KAILUA-KONA — It was a cloudy, gloomy afternoon on the west side of the Big Island, but the stars were out in force at Kekuaokalani Gymnasium on Saturday.
The inaugural Hawaii High School Basketball Showcase gathered some of the best boys and girls basketball talent in the state for a pair of games, along with a 3-point shootout and dunk contest.
The event, which welcomed 32 players from around the state, was the brainchild of Konawaena co-head coach and former Washington State standout Dawnyelle Awa.
“We wanted to give them one last game and a chance to show off their talents,” Awa said.
Awa brings with her the experience of being recruited out of Kealakekua, having committed to the Cougars after a stellar career at Konawaena. She understands that being in the middle Pacific Ocean makes it a little harder to make a splash on the recruiting radar, so giving players a platform is key. There were a few coaches in attendance and the game was streamed live via social media to numerous others.
She’s hoping the showcase can fill a void and helps a few more players get noticed.
“We never really had anything like this to play in, especially on the Big Island,” Awa said. “In the future, we are hoping to keep it going and have more coaches attend.”
The teams were drafted by designated captains, similar to the new NBA All-Star game format.
On the girls side, the BIIF stuck together on the White team, coached by Konawaena assistant coach Jessica Hanato. Konawaena seniors Cherilyn Molina, Kawena Kaohimaunu and Mikayla Tablit combined with Hilo All-BIIF first-team selection Mandi Kawaha to take down the Black squad in a thriller.
Kawaha and Molina helped lead a second half comeback, which got serious in a hurry down the stretch.
After the teams traded free throws in a tie game, Molina — the Washington State bound Wildcat — took the inbound pass with less than four seconds remaining, went the length of the floor and rolled in a contested layup as time expired for the win.
For the boys, Keaau’s Rico Handy and Kamehameha-Hawaii’s Nalu Kahapea were apart of the Black team — coached by Hawaii Prep’s Fred Wawner — which handily took down the White team, 100-77.
In the 3-point contest, it was Saint Francis junior Kameron Ng coming away with the title.
Kamron Victorino-Kato, a senior out of Kamehameha-Kapalama, proved to be the highest flyer, winning the dunk contest.
Other players in the showcase were
Kyle Moraga (McKinley), Kordel Ng (Saint Francis), Everett Torres-Kahapea (Kailua), Kamalu Segundo (Kamehameha-Maui), Marcus Tobin (Maryknoll), Mitchell Williams (Campbell), Jalen Smith (Saint Louis), Jordyn Perez (Maryknoll), Iverson Turno (Lahainaluna), Zoar Nedd (Kapolei), Saige Pulu (Moanalua), Kobe Young (Kamehameha-Kapalama, Braeanna Estabillo (Lahainaluna), Ashley Peralta (Kamehameha-Maui), Tanisha Elbourne (Punahou), Susi Namoa (Lahainaluna), Dallas Martinez (Sacred Hearts), Rhianne Omori (Maryknoll), Kellie Okamura (Iolani), Dakota Vienna (Maryknoll), Geani Balino (Campbell), Kiana Vierra (Kamehameha-Kapalama), Lily Wahinekapu (Iolani), Moe Notoa (Maryknoll).