Last season, Hilo had everything in its favor — especially the Pana sisters, Aliyah and Alexis, in their final time together — to take down Konawaena, the greatest program and basketball powerhouse in league history.
The Vikings had an athletic, experienced starting lineup that featured balance on both sides of the ball, including a pitbull man defense, and a nice transition attack.
Konawaena has captured the past six Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division I titles, and the last one was by far the toughest.
To add to its resume, Konawaena has qualified for the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division I state tournament 13 consecutive times, and brought home championships in 2004, ‘07, ‘09, ‘11 and ‘12. No other BIIF team, boys or girls, has that track record of state success in any sport.
Last season, Konawaena, basically, had only one ball-handler in point guard Chanelle Molina. When she gave up the ball, coach Bobbie Awa’s team was often in trouble and vulnerable to turnovers.
The BIIF championship last season at Keaau High was an all-time classic. The long-time defending champs were cast in the unlikely role of underdog, and the challenger as heavy favorite.
Konawaena beat the Vikings 46-45 for the BIIF crown to extend its league record to 69-0 during that six-year title reign.
It wasn’t easy.
Hilo put defensive ace Sharlei Graham-Bernisto on Molina, for the most part, and forced 21 turnovers. The better ball-handling Vikings had just eight turnovers.
The Vikings led 45-44 with a minute left, but Molina dribbled around Alexis Pana on a screen, eventually got fouled, and made two clutch free throws for the tying and go-ahead points.
A year later, Hilo is still taller than Konawaena. But now, Konawaena has more ball-handlers with Molina, her freshman sister Cherilyn and Mikaya Tablit, and Lahainaluna High transfers, from Maui, Lindsay and Taylor Bates and Aloha Salem, a Molina cousin.
Hilo coach Ben Pana believes his team’s pitbull man defense, and experience with four returning starters (Alexis Pana, Shalyn Guthier, Chailey Cabalis and Graham-Bernisto) will be difference-making factors.
He’s looking at Cabalis, the only starting senior, to step forward and take charge in her last season.
“Chailey is lightning quick and she got faster than last year, and I thought she was already fast,” Pana said. “I’m expecting big things out of her because it’s her senior year. Every time we talk, I tell her, ‘That’s one less practice this year.’
“She’s come a long way. She’s more confident driving to the basket and a little more aggressive. Defensively, she’s right where we want her to be, as far as anticipating, jumping passing lanes, and rebounding. She’s solid fundamentally and has shown a lot of growth in basketball and as a person overall.”
Versatile Viks
Faith Loeak, a 5-foot-5 junior, was the junior varsity’s point guard last season. She’ll step into the lineup as a shooting guard because Pana, who directed the offense last year, grew an inch and is now a versatile 5-10 small forward. Next to a big who can pass out of double teams, nothing opens the floor better than multiple sharp shooters.
The team already has an in-house point guard replacement in Graham-Bernisto, a 5-4 junior, with solid ball-handling skills.
“Faith is quick. If you leave her open, she’ll hit the 3-pointer,” Pana said. “She’s probably our best 3-point shooter next to Lexi. The fun part about her is that she likes to play defense. You won’t find too many kids who like to play defense first.”
Guthier, a 5-7 junior, will be an undersized center, and counted on to be a presence in the post on both ends. Cabalis, a 5-8 power forward, is a stretch player like Pana, who has the skill-set to score from anywhere.
“Lexi is more of a threat this year, shooting, driving to the basket, posting up and creating mismatches,” her dad and coach Ben Pana said. “Chailey will be a mismatch. She’s able to post and built her post game over the summer. She’s able to step out and drain a 3-pointer and take someone off the dribble. She can give us a lot of mismatches and create havoc.”
Swarming D
There’s no such thing as zone defense for Pana’s Vikings, and they’ve got a defensive gem in Graham-Bernisto, who relies on her court savvy.
“She’s able to read who she’s guarding and anticipates a lot,” Pana said. “She studies other players and knows their tendencies. If they’re right-handed, she’ll force them to go left. She’s got a nose for keeping the person in front of her. She brings that pressure and aggressive side to that end of the ball.”
Guthier will be a key post defender. The Vikings need her to grab rebounds and feed balls to the wings to start the transition attack. And there’s no basket that deflates a team more – other than a buzzer-beater – than an untimely putback.
“Now that Aliyah graduated (now playing at UH-Hilo), Shalyn will be our main person in the post,” Pana said. “She’s also been working on her mid-range jump shot. She’s more confident taking that shot. And she’s a little more physical than she’s been in the past.”
Hilo’s athleticism really comes into play with its defensive coverage, especially the footwork to cut off drives and passing lanes, and the quick, long arms to poke away steals.
“Lexi’s length helps a lot,” Pana said. “She anticipates a lot of things, too.”
Hilo girls preseason
basketball tourney
Thursday-Saturday
Kawananakoa Gym
Thursday
Kamehameha-Hawaii vs. Keaau, 4 p.m.
Lahainaluna vs. Hawaii Prep, 5:30 p.m.
Hilo vs. Mililani, 7 p.m.
Friday
HPA vs. Kamehameha, 4 p.m.
Mililani vs. Lahainaluna, 5:30 p.m.
Keaau vs. Hilo, 7 p.m.
Saturday
Keaau vs. HPA, 10 a.m.
Kamehameha vs. Mililani, 11:30 a.m.
Hilo vs. Lahainaluna, 1 p.m.