Maryknoll’s Alexis Delovio saw an opening and she went for it.
She wasn’t timid, she wasn’t going to fail, not in this drama-filled, back-and-forth contest.
Delovio scored the game-winning layup as time expired as third-seeded Maryknoll defeated second-seeded Lahainaluna 63-61 on Thursday in the semifinals of the OC 16/HHSAA Girls Basketball Division I State Championships.
Delovio received a handoff on the left side and a gap was created up the middle as two Lunas defenders got in each other’s way. Delovio squeezed up a shot in traffic; it hit off the back iron and dropped in just before the final buzzer.
“It was an isolation play,” said Delovio, who finished with 17 points. “We started off with a spread and I saw the open lane and I knew that was my chance and I just took it up with confidence.”
Maryknoll coach Chico Furtado had a feeling Delovio was going to come through.
“She’s missed several of those in the past, but I told her going into this state tournament that you’re going to come up big sooner or later and that was it,” he said.
The Spartans (15-2) will face No. 1 seed Konawaena in today’s final.
“There’s not really much you can say to them,” Lunas coach Todd Rickard said. “Their faces said it all. It was a great game. Our team showed no quit. Our girls never gave up. We put our heart and soul into it.”
Maryknoll went on an 8-1 run to end the first half with a 28-16 lead.
The Lunas, behind 22 combined points by Fa-Ko-fiemea Hofoka and Keleah-Aiko Koloi in the third quarter, took a 43-39 lead entering the fourth.
“We did have the lead and we just fell back, but it wasn’t anything to hold our heads about,” Delovio said. “I’m so proud of the girls. We came through and kept battling.”
Lahainaluna’s advantage reached 49-41 after a free throw by Hafoka with 4:55 left, but Maryknoll got even at 56-56 after a free throw by Kamalu Kamakawiwo‘ole with 2:22 left.
“We were down eight, everything was going their way and our kids just battled,” Furtado said.
The Lunas (15-1) scored the next five points before the Spartans’ final rally.
The Spartans’ Rhianne Omori tied it at 61 with a pair of free throws with 1:22 remaining.
Koloi finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds for Lahainaluna.
The Lunas’ Cameron Fernandez and Hafoka fouled out in the fourth quarter.
