Leiah Naeata and Tati Kamae posted double-doubles as No. 8 Kahuku overpowered OIA West runner-up Mililani 57-26 on Saturday at Radford’s James Alegre Gymnasium.
Defending champion Kahuku (16-7 overall) will face Moanalua for the OIA Division I title on Wednesday. The Lady Raiders went 11-0 during East Division play, and are 2-0 in the playoffs.
Mililani, which had won 10 straight since a loss to Radford, will meet the Rams again for third place.
Kahuku is far from content despite winning its two playoff games by an average margin of 27.5 points.
“Absolutely not. We’re grateful for the win, but if you ask our girls, they say they could’ve done better,” Lady Raiders coach Latoya Wily said.
>> PHOTOS: Mililani vs. Kahuku
Naeata, a Star-Advertiser All-State Fab 15 selection last season, finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. Kamae tallied 11 points, 10 rebounds and four steals.
“Mililani is good competition,” Naeata said. “We knew what we had to do to prepare for them. They gave us a run for their money. They’re a good team.”
The last time an OIA team gave Kahuku trouble, it was Radford on Dec. 14. The Lady Raiders escaped with a 54-49 win over the Rams on the final day of the ‘Iolani Classic.
Much has changed for Kahuku since then. Kamae has emerged as a formidable inside-out contributor. Serina Aumua-Tuisavura had eight points, nine boards and three assists on Saturday. Reserve forward Trisha Faumuina has emerged as a force. The senior scored six first-quarter points off the bench, slowed only by an ankle injury early in the second quarter. She finished with eight points after returning in the second half.
Maya Claytor also scored eight points along with four rebounds and eight assists.
Kahuku’s man-to-man defense limited Mililani to 6-for-31 shooting from the field (19%). Kianna Ponce led the Lady Trojans with eight points, five rebounds and three steals. A rough night became a heartbreaker for Mililani when sophomore guard Jenna Sagon-Galisa suffered a knee injury with 3:12 to play.
Moanalua 42, Radford 37
Mercedes Smith scored 12 points and Manu Itula added 10 points as Na Menehune stunned the first-place team from the OIA West on its home court.
Radford suffered an untimely injury to leading scorer Angel Asaad, who scored 10 points before falling in a scramble and cutting her chin.
Kahuku defeated Moanalua during the regular season, 60-37, on Dec. 10.
>> PHOTOS: Moanalua vs. Radford
