They’re almost perfect, really.
The Konawaena Wildcats have taken much of the drama out of the script in the Hawaiian Airlines/HHSAA Girls Basketball State Championships. They were ranked No. 1 all year, beat nationally ranked teams like Brea Olinda (Calif.) and compiled yet another unbeaten season in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation.
Yet even with a 49-0 record in the four years that Dawnyelle Awa and Lia Galdeira have paired up to dominate the BIIF, nobody in the Wildcats camp is taking anything for granted.
It was two years ago when the ’Cats were coming off a state title. Galdeira and Awa were primed for a run of four state titles in four years. Then Lahainaluna put that dream to rest, upsetting Konawaena in the state final.
Konawaena (24-3, 12-0 league this season) hasn’t lost to a team from Hawaii since. In fact, the Wildcats have wreaked havoc on all local opposition. Coach Bobbie Awa’s team has been on a mission, always loaded with energy, intensity and, well, Awa and Galdeira.
The two are headed to Washington State, where their uptempo style and defensive prowess will fit in well. For now, the top-seeded Wildcats are as overwhelming a favorite as any team in recent history in a state tourney.
Here’s a look at the seeded teams in Division I. All four had first-round byes and open play today.
No. 1 seed: Konawaena
On paper: The Wildcats (108-8 overall in four years) were good enough to win two of the past three state titles with a younger team. Now, as seasoned hoopsters, the precision and sense of urgency are impeccable.
The skinny: Defense has always been their hallmark. With four titles in the past eight years, only Punahou has matched that success, and the Buffanblu did not qualify for the state tourney.
While Galdeira continues to play at a higher level on both ends — she averaged 24 points per game in last weekend’s BIIF playoffs — Awa’s court vision and passing skills are special. Galdeira doesn’t look to dominate offensively, which allows Awa to find open cutters like Makayla Awa and Courtney Kaupu.
Makayla, Dawnyelle’s cousin, is effective in transition. Kaupu, at 5 feet 9, is quick and physical, an adept shooter with either hand in the low post.
X factor: With only nine players in uniform during nonconference play, role players like sophomore Keahelaumakani Wall and junior Hoku Liftee are especially valuable.
No. 2 seed: ‘Iolani
On paper: The Raiders are 17-3 overall and went 11-1 in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu. They use a platoon system and full-court press much of the time. Coach Eddie Maruyama’s squad might be the freshest in the tourney after finishing regular-season play on Jan. 28.
The skinny: BYU-bound guard Kylie Maeda is the glue to the Raiders’ offense, effective in uptempo and delay schemes.
Guard Saphyre Rezentes, a junior, is one of the toughest one-on-one scorers in the islands.
Low posts Jade Botelho (5-foot-10), Taimane Passi (5-11) and Alyssa Liilii (5-8) are young, but seasoned. Botelho is capable of five to six steals out of ‘Iolani’s halfcourt man and fullcourt traps.
X factor: Since losing starting post Alex Masaquel to a season-ending leg injury, the Raiders have continued to prosper. Losing her experience, however, will be a true test.
No. 3 seed: Lahainaluna
On paper: The Lady Lunas (24-3, 14-0 Maui Interscholastic League) are somewhat of a mystery. Coach Todd Rickard has relied on a core of experienced players to share the scoring as the Lunas completed their fifth consecutive undefeated MIL season — 73 league wins in a row.
Since losing to Mid-Pacific at the Wildcat Classic on Nov. 19, they have not lost.
The skinny: Rickard, who helped build a pipeline of talent from the age-group Menehune program in Lahaina, is comfortable with or without a go-to scorer.
“The girls bought into the team concept, team defense, team offense,” he said early in the season. “I’m kind of pleased with where we’re at.”
Jade Chihara, who had 19 points in a league tourney-clinching win over Maui, is as close as they get to a top scorer.
X factor: Without a dominant scorer, they may get through the quarterfinals and semifinals on defensive pressure in what has been a season of young players and youthful mistakes across the state.
No. 4 seed: Pearl City
On paper: This is a great way to end a coaching career for Mike Morton. The Chargers won their first-ever Oahu Interscholastic Association title, and Morton, after 11 years as head coach, did it his way.
Pearl City (18-5, 13-2 OIA) relied on Morton’s guile, and he relied on a savvy three-guard lineup that confused and frustrated most opponents. Sabrina Angle, Shawna Angle and Adrienne Jean Sylva will weave defenders over and over until they get an open layup for posts Tiari Walker or Dani Magana.
The skinny: Morton’s squad depended on a tough man-to-man defense for weeks before switching to a 2-3 matchup zone against Kaimuki on Saturday. The result was a 32-29 overtime win and gives the Chargers confidence defensively.
X factor: The Chargers are thin on the bench and can’t afford any injuries or foul trouble.
