Aliyahna Morris pumped in 11 of her 25 points in the first quarter as Etiwanda (Calif.) soared to victory over ‘Iolani 75-40. Grace Knox added 25 points, including a couple of 3-pointers, and Arynn Finley tallied 11 points in a balanced scoring attack for the Eagles (4-3).
Rayah Soriano splashed three treys and finished with 11 points for the Raiders (10-3), the five-time defending state champions in Hawaii.
“I’m happy. We played hard today,” Etiwanda coach Stan Delus said. “We’re still working on a lot of things, trying to execute. Our effort and energy were really good. Early on, our fullcourt pressure was good. We had to take it off and make sure we did a good job containing. They did a good job of pushing the tempo on us. All in all, we battled well and we knocked down timely shots.”
The Raiders were within 7-5 in the first quarter, but Knox, a 6-3 senior, knocked down a wing 3 as they took control with a 15-2 run. Finley and Morris took turns feeding each other on the fast break for layups, and after Aliyah Phillips sank two foul shots to end the first quarter, Etiwanda had a 22-7 lead.
The Eagles led 43-16 at halftime.
Justice Kekauoha chipped in nine points for the Raiders.
“My shots were not going in, but I tried my best to help my team in every way possible,” Kekauoha said. “Our team did really good.”
‘Iolani is continuing to evolve as injuries have taken a toll. Young players are stepping into significant roles with more minutes.
“My team and I already know we’re the underdogs. Everybody wants us to lose. Some people. We have to swing the ball, just keep attacking and keep rotating the ball,” Kekauoha said.
The Eagles have been busy with their national schedule and an all-new starting five. The matchup with Long Island Lutheran is probably the biggest battle so far this season.
“It’s a good challenge. It’s going to be our fourth national game. It’s going to help us continue to get better because California playoffs are so difficult,” Delus said. “That’s what got us our last two championships. It’s a new group (for Long Island) like we have a new group. They present a lot of issues. They play really hard, so we’re really going to have to match that intensity tomorrow.”
