High school basketball: Konawaena girls claim Iolani Classic

If there is such a thing as unfinished business after a state championship season, Konawaena took care of it on Saturday night.

Chanelle Molina scored a game-high 21 points to help the Wildcats outlast Bishop O’Dowd (California) 62-50 in the title game of the Iolani Classic. Konawaena finished second in the tourney last season en route to a state championship.

It is Konawaena’s second title at the Iolani Classic. The Wildcats also won the tournament in 2011.

As usual, Chanelle Molina filled out the box score against the Dragons with seven steals, six rebounds and four assists. Mercedes “Ihi” Victor also contributed a well-rounded game, with 15 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Maya Pace led Bishop O’Dowd with 21 points and nine boards.

Chanelle Molina was named the MVP, with teammates Cherilyn Molina, Celena Molina and Ihi Victor earning all-tournament honors.

Konawaena opened up the game with a 25-11 advantage after the first quarter, but with just eight on the roster, fatigue played an issue in the second half — especially after playing on three consecutive nights on the road. The Dragons would pull as close as nine points, but the Wildcats pushed the pace in the fourth quarter to pull away for the win.

Konawaena doesn’t like to talk too much about it, but the team is already garnering a large amount of national attention. MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Girls Basketball Rankings already have the girls from Kealakekua pegged as the No. 9 team in the nation. That ranking will likely improve with the team’s performance at the Iolani tournament.

Konawaena travels to the Title IX tournament in Washington D.C. next week to face another tough slate of games against very strong competition.