Rhianne Omori scored 15 points as No. 1 Maryknoll clamped down on Kamehameha’s trifecta of talented scorers and rallied past No. 2 Kamehameha 45-36 on Thursday night at Kekuhaupio Gymnasium.
The Lady Spartans limited the Warriors’ Kalina Obrey (11), Jewel Paaluhi-Caulk (10) and Kiana Vierra (five) to a combined 26 points on 9-for-28 shooting from the field. Obrey, playing in her second game since fracturing her hand on Dec. 11, had a team-high nine rebounds.
Maryknoll (21-2 overall) is 7-0 in conference play and moved a step closer to clinching the Interscholastic League of Honolulu regular-season title and an automatic state-tournament berth. A win over Punahou on Saturday will clinch at least a tie.
Senior Kodee Viena finished with seven points, while Moe Notoa tallied six points and seven rebounds for the Spartans. Center Isabella Cravens powered Maryknoll with 12 rebounds. The visiting Spartans shot just 34 percent from the field (14-for-41), but were solid from the arc (8-for-20) and won the battle on the boards 35-23. Most importantly, they played tremendous defense in the second half.
“In the first half, those three — Kiana, Kalina and Princy (Paaluhi-Caulk) — scored 16 of their 19 points,” Viena said.
“She’s our defensive stopper,” Spartans coach Chico Furtado said of Viena, who spent much of the game covering Vierra.
Paaluhi-Caulk dished out six assists, while Vierra had five rebounds and three steals. The Warriors (14-4 overall) dropped to 5-3 in ILH play with the crucial homecourt loss, falling out of contention for the regular-season title. They opened the week just one game behind Maryknoll, but lost to ‘Iolani on Tuesday.
Kamehameha opened Thursday’s game running a flex offense and led 6-0 after Obrey hit a 3-pointer. Moments later, Vierra, a signee with UC Santa Barbara, sank an NBA-range 3, but she scored only two more points the rest of the night (2-for-7). Maryknoll trailed 9-8 entering the second quarter, when the lead changed hands six times.
Paaluhi-Caulk used a high screen by Obrey to sink an 18-footer just before the halftime buzzer as Kamehameha led at the break, 19-18. Maryknoll, which switched to a 2-3 zone in the second quarter, locked down in the third. Paaluhi-Caulk scored four points, but Vierra and Obrey were scoreless in the third.
Kamalu Kamakawiwo‘ole and Chayse Milne hit 3-pointers from the left corner in the last minute of the quarter to give the visitors a 32-26 lead. Kamehameha shot 6-for-19 from the field in the second half and got no closer than four points the rest of the way.
“We were smarter in the third quarter. We weren’t forcing shots,” Viena said. “We were being patient.”
Freshman Aloha Akaka’s wing 3 barely moved the net, and after Omori drilled a straightaway 23-foot trey, Maryknoll led 40-30 with 5:08 remaining.
BOYS BASKETBALL
No. 2 Kamehameha 64, Mid-Pacific 54
Kamren Victorino-Kato scored 17 points as the Warriors outlasted the visiting Owls.
Lele Kawaiaea and Kobe Young patrolled the paint and added 14 points apiece for the Warriors, who improved to 3-1 in ILH play (16-4 overall). Sophomore Christmas Togiai chipped in 12 points.
Junior Colin Ramos led MPI (7-9, 1-3 ILH) with 26 points, including 11-for-13 at the free-throw line.
Kamehameha used a full-court press early to fuel a fast tempo, but racked up fouls that allowed the Owls to pull within six by halftime. Ramos was 8-for-10 at the foul line in the second quarter.
MPI trailed 26-22 early in the third quarter when the Warriors went on a 12-3 run.
The Warriors led by 14 before MPI went on an 8-0 run, getting back-to-back treys to cut the game to 44-38 early in the fourth quarter. Victorino-Kato started a sustained attack of the basket from that point on. After Togiai drove for a bucket with five minutes left, Kamehameha led 54-42.
MPI hit back-to-back treys to cut the lead to 57-48 with less than three minutes left, but Victorino-Kato fed Young for their second alley-oop slam connection.
Ramos’ three-point play cut the lead to 61-54 with less than two minutes remaining, but the Owls got no closer.
Victorino-Kato’s right (shooting) hand was wrapped in ice after the game. The senior hit two 3-pointers in the first quarter, but he was 1-for-7 at the foul line in the second quarter. He finished the game 5-for-13 from the charity stripe.
