HHSAA Girls Basketball
Konawaena makes it four titles in a row


Stacy Kaneshiro | ScoringLive
February 4, 2018, 1:09am

  


Sat, Feb 3, 2018 @ Blaisdell

Konawaena

47

Maryknoll

32

Final 1 2 3 4  
Konawaena (12-0, 26-2) 10 792147
Maryknoll (12-0, 28-3) 15 7 0 1032
B. Cravens 11 pts  3/4 FTs
C. Molina 22 pts  1 3pm  13/18 FTs
B. Cravens 15 tot  6 off  9 def
C. Molina 8 tot  1 off  7 def

KAKAAKO — No. 3 Konawaena overcame a five-point halftime deficit to beat No. 1 and top-seeded Maryknoll, 47-32, Saturday night to become the second team to capture four consecutive Snapple/HHSAA Division I Girls Basketball State Championships.

A Blaisdell Arena crowd of about 1,400 watched the third-seeded Wildcats (26-2) match Kamehameha's reign from 1990–1993 under then-coach Al Apo by outscoring the Spartans, 30-10, in the second half to complete an all-Big Island title sweep. Earlier, Kamehameha-Hawaii beat Saint Francis for the Division II crown.

"It's awesome," Konawaena co-coach Bobbie Awa said of the record-tying feat. "It brought tears to my eyes. I'm so proud of the girls."

Konawaena's ninth overall crown was the third consecutive year it had beaten Maryknoll in the finale.

"The feeling is amazing, you can't really describe it," said senior guard Mikayla Tablit, who had 15 points and seven rebounds. "Playing with my team, having the same chemistry, the many years building it and just playing together. There's no words to describe this."

Senior Cherilyn Molina capped a brilliant career with 22 points and team-leading eight rebounds in playing the full 32 minutes, along with Tablit, Tanniya Uchida and Kawena Kaohimaunu.

Molina, the youngest sister of Chanelle and Celena Jane, can boast to her older siblings of her four state titles.

"I was going to rub it in their face because they never had the opporunity to do it," joked Cherilyn. "Me and my team worked hard, so it's not just me that made this happen. We all played as a team and just brought this win."

Maryknoll's 6-foot-1 center Bella Cravens pulled a double-double with a team-high 11 points and 15 rebounds.

The Spartans (28-3) took a 22-17 lead into the half, but were blanked in the third period. In fact, they did not convert a field goal until 1:25 left in the game on a Dakota Viena dribble drive.

Cherilyn Molina ignited the second-half comeback with a dribble drive basket to cut the Wildcats' deficit to three. Then with 4:55 left in the third, Caiyle Kaupu drained a three-point basket to tie the game at 22. Konawaena took the lead for good with 4:24 left when Cherilyn Molina made one of two free throws. She completed the 9-0 run in the third quarter with a three-point shot to make it 26-22.

Cravens made two free throws early in the fourth to pull the Spartans to 26-24, but the Wildcats responded with an 8-0 run to take a 10-point lead. Rhianne Omori made one of two free throws with 3:45 left, but that was the last time Maryknoll cut its deficit to single digits. The Wildcats scored their final 13 points on free throws, a point of contention for Maryknoll coach Chico Furtado.

Snapple/HHSAA Girls Basketball State Championships Division I All-Tournament Team
as selected by the media and HHSAA

Caiyle Kaupu, Konawaena
Isabella Cravens, Maryknoll
Mikayla Tablit, Konwaena
Kamalu Kamakawiwoole, Maryknoll
Susitina Namoa, Lahainaluna

Most Outstanding Player: Cherilyn Molina, Konawaena

"I've been doing this for so long and this is the most one-sided officiating I've seen," Furtado said. "We get mugged and hammered constantly around the bucket and nothing gets called. Take nothing away from Konawaena. Kona's a great program, a great team, but we come out and get called for this and we get hammered here."

What Furtado was referring to was the 24 fouls against his team to Konawaena's 13. He also emphasized the four-times as many free throw attempts by Konawaena (24 of 32 to Maryknoll's 5 of 8).

"Every category we beat 'em," Furtado continued. "We outscore them here (more field goals, 15-13), we tie 'em here (three 3-pointers), we have less turnovers, we have more assists. Everything in the stat sheet, except we cannot win when we cannot guard the free-throw line 32 times."

Furtado also referred the margin of victory by Konawaena's 24 free throws made to Maryknoll's five.

Maryknoll had two players foul out, including Cravens and sixth player Ysabelle Halemano, who played 13 minutes.

One category the Wildcats led were in rebounds, 30-26. Whlle the shorter Wildcats did not have the reach of Cravens or the 5-10 Kamalu Kamakawiwoole, Konawaena scrambled missed shots that hit the floor or just had better positioning.

"I guess we played with more heart," Cherilyn Molina said. "We really wanted this game because they beat us before in preseason by 19 (56-37 at the McKinley Black and Gold Classic). It was just not giving up on any play, hustling for every ball on the ground, giving it 110 percent."

She added that her team was able to draw the fouls by constantly attacking the Spartans' defense.

"They didn't know they had the advantage over us because we're small and they're all bigs," Cherilyn Molina continued. "They kept shooting outside and we kept attacking and getting those fouls and going on the free-throw line. When there's a lane, attack it, penetrate, if not, kick out and not force any shots."

And the Wildcats accomplished their feat with little rest. But they are used to playing full games.

"Every day we run a set of lines and we have to keep running," Tablit said. "We have to make our free throws for water. If we don't make it, we have to keep running. But if you have the love for it, the running doesn't matter. If you have passion for the game, the running shouldn't matter."

The Wildcats lose three players — Tablit, Molina and Kaohimaunu — to graduation, leaving six underclassmen expected to return. The small roster is not be design, Awa said.

"I think in all my years as coach, I've cut once," Awa said. "I'm not really sure why kids don't come out. I think if you haven't played before, I think it's intimidating when they come on the court with very experienced players. I think that's the reason."

Awa added that Konawaena managed to field a JV team this year, so there may be some depth for the varsity in the future.

As to when Awa will turn the reins over to her daughter, co-coach Dawnyelle, that remains to be seen.

"Whenever she's ready," Bobbie Awa said of her Dawnyelle. "She's not ready, yet, she told me. I told her whenever she wants the reins."


Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].




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