They’re sisters and fantastic basketball players.

Two of them love "Love and Basketball." The middle child, Celena Jane Molina, prefers "A Walk to Remember."

Get them together and, naturally, the oldest leads the discussion, while the youngest says, "You’re talking too much."

Two of them — again it’s Chanelle, the oldest, and the youngest, Cherilyn — agree on their favorite food.

"Spaghetti," Chanelle said. "Our mom makes the best Filipino spaghetti."

It takes a few seconds to transition back into roundball and their vision of the future.

"We’re going to win BIIFs and go to states with that aggressive mind-set and win it for the first time, since I’ve never won states before," Chanelle Molina predicted.

Or maybe that’s a promise. All the while, Cherilyn, widely known as a standout point guard at the youth level, is also forecasting the future.

Celena Jane just grins.

That’s bold talk for the Konawaena Wildcats, but they backed it up with a stunning performance at the ‘Iolani Classic over the weekend. Even with a close 68-59 loss to 10th-ranked St. Mary’s (Calif.), spirits were high. After all, it’s not often that an island team knocks out two ranked programs — Miramonte (Calif.) and Riverdale Baptist (Md.) — on consecutive nights.

Coach Bobbie Awa’s squad still features that meticulous, precise and oftentimes exquisite pass-and-cut offense. And the Wildcats still play tenacious man-to-man defense. This year’s squad has another wrinkle with 5-foot-4 freshman point guard Cherilyn.

Combine her with returning All-State player of the year Chanelle Molina (a 5-7 junior) and Celena Jane (a 5-8 sophomore) and the Molina siblings accounted for roughly 80 percent of their team’s scoring at the Classic.

It was an amazing feat considering that low post Ihi Victor was unavailable (concussion). Along with newcomers Lindsay and Taylor Bates (sisters), Aloha Salem and freshman Mikayla Balit, the Wildcats were a classic Cinderella tale.

The tournament featuring three nationally ranked teams may be remembered as the event that catapulted Konawaena to a new echelon. The Molina sisters were problematic for all foes. Chanelle, named the tourney’s most outstanding player, averaged 21.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 7 assists per game.

‘Iolani Classic founder Glenn Young was astounded by the Wildcats.

"It’s probably one of the biggest upsets, I think, because Riverdale is (early-season) No. 1 and Kona only has eight players, and they don’t have any height," he said.

Chanelle began playing basketball as a fifth-grader. Her dad, Allan, liked playing pickup ball on the courts of Kailua-Kona. Her mother, Rose, never played while going to Waiakea High School. It’s Rose, though, who has the fire.

"We were working kids," Rose said. "There was no time for sports."

At home, Chanelle was always shooting baskets in the driveway. More so since the Wildcats lost in the state title game two seasons ago.

"The last time I saw Chanelle cry was after the loss to Kamehameha," Rose said. "That was the best loss she ever had. I wasn’t upset; she was only a freshman. Since then, she’s worked every day on her game — shooting, dribbling, getting the other two involved."

Despite a somewhat late start to playing basketball full-time, Celena Jane found success quickly. She was the force for a 12U Kona Stingrays team that won a tournament title in Las Vegas while double-rostering for the older Stingrays’ squads. Celena Jane’s first love was soccer, which she stopped playing after middle school.

Cherilyn played both sports. The two younger siblings stopped with soccer in high school simply because soccer and basketball happen at the same time.

"I didn’t want her playing both during the same season," Rose said.

Then, there’s volleyball. The three combined to power the Wildcats to the Division II state championship in November. During a summer tournament in Minnesota, a San Diego State coach took an interest in Celena Jane, a versatile player who can hit, block, serve and dig.

But it’s roundball that the three thrive on together. Playing for Awa’s Kona Stingrays, they went deep into tournaments in Oregon and Seattle last summer. Along with Victor, the Molinas were named to all-tournament teams. Scouts paid close attention.

At this point, Chanelle has scholarship offers from BYU, Hawaii, Oregon, Oregon State and Washington State. Arizona and Washington are very interested. But it’s the first offer, which came from Hawaii, that branched into something almost unfathomable for the Molina family.

During the ‘Iolani Classic last week, the Rainbow Wahine made offers to Celena Jane and Cherilyn, in addition to Chanelle, whom they had offered a scholarship to last year as a sophomore.

The family was flabbergasted and happy, but it makes sense. All three have athleticism and toughness, the latter coming from years of playing with the Kona Stingrays’ boys team against other boys teams.

Cherilyn, as many coaches at the youth level predicted, is a pure point guard with great savvy — the one who hits teardrop runners in the lane over 6-4 centers. Celena Jane, who also runs the 400 in track, may be the best runner and defender of the three.

"They said, ‘We want to give you a Christmas gift.’ I got chickenskin," Rose said. "I said, ‘Are you serious?’ I know they really want Chanelle, but they said no matter where she goes, the offer still stands for the other two girls."

Hawaii, with coach Laura Beeman in attendance the night Konawaena upset Riverdale Baptist, seems to have the inside track.

"Chanelle knows she wants to play with her sisters," Rose said.

The other four schools that have offered Chanelle also made offseason visits to Konawaena. One, Washington State coach June Daugherty, made a home visit. She may know the roads of South Kona quite well; former Wildcat standouts Lia Galdeira and Dawnyelle Awa play for the Cougars.

Chanelle can’t get enough basketball; she and new Wildcats teammate Lindsay Bates helped Team Aloha win the Arizona Elite Spring Classic title in Arizona last spring.

"They hate to lose. Chanelle always thinks she can win against anyone she plays," Team Aloha coach Fran Villlarmia-Kahawai said after watching the ‘Iolani Classic. "I think she’s more vocal than before."

The hunger for a state title still surprises the Molinas’ mother.

"The drive that the girls have is crazy," Rose said. "You can’t teach that competitiveness."

Chanelle’s expectations are without arrogance. There was respect without fear as they took down giants at the Classic.

"We will clean up whatever mistakes we made. Our transition was a little sloppy. Boxing out more. Being smart with the ball," she said.

Three sisters with a drive for perfection. That would be more than welcome in Manoa.

THE TOP 10

Voted on by coaches and media from around the state. First-place votes in parentheses. Ten points for first-place votes, nine for second, eight for third, etc.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Also receiving votes: Leilehua 21, Lahainaluna 13, McKinley 11, Pahoa 8, Roosevelt 8, Kahuku 7, Moanalua 4, Konawaena 3, Kaiser 2, Kailua 1, Damien 1.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Also receiving votes: Nanakuli 10, KS-Hawaii 9, Kailua 8, Moanalua 4, Leilehua 4, Honokaa 1, St. Francis 1.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

GIRLS
Chanelle Molina
Konawaena basketball
Named the ‘Iolani Classic’s most outstanding player, averaging 21.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 7 assists per game. All three opponents were nationally ranked. Konawaena (13-1) defeated Miramonte (Calif.) and Riverdale Baptist (Md.) before losing to St. Mary’s (Calif.) in the tourney final.

BOYS
Tolby Saito
Pahoa basketball
Scored 19.7 points per game during the Clifford and Kathi Dias St. Joseph Cardinal Classic, including 27 vs. Saint Louis in the final. Pahoa is off to a 6-1 start.