When February rolls around, it’s BIIF dynasty time at the HHSAA level.
When February rolls around, it’s BIIF dynasty time at the HHSAA level.
Count on one thing: a BIIF team or two or three will be in the hunt for a state championship at either the girls basketball or soccer tournaments or both.
No surprise, the Konawaena Hoops Dynasty will be shooting for its third straight Division I title, making its seventh championship appearance in the last eight years.
The Wildcats flattened Kamehameha-Kapalama 51-31 in the semifinals Friday night at Neal Blaisdell Center in a statewide broadcast game on OC16.
No. 1 seed Konawaena (14-0) plays No. 2 Maryknoll (15-1) in a championship rematch at 7 p.m. Saturday. The game will be broadcast on OC16, channel 12.
The Green Big Three did the job again.
Cherilyn Molina scored a game-high 16 points on 6 of 11 shooting, including 2 of 3 from beyond the arc.
Fellow Wildcat junior guard Mikayla Tablit was another perimeter threat with 14 points on 6 of 12 shooting.
Senior forward Celena Molina had 14 points on 6 of 10 shooting and the two Molina sisters each had seven rebounds.
Konawaena shot a blistering 54 percent (21 of 39) from the field, and its only blemish was free throw shooting: 6 of 12.
Mikala Maio scored 13 points and Kalina Obrey 11 to lead the Warriors (12-6), the ILH runner-up, who shot 32 percent (11 of 34) from the floor.
During the Wildcats’ eight-year run, the only time they didn’t make the state final was in 2014 when Punahou beat Lahainaluna for the title.
In the other semifinal, the Spartans defeated the Lunas 62-49 behind 5-foot-9 sophomore forward Kamalu Kamakawiwo’ole’s 20 points and junior guard Rhianne Omori’s 18 points.
Maryknoll, the three-time ILH champion, has never won the state title but finished second last year to Konawaena (44-34) and third in 2015.
The Wildcats, the nine-time BIIF champion, has made 19 state appearances, including 16 under coach Bobbie Awa, who brought home titles in 2004, ’07, ’09, ’11, ’12, ’15, and ’16.
A three-peat hangs is up for grabs, but a rising group of promising Spartans stand in the way.
While Konawaena has pocketed seven state crowns in 13 years, a 54 percent return rate, the BIIF has been nearly as dominant on the small-school side.
KS-Kapalama 5 4 10 12 — 31
Konawaena 11 17 10 13 — 51
Division II
Kamehameha-Hawaii 47, Saint Francis 36
At Kalani High’s gym, freshman guard Nikki Pacheco scored 16 points and junior guard Saydee Aganus had 10 points for the Warriors (9-3), last season’s state runner-up to Hawaii Baptist.
The two-time BIIF champs also got their bigs involved in the scoring balance. Taylor Sullivan added nine points and Mackenzie Kalawaia had seven points.
Kamehameha did a defensive number on 6-foot senior center Olivia Vaeatangitau, who scored 18 points in a 52-27 win over Seabury Hall in the quarterfinals.
She scored just three points on 1 of 7 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds.
The 5-7 Aganus snagged nine boards and the 5-9 Sullivan collected seven rebounds. The Saints barely won the battle on the boards, 39-33.
The Warriors struggled with their shooting, hitting just 28 percent (11 of 40) from the floor. But they knocked down 22 of 32 free throws or 69 percent.
Pacheco, the team’s sixth man, has been instant offense off the bench. She buried 5 of 14 field goals, including 3 of 7 from 3-point range, and sank 5 of 8 free throws.
The Warriors don’t have to worry about Hawaii Baptist because the Eagles got their wings clipped in a 50-47 overtime loss to Moanalua in the first round.
In the championship, No. 2 Kamehameha faces No. 1 Mid-Pacific (12-0) at 5 p.m. Friday. The game will be broadcast on OC 16, channel 12.
The Owls whipped Kalani 62-34 in the other semifinal.
Since the introduction of statewide classification in 2004, the BIIF has won six of the 13 titles or 46 percent.
Kamehameha has captured crowns in 2005, ’07, ’12, ’13, and Honokaa in 2014 and ’15. (The Dragons jumped to the Division I level in 2016.)
It is Kamehameha’s 13th appearance at states, the most of any team in the 12-team field.
Saint Francis 8 5 12 11 — 36
Kamehameha 13 10 12 12 — 47
Soccer
Division II
Hawaii Prep 2, Seabury Hall 1
Even though opponents mark No. 5, no one has figured out a way to stop Emi Higgins, the sophomore scoring machine.
She scored just 25 seconds into the game, and three minutes in the second half at the 43:06-minute mark for No. 1 seed HPA (10-2-2).
Makena Dougherty scored at the 32:01 mark to make it interesting for the Spartans (5-7-1), the MIL champion.
In the championship, HPA plays Kapaa at 5 p.m. Friday at the Waipio Peninsula Stadium.
The Warriors beat Pac-Five 2-1 in the other semifinal.
HPA will be shooting for its fourth consecutive state title and has been in the championship the last six years.
Old nemesis Mid-Pac, which beat HPA for state titles 2012 and ’13, was bumped up to Division I this season and didn’t reach state last year in Division II.
Makua Lani 1, Kamehameha 0
Moni Moniate scored five minutes into the game, and the Lions (5-8) eliminated the Warriors (9-3-2).
Makua Lani plays Waipahu for fifth place at 1 p.m. Friday at the stadium’s No. 6 field.
Division I
Hilo 4, Aiea 0
Miya Clarke scored two goals while Alyeemomi Amaral and Haley Miyashiro added one each for the Vikings (9-2-1).
The Na Alii fell to 10-4-3.
Hilo plays Castle for fifth place at 1 p.m. Friday at the stadium’s No. 7 field.