Kona girls finish perfect
By BILL O’REAR
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Tribune-Herald sports editor
Senior Dawnyelle Awa scored 22 points and senior Lia Galdeira 16 to lead unbeaten Konawaena to a 73-20 win over Kohala on Saturday night at Kealakekua.
The defending Big Island Interscholastic Federation girls Division I champion Wildcats, under coach Bobbie Awa, finished the regular season with a 10-0 record and earlier clinched the West Division’s No. 1 seed in this week’s four-team D-I league playoffs.
In other regular-season ending games Saturday, it was: Hawaii Prep 57, Laupahoehoe 8; Honokaa 56, Kealakehe 8; Waiakea 52, Keaau 23; Kamehameha 55, Pahoa 14; and Hilo 45, Ka’u 24.
In boys games, D-II St. Joseph upset previously unbeaten Kamehameha 62-55 and Hawaii Prep ran past Laupahoehoe 64-34.
The talented Konawaena girls raced to a 24-6 lead at the end of the first quarter and led 46-13 at the intermission. The Wildcats then outscored the Cowgirls 18-7 in the thid period and 9-0 in the fourth.
Hauoli Sproat-Lancaster scored eight points and Sheana Cazimero seven to lead Kohala (4-6).
The girls D-I playoffs will be held Friday and Saturday at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium. On Friday, it’s West No. 1 Konawaena vs. East No. 2 Hilo at 6 p.m., followed by East No. 1 Waiakea vs. West No. 2 Kealakehe at 7:30 p.m.
The semifinal winners advance to the BIIF D-I championship game at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Civic. Both winners from Friday’s games also capture the league’s two berths in the state D-I tournament, scheduled Feb. 7-10 on Oahu.
The BIIF’s six-team girls D-II playoffs start at 6 p.m. Wednesday with East No. 2 Ka’u hosting West No. 3 Kohala and West No. 2 Hawaii Prep hosting East No. 3 Pahoa. East No. 1 Kamehameha and West No. 1 Honokaa have first-round byes.
Both Honokaa and Hawaii Prep finished with 7-3 records and split their head-to-head meetings (each team won by four points in their victory). But the Dragons were awarded the No. 1 seed over the Ka Makani based on their total amount of points allowed during the regular season compared to what Hawaii Prep gave up.
The D-II semifinals and final will be played at the Civic.
On Friday, it’s the Ka’u/Kohala winner vs. Kamehameha at 3 p.m. and the Honokaa/Pahoa winner vs. Hawaii Prep at 4:30 p.m. Both of Friday’s winners play in the BIIF D-II final at 6 p.m. Saturday and also clinch two of the league’s three berths in the state D-II tournament, scheduled concurrently with the D-I tournament Feb. 7-10 on Oahu.
Friday’s losing teams will battle at 4:30 p.m. Saturday for the remaining state D-II berth at the Civic.
JV: Konawaena 43, Kohala 26.
Kohala 6 7 7 0 — 20
Konawaena 24 22 18 9 — 73
In other regular-season ending games Saturday, it was:
* Honokaa 56, Kealakehe 8: At Honokaa, Precious Chong scored 18 points and Yvonne Daniels 13 to lead the D-II Dragons (7-3).
No one scored more than four points for the young D-I Waveriders (2-8).
JV: Honokaa 62, Kealakehe 12. Honokaa: Kayla Requelman, 26; Wynnie Vaoga, 18; Chasity Nickel, 12.
Kealakehe 4 2 2 0 — 8
Honokaa 22 13 13 8 — 56
* Hawaii Prep 57, Laupahoehoe 8: At Laupahoehoe, Shayla Ignacio scored 16 points, Eliyah Fernandez 14 and Chancis Fernandez 10 to lead the D-II Ka Makani (7-3).
Vanistie Batin scored eight points to lead the D-II Seasiders (0-10).
Hawaii Prep 16 8 19 14 — 57
Laupahoehoe 0 0 3 5 — 8
* Waiakea 52, Keaau 23: At Keaau, Sefulu Faavae scored 15 points and Daven Namohala-Roloos 10 to lead the unbeaten D-I Warriors (10-0).
Maedina Ongais-Kilaulani scored seven points and Jacy Pagala and Randi Estrada six apiece to lead the D-I Cougars (2-8).
JV: Waiakea 45, Keaau 29. Waiakea: Christa Amuimuia, 11. Keaau: Melissa Powless, 14.
Waiakea 17 12 12 11 — 52
Keaau 2 10 4 7 — 23
* Kamehameha 55, Pahoa 14: At Keaau, senior Chelsea Poe scored 12 points and freshman Rianna Arima eight to lead the D-II Warriors (8-2).
Ranchell Berinobis scored four points to lead the D-II Daggers (1-9).
Pahoa 4 4 3 3 — 14
Kamehameha 22 17 8 8 — 55
* Hilo 45, Ka’u 24: At Kawananakoa Gym, Amber Vaughn scored 10 points to lead the D-I Vikings (6-4).
Toni Beck scored six points to lead the D-II Trojans (3-7).
JV: Hilo 47, Ka’u 12. Hilo: Kanoe Brickwood, 16; Shawn Mori, 11. Ka’u: Denisha Navarro, 6.
Ka’u 7 4 5 8 — 24
Hilo 15 12 12 6 — 45
Boys
* St. Joseph 62, Kamehameha 55: At Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium, 6-foot-6 Thomas Fairman scored 24 points and senior guard Isaac Pacheco had a career-high 19, including five 3-pointers, to lead the D-II Cardinals (5-6) to an upset over the defending D-I champion Warriors (10-1).
Junior Shaun Kagawa scored 19 points and senior Kekoa Turner 13 to lead the Warriors.
Kamehameha 10 11 9 25 — 55
St. Joseph 16 16 7 23 — 62
* Hawaii Prep 64, Laupahoehoe 34: At Laupahoehoe, Gigoro Akai scored 25 points and Sea Rocha-Tufaga 11 to lead the D-II Ka Makani (7-3).
Lexton Silva scored 10 points to lead the D-II Seasiders (0-10).
It was the final varsity basketball game as Laupahoehoe High & Elementary School after 128 years. Next year, Laupahoehoe will become Laupahoehoe Public Charter School.
Hawaii Prep 11 17 21 15 — 64
Laupahoehoe 11 7 13 3 — 34
Boys soccer
* Parker 5, Hawaii Arts and Science 0: Alex Guske scored twice as the Bulls improved to 5-6. Simon Lorscheid, Paul Gregg and C.J. Brown also scored. HAAS fell to 0-10-1.