The Falcons' junior post and Na Menehune's senior forward had big games to help position their respective teams for the postseason. ScoringLive photo illustration

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Female Athlete of the Week: Logan Luke, Kalani basketball 
As the starting post for the Kalani Falcons girls basketball team, it was only fitting that Logan Luke came up big in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II championship game last Thursday night.

The three-year varsity junior scored a career-high 19 points on 8-for-15 shooting and added three assists and three steals to help the Falcons run past Moanalua, 66-49, for the team's fourth league title. It was also the program's first championship since 2009. 

While the Falcons' system is predicated on balance, Kalani coach Chi Mok said that Luke took it upon herself to have a big game. 

"I could tell that she wanted this (win)." said Mok. "In the past couple of game she kind of stepped back and got her teammates involved versus herself, but this game she took over." 

It wasn't like Luke was calling for the ball either. The Falcons were still true to their system and had three other players finish in double figures while having eight total players register at least one assist. 

Luke was fluid in the team's offense, making most of the opportunities that were presented to her. The junior post even took a shot that was outside of her comfort zone that was still within the team's system. 

"Logan hit a big 3-pointer in the beginning of the game for us and that's not her game that she she shot, but that's our mentality. If you're open you take it," said Mok.

Luke, who is 5-foot-8, added that she didn't want her team's hard work to come in vain. 

"My mindset was my team has been working so hard for this so I didn't want to let them down," she said. "We all wanted this really bad."

Luke's performance in the OIA D2 championship extends farther than what the box score indicates. The junior post played the most minutes for the run-and-gun Falcons and drew the toughest defensive assignment in Moanalua's Delylah Sanerivi, a 5-foot-10 center that averages 12 points per game.

"She's our workhorse," Mok said of Luke.

In preparation for the matchup, Mok brought in Farrington alumna Janelle Nance to help Luke bang in the post against a bigger body in practice.

"Coach brought in a 6-foot-1 girl and had me practicing blocking, denying and fronting everything to get me ready for this game," said Luke.

While Sanerivi still had a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds, Luke's defense and the Falcons' full court press made the Moanalua offense work hard just to get quality shot attempts. Because of this, Na Menehune had little energy remaining on defense — especially in the second half.

"We were getting tired as far as our defense on the other end with our bigs and man (defense)," said Moanalua coach Tani Almont-Done. "We were having a hard time on the other end."

With most of the Moanalua players tired out, Kalani was able to turn a three-point halftime lead into a 17-point victory.

"During halftime, we went in there and our coaches said all we have left is heart," said Luke. "This is what we wanted since day one and we just went out there and pushed as hard as we could." 

Luke and the Falcons will host the winner between Kauai and Kohala in the Snapple/HHSAA Division II quarterfinals Thursday night at 5 p.m.

-Michael Lasquero

Male Athlete of the Week: RJ Dominguez, Moanalua basketball
RJ Dominguez's senior season has been a coming of age for the Moanalua hoopster.

Dominguez, a 6-foot-1 post player, is averaging a team-best 14.9 points per game in league play, which ranks him sixth amongst Division I players in the Oahu Interscholastic Association and third in the Eastern Division.

By all accounts, Dominguez's third varsity season has been his best on the hardwood, but his coach sees the most growth in Dominguez in his maturation between the ears.

"I would say his maturity, frankly," Moanalua coach Byron Mello said. "His level of focus this year is incredible and his ability to stay on task and get his teammates to stay on task, that's true leadership."

Dominguez led Na Menehune to a pair of much-needed wins last week over Kalani and Kaimuki to snap a four-game losing streak. He scored 15 points in Wednesday's 53-46 win over the Falcons and topped that with a 17-point showing in a Friday's 63-51 win over the Bulldogs. Both were game-high marks.

"In that Kalani game we were able to get a lead and maintain the lead throughout the game, and that's something new for us," Mello said. "We tended to be very peak-and-valley, but over the last two games we showed some really good consistency as far as being able to take a lead, build it and maintain it and then fight off runs that Kalani and Kaimuki made on us and RJ was a really big part of that. He made timely baskets, grabbed timely rebounds, made shots when we needed them and made free throws."

Consistency can also describe Dominguez's scoring output this season. He has scored in double digits in all but one of Moanalua's 11 regular-season games, including a season-high 24 points against McKinley on Jan. 19.

