Flex time is Maryknoll time.
The top-ranked Lady Spartans improved to 2-0 in Interscholastic League of Honolulu girls basketball play with a 56-25 win over No. 6 Punahou on Tuesday night at Hemmeter Fieldhouse.
Using coach Chico Furtado’s decades-old, still-effective flex offense, the Spartans patiently worked for good shots against a younger Buffanblu squad. Isabella Cravens powered the visiting Spartans with eight points, 11 rebounds and one block. At 6-foot-1, the senior helped stifle Punahou’s 6-4 freshman, Tama Fonoti.
“She’s very strong,” Cravens said of Fonoti. “When I was a freshman, I was going up against Tyra Moe and Va‘e (Malufau). It was like two Tamas, very strong and physical. Tama’s the biggest player Punahou has and she’s got a lot of weight on her shoulders. She’s very confident, I think.”
Fonoti finished with 11 points and eight rebounds in her ILH debut. Punahou is 0-1 in league play.
“It was eye-opening for me,” Fonoti said. “We’re going to come back harder at practice. Bella is a good opponent. She pushed me, especially mentally. To be honest, it helps me to know what it’s like to play the best of the best.”
Kodee Viena scored a team-high 13 points and Kamalu Kamakawiwo‘ole added 11. Both seniors came off the bench. Point guard Rhianne Omori scored 11 points. Moe Notoa added eight points, sparking the Spartans at the start.
“We have eight starters who can start any time. If we can get past that starting mentality and keep playing for each other, stay focused, the sky’s the limit,” Furtado said.
The young Buffanblu, including freshman starters Fonoti and Melody Lum, kept it relatively close for one quarter. Maryknoll jumped to a 7-0 lead on buckets by Notoa and a 3 by Omori.
Punahou chipped away and stayed close at 9-5 after Fonoti banked in her first basket in league play. From there, however, the visitors went on a 13-2 run, blanketing the Buffanblu with a tight man-to-man defense.
After steals by Chayse Milne, a feed from Omori to Cravens for a layup, a putback by Notoa and a steal for a deuce by Viena, Maryknoll led 22-7 shortly before halftime.
“It’s a great learning lesson for them to see probably the best team in the state. We’re young, but I don’t want that to be an excuse,” first-year head coach Shawna Kuehu said. “We have a lot of work to do. They’re hungry to get back in the gym and work. It’s part of the growing pains.”
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ILH BASKETBALL
Division I
Varsity girls
>> No. 1 Maryknoll 56, No. 6 Punahou 25
Leading scorers—Mryk: Kodee Viena 13, Kamalu Kamakawiwo‘ole 11, Rhianne Omori 11. Pun: Tama Fonoti 11.
Junior varsity boys
>> Mid-Pacific 76, St. Francis 40
Junior varsity girls
>> Kamehameha White 27, Hawaii Baptist 17
>> Sacred Hearts 23, Kamehameha Blue 19
>> St. Francis 37, Damien 28
>> Maryknoll 64, Mid-Pacific 26
Division II
Varsity girls
>> Punahou II 47, La Pietra 19
>> St. Francis 62, Le Jardin 20
>> Kamehameha II 41, ‘Iolani II 40
Leading scorers—Pun: Sina Uluave 9. LP: Kayla Nguyen 10. StF: Nani Santos 23, Kealani Neves 15. LJA: Julia Fisher 11.
Division III
Varsity girls
>> Island Pacific 26, Hawaiian Mission 19
Leading scorers—IPA: Peyton Pedrozo 8, Elizabeth Lyons-Best 8. HMA: Jennifer Lam Yuen 6.
Monday
Division I
Varsity girls
>> No. 1 Maryknoll 68, No. 10 Mid-Pacific 34
Leading scorers—Mryk: Isabella Cravens 11, Moe Notoa 10. MPI: Tylee-Kanani Wong 8.
OIA EAST DIVISION
Varsity girls
>> Moanalua 68, Kalaheo 27
>> McKinley 47, Castle 26
>> Kalani 59, Kaimuki 39
Leading scorers—Moan: D. Saneriri 14, V. Canencia 10. Kalh: T. Sampson 11. McK: Dezlyn Naval 10. Cast: Briara 6, Shayla Young 6. Kaln: Heidi Kishaba 17, Alayna Akiona 13, Kandyce Woods 12. Kaim: Kaelyn Espinda 13, Sonia Palik 12.
Junior varsity girls
>> Moanalua 65, Kalaheo 11
>> Castle 48, McKinley 18
>> Kalani 65, Kaimuki 29
WEST DIVISION
Varsity girls
>> Nanakuli 34, Kapolei 24
Junior varsity girls
>> Nanakuli 40, Kapolei 25
