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Long ago, before the dynasty of ‘Iolani girls basketball began, two Steph Curry fans met on the court.
As fourth graders, Haylie-Anne Ohta and Paige Oh were on different club teams. Ohta was with the Crush. Oh was with the Lightning.
“I remember always playing against her,” Ohta said. “She was always one of the best ones on their team. She had amazing ballhandling skills, her shot was smooth and she played super hard.”
Oh played tee ball when she was 6, then softball. She dropped softball when she was 9.
“I chose for myself. I’d rather play basketball. The first team I started on was a KAC team. Then I played for End 2 End,” Oh recalled. “I remember Haylie was a good shooter. She was super funny and she’s fun to hang around with.”
The two are now senior starters, the leading scorers for ‘Iolani. The speed and perpetual motion of the Raiders’ fast break and halfcourt sets are difficult to stop, but transforming from a five-out, mostly perimeter-based attack to a blend of slashing and pick-and-rolls with 6-foot-1 Mele Sake and 6-foot Callie Pieper has been quite the lab experiment.
“Haylie is the consummate ‘Iolani point guard who constantly is trying to find shots for others but can take the big shot or get the bucket at the rim,” ‘Iolani coach Dean Young said. “Her unselfishness is contagious and sets the tone for the team.”
Oh’s emergence was a necessity for the Raiders in their run to the ILH crown, a fourth in a row.
“Paige is a fierce competitor. It seems like she has a chip on her shoulder because of her small stature, but she shows the rest of the team how to be fearless,” Young said.
ILH champion ‘Iolani enters the Heide & Cook/HHSAA Girls Basketball State Championships as the Divison I top seed. The Raiders play the Maui-Radford winner on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., at McKinley.
“I just like that we could come together as a team and play together. I feel like a lot of people had doubt in us, but we proved people wrong and showed that we can still win,” Ohta said.
The Raiders are 20-8 overall, battled-tested by the best in the state and mainland. In a loss to Incarnate Word (Mo.), then the nation’s top team, Ohta scored 15 points.
“I remember in shootaround before the game, we went to lower gym. I was practicing my floaters and deep 3-pointers because I knew the team was tall and long, and I would have minimal layup opportunities,” she recalled. “I just took what the defense gave to me, and my teammates did a good job setting me up to get the shots I got.”
Ohta has led the young Raiders in scoring 11 times, providing veteran leadership and composure as ‘Iolani morphed into a new form of roundball efficiency — through some necessary growing pains. Injuries sidelined guards Abby Tanaka and Keiki McGee, and Oh has stepped up. She scored a season-high 21 points, connecting on all three 3-point attempts, in a 48-47 overtime win over Maryknoll in mid-January. In a first-place tiebreaker game with the Spartans last week, she hit three treys and finished with 13 points in a 41-36 victory to seal a state-tourney berth.
Radford played ‘Iolani in November.
“They both have a super combination of solid defense, fundamental skill and mental toughness,” Lady Rams coach Charles Chong said. “They don’t get rattled, but methodically wait for the right time to take you apart.”
Punahou played ‘Iolani three times.
“Both Paige and Haylie play with a sense of focus and discipline,” Punahou coach Gary Pacarro said. “It seems like they bring this mindset to the rest of their team, which sets the tone for how they play, always in control. I believe it comes down to trusting in their coaches and trusting in their total team process.”
Lahainaluna, which recently won its 18th straight MIL title, met ‘Iolani in the first week of preseason.
“They’ve become the leaders and engine that drives that team,” Lady Lunas coach Iolani Kaniho said. “They handle pressure and make smart decisions. They also attack the basket and get the ball to their teammates for easy scoring opportunities. If they are playing well, ‘Iolani is very hard to beat.”
During the busy nonconference slate, Moanalua played ‘Iolani twice. Na Menehune went on to play for the OIA championship, losing to Campbell 28-22 last week.
“I remember Haylie-Anne being a solid role player playing with Jaety Mandaquit and Jovi Lefotu,” Moanalua coach Kirk Ronolo said. “This year, she has stepped into a bigger role and became a go-to for the Raiders team. Whether it’s shooting the 3 ball, attacking the paint or locking up someone on defense, she’s shown she can step into that role. She is a very humble and well-rounded basketball player.”