"He's been absolutely terrific this year, not just from what he's done on the court, but also the leadership and maturity he's showing as a captain," Mello said. "Everything has come together nicely for him his senior year. He's worked hard. Other than one bad game against Kahuku, he's been scoring 12 to 20 points for us — consistently somewhere in that range — rebounding and playing defense and doing everything that he's been asked to do."

While Dominguez might seem to be overmatched by taller bigs in the paint, don't let his size fool you, Mello said.

"When we get the ball to him in the post, he has so many different finishes and so many different moves that he's comfortable using so he's extremely tough to stop and he's undersized, but for a guy 6-1 he's incredible in the post," Mello said. "He's 6-1 on a good day, but he plays like he's 6-5 or 6-6."

Mello said that he first noted Dominguez's growth in maturity during summer league.

"His transformation really started in the summer. That's when I noticed his change in his play and demeanor," Mello said. "I think in the summer he realized he's a senior now and a big part of this team and that success is really important to him and leading by example was something that he really took to heart. He's everything you'd want a senior leader to be. I expected a lot out of him and I'm pleasantly surprised; I think he's delivered more than I expected."

Still, Dominguez can keep it light at times, too.

"He's fun loving, he's a little bit of a goofball — but in a good way — and some of the stuff that comes out of his mouth is pretty darn hilarious; He just cracks me up," Mello said. "He's been great to be around. I'm going to miss him next year, i really am."

Moanalua (6-5) won four of its first five regular-season games before dropping four straight in a rigorous two-week stretch that was made up of Kahuku, Kalaheo, Kailua and McKinley.

With the OIA tournament getting underway this week, Mello said the wins over Kalani and Kaimuki provided a boost in team morale at just the right time.

"It was huge, because we not only wanted to get into the playoffs, but we wanted to get into the playoffs with a winning record and 6-5 is a hell of a lot better than 5-6," said Mello, whose team finished sixth in the D1 East.

Dominguez and Na Menehune will visit West third seed Mililani (7-3) in a first-round game Thursday.

-Kalani Takase

BOYS BASKETBALL
Jake Arakawa, Island Pacific — Scored 24 points in a loss to Hawaiian Mission

Trey Boatwright, Leilehua — Scored 19 points in a win over Waipahu

Carlos Brown, Nanakuli — Scored 20 points in a win over Pearl City and scored 17 points in a win over Waipahu

Ja'Shon Carter, Kapolei — Scored 23 points in a win over Leilehua

Kevin Falk, Honokaa — Scored 17 points in a win over Keaau

Mark Francisco, Kohala — Scored 30 points in a win over Pahoa

Frederick Harris, Christian Academy — Scored 40 points in a win over Hawaiian Mission

Cameron Henry, Mililani — Scored 21 points in a win over Waialua

Jonah Hurney, Hawaii Prep — Scored 22 points in a win over Hilo

Micah Jio, Maui — Scored 19 points in a win over Kamehameha-Maui

Bryce Johnson-Cormack, Kauai — Scored 19 points in a win over Waimea

Abraham Kalavi, Kealakehe — Scored 20 points in a loss to Kamehameha-Hawaii

Kanehoalani Kalua, Anuenue — Scored 18 points in a loss to Kalaheo

Jodie Kim, Iolani II — Scored 18 points in a win over Maryknoll II

Reid Kim, Hawaiian Mission — Scored 21 points in a win over Island Pacific

Chris Kobayashi, Punahou — Scored 19 points in a win over Saint Louis and scored 24 points in a loss to Maryknoll

Shaun Kojima, Waiakea — Scored 17 points in a win over Honokaa

Lancen Kuni, Waialua — Scored 30 points in a loss to Mililani

Isaac Liu, Hilo — Scored 29 points in a loss to Hawaii Prep

Calvin Mattos, Waiakea — Scored 21 points in a win over Kohala and scored 19 points in a win over Honokaa

Douglas Mitchell, Waianae — Scored 25 points in a loss to Mililani

Elton Naki, Castle — Scored 28 points in a loss to Farrington

Zoar Nedd, Kapolei — Scored 19 points in a win over Radford

Kameron Ng, Saint Francis — Scored 28 points in a win over Damien

Jaymason Nunuha, Saint Louis — Scored 17 points in a loss to Iolani

D.J. Pabre, Waimea — Scored 23 points in a loss to Kauai

Jordan Pender, Radford — Scored 19 points in a loss to Kapolei

Austin Peters, Kamehameha-Maui — Scored 17 points in a loss to Maui

Kaleo Pogue, Mililani — Scored 24 points in a win over Waianae

Zion Shepherd, Mid-Pacific — Scored 20 points in a loss to Kamehameha

Ryan Shin, Maryknoll II — Scored 19 points in a loss to Kamehameha II

Ikaika Soderberg, Castle — Scored 18 points in a loss to Kaiser

Jalen Smith, Saint Louis — Scored 21 points in a loss to Punahou

Jason Talbo, Roosevelt — Scored 17 points in a loss to Kailua

Jessiya Villa, Kahuku — Scored 25 points in a win over Kaimuki and scored 24 points in a win over Anuenue

