Konawaena players pose for a team picture after claiming the Iolani Girls Prep Classic title with a win over Bishop O'Dowd. CJ Caraang | SL

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Konawaena's Chanelle Molina scored a team-high 24 points to help lead the Wildcats to a win over Bishop O'Dowd in the title game of the Iolani Girls Prep Classic. Molina was also named the tournament's most valuable player. CJ Caraang | SL

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Sat, Dec 12, 2015 @ Iolani

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Bishop O'Dowd

50

Konawaena

62

Final	1	2	3	4
Bishop O'Dowd	11	20	6	13	50
Konawaena (26-1, 26-1)	25	14	6	17	62

SEASON LEADERS

Cherilyn Molina 16.2 ppg  15 3pm  78.1 FT%

Maya Pace 13.7 ppg  57.9 FT%

Chanelle Molina notched another milestone in her already illustrious prep basketball career.

Molina scored 22 points to lead Konawaena to a 60-52 win over Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) in the title game of the ninth annual Iolani Girls Prep Classic Saturday night.

The game was a battle of star players as the Washington State-bound Molina — a two-time All-Hawaii Division I Player of the Year — went toe-to-toe with the Bishop O'Dowd's Maya Pace, who finished with game-highs of 24 points and nine rebounds.

Molina, who was named tournament MVP, scored 13 points in the first quarter and had 17 by halftime. Pace kept pace with 16 by intermission. In the end, however, it was the Wildcats who pulled away in the fourth quarter.

"It's just feeling of accomplishment," Molina said. "We worked so hard."

It is the second Iolani Classic crown for the Wildcats, who also won the 2011 tournament. No other team from Hawaii has won the eight-team tournament.

A year ago, they reached the title game only to fall short against St. Mary's (Stockton, Calif.) — a team that is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation.

"From last year we learned a lot, to step up our game, because this is a different level playing these teams so it's just that feeling of accomplishment. It's really humbling and very exciting for this win," Molina said.

Konawaena ultimately rebounded from the loss to St. Mary's a season ago and went on to win its sixth state title in school history and first since 2012. Still, winning the Iolani Classic was a first for this bunch of girls.

"It feels good," Wildcats coach Bobbie Awa said. "That's what we come over for every year, right? We come over and we want to play good competition and that's what we got over here. We got three good games, but you always come over to win."

Konawaena's road to the final started with a 75-22 rout of Mililani in a quarterfinal Thursday and continued with a 62-48 win over South Medford (Ore.) in Friday's semifinal round.

Molina averaged 24.7 points in three tournament games. She was one of four Wildcats named to the all-tournament team. The others were Ihi Victor and sisters, Cherilyn and Celena Molina.

Victor and Cherilyn Molina added 13 points apiece against Bishop O'Dowd. Celena Molina had nine rebounds.

The game couldn't have started any better for the Wildcats, who scored on all but four of their first-quarter possessions. They led 25-11 after the opening period.

O'Dowd used a trapping defense early in the second quarter to slowdown Konawaena and cut a16-point deficit to six on a Pace jumper late in the second quarter.

"We got them out of their rhythm," Dragons coach Malik McCord said. "We got out of it when we started giving up easy buckets. Easy buckets killed us and the rebounding as well, because they got three and four chances at shots."

Konawaena held a 39-31 halftime lead and a 45-37 advantage after three quarters, but opened the final quarter on a 9-2 run that was capped by a Victor bucket off a feed from Cherilyn Molina that made the score, 54-39.

"We just had to play smarter," Chanelle Molina said. "That's always our game plan going into the game, is just to play smarter and outsmart the other team and just play good defense, box out and make those simple plays that helps us save our legs."

Pace scored four straight points, including a three-point play, to pull the Dragons to within 56-47, but they got no closer.

McCord said his team showed some fight in the second half, but didn't take care of the ball enough to give itself a chance.

"We spotted them like 25 points (in the first quarter), but I wasn't worried about coming back — I think we had it down to about eight (points) at halftime — but just a lack of being consistent," McCord said. "We'd make runs, get close and then we'd make turnovers, so it was something to really just learn from. I'm proud of the kids and how they played, but we can definitely build on it."

Mayla Andrada contributed 10 points and Zakiya Mahoney added seven for Bishop O'Dowd, which won the Division III state title in California last year.

Konawaena will return to the Big Island for a pair of regular-season games before traveling to the East coast to participate in the Title IX Tournament, Dec. 27-30 in Washington, D.C.

THIRD-PLACE FINAL
South Medford (Ore.) 74, Iolani 63: Juli Tago scored 21 points, Jasmin Falls 20, Lauren Orndoff 19 and Hannah Washington 11 to lead the Lady Panthers. Brooke Maeda had 11 points and Kawai Kahalehoe 10 for the Raiders.

FIFTH-PLACE FINAL
Lahainaluna 61, Mililani 35: Fiamea Hafoka scored 16 points, Cameron Fernandez 15 and Keleah Aiko Koloi 12 as the Lunas cruised. Kayla Torres had eight points for the Trojans.

SEVENTH-PLACE FINAL
Punahou 38, Radford 30: Abby Aplaca scored 12 to pace the Buffanblu, who also got nine points from Elle Uyeda and six from Tyra Moe. Kyle Johnson had 17 points to lead the Rams.