As she got older, Oh played with the Lightning and Proformance basketball clubs. Ronolo coached Oh with the Lightning.
“Paige is a firecracker! I remember seeing her the first time as an eighth grader. I was wowed by her ballhandling and quickness. She is the epitome of, it’s not about the size of the dog in the fight, it’s about the size of the fight in the dog. She has a different mentality and has developed into a great point guard,” he said.
Coming into the season, there were question marks. The Raiders answered them with exclamation points. Winning the past three girls basketball state championships — and likely a fourth if not for the cancellation of the 2020-21 season — set the standard.
On paper, the Raiders seemed depleted when the 2022-23 season began. Add to that key injuries to Tanaka and McGee and the chances of simply qualifying for the state tournament, let alone winning it, seemed murky at best. Defense is what separates the best from the rest.
“They’ve both improved tremendously over the years. The biggest thing for me is that their defense has gotten to the point where they can guard the other team’s best guards,” Young said. “They’re both tough on ball.”
Ohta and Oh also have a knack for hitting shots on the move. Both have sneaky, accurate one-legged runners in the lane. Oh, in particular, has no trouble swishing runners on the baseline from 5 to 12 feet out.
“Haylie is taller, so she can use her speed and finish over taller defenders. I work on runners because I’m shorter. I have to find a way to finish over taller defenders,” Oh said. “I’ve been working on it since I was younger. Our club coaches make us practice those a lot for when we go up to the mainland, where there’s so many taller, big girls.”
Their prowess and savvy have been noticed and then some. Ohta has a 3.78 grade-point average and will play at Seattle Pacific next season. She has a strong interest in exercise science, a major offered by the school.
“I went up during spring break and I’m planning to go again this year. I like how it isn’t super small or super big, a nice size. The coaches are really nice,” Ohta said.
“They made me feel like I can go up to them and tell them how I’m feeling. They’re very comforting and I think they’ll push my basketball skills to another level.”
Oh has a 3.7 GPA and will play at Puget Sound. She is considering medical or dental school. Her father, James, is a dentist.
“I really like the coach. He’s a local boy, Casey Kushiyama. He’s from UH Lab (School). I visited and I really like the area. I like his coaching style, the team and their culture,” Oh said.
By the time Ohta settles in at Seattle Pacific, she might bring her favorite pastime with her.
“I like to catch fish with my dad. We usually go in the summer and look for ‘oama. During COVID, we would go to He‘eia (Kea) Harbor and fish in the water. We’d go out with my older sister, Keelie. We used to use shrimp or ahi blood for bait,” she said.
Ohta has prospered in a situation that isn’t always simple for athletes who are coached by a parent. Her father, Cy, is a longtime assistant coach for the Raiders.
“It’s been nice playing for him. We don’t really try to have the father-daughter relationship on the court. I see him as a coach. Sometimes when we come home, we’re watching the games and he’s coaching me, but on the court, he’s just there for moral support,” Ohta said. “It’s nice winning with him. We’ve had some good bonding moments.”
Cy Ohta has enjoyed the process.
“I’ve watched her go from a quiet reserve player in her freshman year to one that has stepped up to help our team in multiple ways this year,” he said. “It has been enjoyable to be part of her growth as a player and a person on and off the court.”
Tanaka has been a source of energy and knowledge as she recovers from a PCL injury. Her longtime friendship with Ohta goes back to their days on that Crush squad.
“Haylie was a super shy and quiet person, but she had a silly side with her closest friends,” Tanaka said. “She is reliable and caring.”
Sake, the team’s strongest and tallest player, bonded quickly with Oh, the team’s not-so-tallest player.
“The first time I met Paige was when I played my first Proformance game. I don’t remember much, but what I do remember is that Paige is a shooting god! She is super nice, someone you can laugh and make jokes with, and always down to do whatever, even if it’s last minute,” Sake said.