Mark Viloria, Kahuku — Scored 22 points in a win over Anuenue

Matija Vitorovic, Hawaii Prep — Scored 19 points in a win over Hilo

Captain Whitlock, Kalaheo — Scored 17 points in a win over Anuenue and scored 24 points in a win over McKinley

Kobe Young, Kamehameha — Scored 23 points in a loss to Punahou

David Zimmerman, Assets — Scored 17 points in a win over Christian Academy

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Antoinette Agmata, Baldwin — Scored 20 points in a win over King Kekaulike

Brittni Blake, Kahuku — Scored 15 points in a win over Nanakuli

Kyra Cambra, Seabury Hall — Scored 18 points in a win over Molokai

Braeanna Estabillo, Lahainaluna — Scored 16 points in a win over Kamehameha-Maui

Molimau Heimuli, Farrington — Scored 20 points in a win over Leilehua and scored 22 points in a win over Kaimuki

Wainana Kalalau, Kamehameha II — Scored 21 points in a loss to Iolani II

Kamaile Kandiah, Punahou — Scored 20 points in a loss to Maryknoll

Taegan Keep, Kauai — Scored 21 points in a win over Kapaa

Victoria Kintz, Kaimuki — Scored 16 points in a win over Mililani and scored 23 points in a loss to Farrington

Faith Lee, Hanalani — Scored 19 points in a win over University Lab

Mikiala Maio, Kamehameha — Scored 24 points in a win over Iolani

Chayse Milne, Maryknoll — Scored 15 points in a win over Punahou

Selene Mizusawa, Iolani II — Scored 19 points in a win over Kamehameha II

Shania Nakamura, Damien — Scored 23 points in a win over Hanalani

Kalina Obrey, Kamehameha — Scored 17 points with 13 rebounds in a win over Iolani

Ashley Peralta, Kamehameha-Maui — Scored 16 points in a loss to Lahainaluna

Dahlis Sablay, Mililani — Scored 18 points in a loss to Kaimuki

Keila Tsutsui, Hanalani — Scored 20 points in a win over University Lab and scored 18 points in a loss to Damien

Taylor Wu, Iolani — Scored 18 points in a loss to Kamehameha

BOYS SOCCER
Tyle Alabanza, Aiea — Scored two goals in a loss to Farrington

Eric Aquino, Kapolei — Scored the lone goal in a win over Mililani

Jacob Curran, Campbell — Scored two goals in a win over Moanalua

Jonathan DeMotta, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored two goals in a win over Hilo

Tate Ebel, Waianae — Scored two goals in a win over McKinley

Tyler Ebisuya, Iolani — Scored two goals in a win over Mid-Pacific

Nahoa Foster, Baldwin — Scored the lone goal in a win over Lahainaluna

Nathen Fuluvaka, Kahuku — Scored two goals in a win over Waipahu

Skyler Goo, Saint Louis — Scored two goals in a win over Mid-Pacific

Garrison Lee, Kapolei — Scored the lone goal in a win over Kaiser

Noah Mokulehua, Kaiser — Scored two goals in a win over Kalani

Dylen Pedrina, Kailua — Scored two goals in a win over Waianae

Truman Spring, Kahuku — Scored two goals in a win over Waipahu

Cody Taniguchi, Waimea — Scored the lone goal in a win over Island School

Coe Trevorrow, PAC-5 — Scored the lone goal in a win over Saint Louis

Noah Williams, Punahou — Scored two goals in a win over PAC-5

Daniel Woo, Pearl City — Scored three goals in a win over Castle

Sean Yoshida, Kapolei — Scored four goals in a win over Kahuku

GIRLS SOCCER
Kiara Cuyo, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored two goals in a win over Honokaa

Hevani Haunga, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored two goals in a win over Honokaa

Emi Higgins, Hawaii Prep — Scored the lone goal in a win over Kamehameha-Hawaii

Kiana Serrao, Waiakea — Scored three goals in a win over Konawaena

Akari Shimizu, Makua Lani — Scored two goals in a win over Honokaa