Kamehameha-Hawaii takes title

The third time was the charm for Chelsea Poe.

The senior guard and her sophomore sister, Casey, each scored 14 first-half points and second-seeded Kamehameha-Hawaii went on to coast past fourth-seeded Kauai 57-36 in the Division II championship game of the Hawaiian Airlines/HHSAA Girls Basketball State Championships on Friday night at Blaisdell Arena.

“Losing last year in the state championship by three (points) kind of took a toll on us. We made a promise to ourselves if we make it back here, we’re giving 100 percent,” Chelsea Poe said, referring to a 43-40 loss to Radford.

Casey Poe, a 5-foot-10 swingman, shot 7-for-11 from the field.

The Warriors used a swarming full-court press and the road-runner-quick transition game led by Chelsea Poe to bolt to a 22-5 first-quarter lead.

Kauai seemed a step slower, possibly because standout guard Kristle Henry wasn’t at full strength, according to athletic director Ross Shimabukuro. Henry suffered a head injury in the semifinals and finished with seven points and six boards.

“They were quicker than we expected,” said Henry, who played on Team Aloha last year.

But even if Henry had been 100 percent, the Warriors were a determined team. By the time Casey Poe scored in the low post on a pass from her sister, the Warriors led 27-9. They extended the lead to 39-18 by halftime and never looked back. Their largest lead was 30 points late in the third quarter.

Casey Poe finished with 16 points, while Chelsea Poe added five boards, four assists and two steals.

Coach Garrett Arima was gratified.

“It’s awesome. Winning the state title is always your goal,” said Arima, now in his third year as head coach. “Our game plan was to pressure their guards and we played strong. We were a step ahead and ran well in transition. Chelsea, this is her third appearance in states and she’s a senior. She really wanted this badly.”

The Warriors (27-6 overall) shot 51 percent from the field (23-for-45) and outrebounded the Red Raiders 31-26.

Casedy Anacleto led Kauai with 11 points.

“Our girls played a good game despite what the score was. They continued to play hard,” Kauai coach Sandi Nadatani-Mendez said. “Kamehameha-Hawaii is really deep. They play tough defense.”

THIRD PLACE

Hanalani 41, No. 1 Radford 37

Sarah Hyde scored 11 points, Nicole Gonzalez added nine and the Royals ended the game on a 22-8 run.

Radford went on an 11-0 run for a 29-19 lead with 2:13 left in the third period. Tyler Whitener scored six points during the surge.

Gonzalez scored nine points during Hanalani’s game-ending run. She capped the scoring with a pair of free throws with 4.7 seconds remaining.

Sarah Liva had eight points, eight rebounds and six blocks.

Korie Johnson had eight points and nine rebounds, and Whitener finished with eight points.

FIFTH PLACE

No. 3 Maryknoll 51, Hawaii Prep 39

Crystie Wong scored 12 points and Ashlee De Santos added 11 as the Spartans beat Ka Makani.
Maryknoll went on a 9-0 run to end the third period and take a 35-26 advantage. Hawaii Prep got within 41-38 with 2:19 left, before Maryknoll pulled away.

Chancis Fernandez had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Ka Makani.