PAIGE OH, HAYLIE-ANNE OHTA
‘Iolani girls basketball • Seniors
PAIGE OH
>> Top 3 movies/shows: 1. “Pitch Perfect,” 2. “Friends,” 3. “Outer Banks.” “My favorite (“Friends”) character was probably Phoebe.”
>> Top 3 foods/drinks: 1. Chicken wings (buffalo with ranch, Wingstop), 2. chicken alfredo (Olive Garden), 3. boba (Shaka Shaka).
>> Top 3 homemade foods: 1. Mom’s spaghetti, 2. Dad’s steak, 3. Korean food (kimchi soup, kimchi friend rice, kal bi), 4. Caesar salad. “My mom (Tracey) makes it every two or three weeks. My dad (James) make steak every two weeks. He makes some type of Korean food every week. My grandma used to be a cook at a restaurant in Waikiki.”
>> Top 3 music artists: 1. Blxst, 2. SZA (“Snooze”), 3. K Camp (“Ice Cold”).
>> Funniest teammate: Mele Sake. “She’s just always dancing and always doing random stuff. She’s so funny, even when she’s not trying to be funny.”
>> Smartest teammate: “I don’t know who the smartest person on our team is. We’re all the same smart smartness.”
>> GPA: 3.7. “I started going to ‘Iolani in sixth grade. I came over from a public school. Then at ‘Iolani it was a lot more homework. But I like ‘Iolani and the environment, and I made a lot of friends.”
>> Favorite teacher/class: Mr. (Ian) Young/Literature of Sports. “We just learn about the history of different sports, about Title IX. My favorite book was the Michael Jordan one, ‘Playing For Keeps.’ It was our summer reading book.”
>> Hidden talent: Golf. “My whole family (mom, dad, brother Jace) likes to golf, but I’m not that good. I’m average. I just go out there sometimes. I can hit the ball. I’m all right at driving.”
>> New life skill: Learned how to cook. “I’ve been learning how to cook more with my brother. Sometimes we have to make dinner before our parents come home from work. I make pasta. We made sushi. California rolls. My brother goes night diving and catches fish and we fry fish.”
>> Bucket list: Japan, Australia. “I’d probably want to see Tokyo first. In Australia, I’d go to the Outback and see all the animals.”
>> Time machine: “I’d go back in time and watch my club coaches (Kyle Pape, Derrick Low) play.”
HAYLIE-ANNE OHTA
>> Top 3 movies/shows. 1. “Outer Banks,” 2. “Crazy Rich Asians,” 3. “Money Heist”
>> Top 3 food/snacks/drinks. 1. Boba tea (Tea Home in Kaneohe), 2. CPK macaroni and cheese, 3. kal bi (Young’s in Aiea).
>> Top 3 homemade foods. 1. Aunty Sheri’s beef stew, 2. mom’s mushroom chicken, 3. mom’s chili. “My aunty makes it not very often, a couple times a year. My mom (Stacie) makes mushroom chicken and chili pretty often because I like it. I can make the chili. It’s pretty easy.”
>> Top 3 music artists. 1. SZA (“Snooze”), 2. Drake (“Right Hand”), 3. Alicia Keys (“If I Ain’t Got You”)
>> Favorite class: Human anatomy. “I’m interested in the exercise science field and the class is really chill. I want to go into that or kinesiology.”
>> Favorite teacher: Mr. (Alan) Suemori. “He taught me in eighth grade for Hawaiian Studies. He’s super kind and friendly, and always comes out to support our team.”
>> Funniest teammate: Mele Sake. “Also known as as Mary 2jiggy. She’s a good teammate. She always brings energy to practice or whenever you’re around her. She’s never mad or sad. She always makes the room brighter.”
>> Smartest teammate: Abby Tanaka. “Right now, she’s in AP Japanese because she wants to study in Japanese next year. She always helped me in that class.”
>> GPA: 3.78
>> Time machine. “I’d meet my mom’s dad. His name is Jiji (Sakata). He passed away before I was born. He was a big sports fan, I heard.”
>> New life skill: Cooking. “I learned how to make this garlic shrimp pasta.”
>> Bucket list: Tahiti and Bora Bora. “It just looks super nice. I want to stay in one of those bungalow things above the water. It seems really relaxing.”
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