior forward scored the team's first five points and nailed a corner triple in the third quarter to give Konawaena the lead for good, but it was a total team effort by the Wildcats as they rallied from a 10-point deficit.

Starting two freshmen and bringing three more off the bench, Konawaena got contributions from across the board in its comeback win.

Haikela Hiraishi was solid all-around with nine points, four rebounds and four assists. Leleiwi Kaanoipua also scored nine points off the bench and was active in the paint on the defensive end. Angelie Molina knocked down back-to-back triples to get the Wildcats back into the game after facing a 21-11 deficit in the second quarter and she also scored on a putback to give the team a brief 26-25 lead.

Kaylie Yamasaki also knocked down a corner triple and gave solid defense on the perimeter, Alexa Meyer scored five points and Katie Galletes had a pair of assists to go with four rebounds and the team's lone block.

"A total team effort from everybody that went in there," said Konawaena co-head coach Bobbie Awa. "Just a team win, we just needed to pick it up on defense and they did."

Konawaena trailed 25-21 at the break before outscoring the Warriors, 13 to 4, in a momentum-shifting third quarter.

The biggest difference was the Wildcats defensive adjustments on Kamehameha center Nihoaokealii Dunn, who scored 10 points in the first half but only had one basket in the second half, which came with 1:23 left in regulation.

"She was definitely a big threat in the beginning of the first half," Kauhi said of Dunn. "Our goal was to make it hard for her to score, make it more difficult to get the ball because we knew she was a big threat so we just tried to isolate her from the equation."

Dunn led the Warriors in the loss with 12 points and 13 rebounds while Kya Kanoho followed with 11 points, four assists and three steals.