‘Iolani runs by Mid-Pac in ILH opener

This big red machine has power steering and mach speed, no doubt.

The ‘Iolani Raiders zoomed to a 19-2 lead and never let up in a 72-51 win over Mid-Pacific on Tuesday night in the regular-season girls basketball opener for both teams.

Saphyre Rezentes scored 10 of her 17 points in the opening quarter as a recipient of several nice dishes from teammates off the Raiders’ pressure defense. Kylie Maeda and Alex Masaquel added 10 points each for ‘Iolani.

“Our kids competed hard. The tempo was up. We had good teamwork and made some nice passes. I’m happy about that,” Raiders coach Eddie Maruyama said. “We still need a lot of work, obviously rebounding. It’s still early. We need to work on everything.”

When they met in last season’s regular-season finale, Mid-Pacific pushed ‘Iolani into overtime before losing.

“They’re tough. Everyone’s saying Konawaena and ‘Iolani are one and two,” MPI coach Wes Masuda said. “They didn’t do anything we didn’t expect. We just didn’t execute. We need to work on boxing out. They got too many second-chance shots. Getting back on defense, a lot of basic stuff. At least we know what we need to work on.”

The constant, quick tempo allowed ‘Iolani to get open looks often before MPI could set up its 2-3 zone. Using a platoon system, the Raiders’ three-quarter 2-2-1 press caused problems for the Owls, who had seven first-quarter turnovers and finished with 18 giveaways.

Masaquel, a 5-foot-10 junior, had a game-high 10 rebounds and three blocks to power ‘Iolani’s front court. Posts Taimane Passi and Jade Botelho combined for 12 points and 13 boards as the Raiders (4-0 overall) outrebounded the visiting Owls 39-32.

“In preseason, we were kind of out of sync, but now we’re more confident and playing well together,” said Maeda, who has committed to play at BYU. “We expected (MPI) to be scrappy. They came out hard and gave us a battle. A lot of the underclassmen are stepping up.”

Freshman Pua Kahalehoe chipped in with nine points, including two treys.

‘Iolani went 19-8 last season and reached the semifinals of the state tournament. With most of their rotation back, they looked sharp early, converting six first-quarter steals into easy points. The Raiders led 34-20 at halftime and extended the lead with another quarter-opening spurt.

Though Maeda scored just two points in the first three quarters, ‘Iolani went on a 12-2 run to start the third to open a 24-point lead.

Megan Kinoshita, a senior, ended MPI’s outside shooting drought with a torrent of 3-point bombs in the final quarter. The Owls were 0-for-11 from beyond the arc until she nailed all five of her treys in a 5-minute span. Kinoshita finished with a game-high 21 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter.

“That’s what happens when you leave her open,” Maruyama said. “We knew eventually they would start hitting.”

Sophomore Pua Kanekoa added 14 points and seven rebounds, and junior Kiki Robertson tallied 11 points and eight boards.

Mid-Pacific (2-3 overall) lost four returnees before the season began, including post Aliitasi Docktor, who is concentrating on softball, her college sport. Guard Taylor Babbitt transferred to Mililani.

MPI shot 32 percent from the floor, including 5-for-22 from 3-point range.

“This team has good chemistry, they’re very positive. That’s what I like about these kids. We just have to go back to work,” Masuda said.