Alexis Pana added an inch to her lanky frame over the summer, but her basketball game grew by leaps and bounds.
During the break, Ben Pana took his Keaukaha girls basketball club team to the mainland to log in tougher game competition, and check out colleges.
His daughter Alexis Pana and several of her Hilo teammates went along, including fellow Viking juniors Shalyn Guthier, Sharlei Graham-Bernisto, and Kalana Yamabe-Seguban, senior Chailey Cabalis, and sophomore Cherish Quiocho.
In July, Keaukaha played in the Oregon Trail tournament, at Seattle and finished the summer trip in Las Vegas.
At every stop, there were college coaches in the crowd, armed with scholarship offers and sales pitches.
“Lexi improved a lot over the summer,” Ben Pana said. “She grew an inch to 5 feet 10 and she’s hard to guard right now, as long as she keeps her head in the game and improves.”
From last season, her skill-set package was on display during the Big Island Interscholastic Federation season as the Vikings finished as the Division I league runner-up.
She was a 5-9 point guard who often found the open shooter. Her instinctive passing, built from her years in club ball, was only one part of an all-around game.
Last season, Lexi was named to the All-BIIF Division I first team along with her sister Aliyah Pana (now at UH-Hilo), and Graham-Bernisto. Konawaena point guard Chanelle Molina was the player of the year, and teammate Ihi Victor was also on the first team.
In 2013 as a freshman, Lexi made the All-BIIF first team, along with Aliyah Pana, who was then a junior.
State all-around show
In February at the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division I state tournament, Lexi really flourished on both ends of the floor, doing all the little things that make a big difference.
In a first-round 62-34 win over Leilehua, she scored 14 points on 5 of 6 shooting, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range. Lexi was also charged with only one foul, showing she could play aggressive defense without giving the other team free throws.
In a 62-61 victory over Roosevelt in the quarterfinals, Lexi struggled with her shot (10 points on 2 of 7 shooting) and ball-handling (two assists to six turnovers).
But she did the little things. She got two blocks and two steals, and went 6 of 8 from the free-throw line, the most attempts for the Vikings. That put more Rough Riders in foul trouble, often key in tight games.
In a 57-47 semifinal loss to Lahainaluna, Lexi had the same assist-to-turnover numbers. But she had all of Hilo’s four blocks, and added four steals.
She scored 11 points on 4 of 8 shooting, but made just 3 of 6 free throws. Still, Lexi’s length, intuition and tenacity will always be assets, a reason she consistently racks up blocks and steals.
In an interesting matchup, Hilo will play Lahainaluna at 1 p.m. Saturday at Kawananakoa Gym to conclude the three-day preseason Viking tournament.
In the third-place 64-60 loss to Mililani, Lexi had her best all-around performance: team highs of 17 points on 7 of 15 shooting, including 3 of 5 from long range, eight rebounds and six steals. She cleaned up her ball-handling and had an assist-to-turnover count of 3 and 3.
No surprise, Lexi landed on the All-Tournament Division I team. The rest of the players were from Punahou, Lahainaluna or Mililani.
College charm
During the summer trip, Lexi sharpened her post game with face-up and back-to-the-basket moves. Her ball-handling is a permanent muscle memory skill, like riding a bike, so her versatility is an attractive weapon, especially with a step-out 3-point stroke.
All that’s missing is muscle, which will be gained when she enters college in two years – remember Lexi is just a junior – with a weight training program.
It’s no surprise that the college coaches turned on the charm when they started talking to Ben Pana. They know a hidden gem when they see one.
It’s not often that there’s a 5-10 small forward disguised as a point guard, with the ability to score inside-and-out, and play smart defense and team ball.
“There were a bunch of colleges over the summer looking at her,” Ben Pana said. “A few gave her offers, but she’s not really jumping on anything yet. She’s got two more years. But the most consistent schools have been Portland, Arizona State, Central Washington, San Francisco, New Mexico State and other California schools.
“Hawaii has been to a few of her games. But the others have been talking to her consistently, emailing her every week. She got sent personal life letters, with a team explaining about their retreats and bonding activities.”
Future teammates?
It’s no secret Rainbow Wahine coach Laura Beeman is hoping that Molina, Konawaena’s athletic 5-7 junior point guard, becomes the next Keisha Kanekoa, a BIIF star who makes a four-year impact at UH.
Kanekoa, a 2007 Honokaa graduate, is now a graduate assistant at Central Washington, a Division II school and part of the West region, which also includes UH-Hilo.
When Kanekoa comes back home, she’s a mentor to Lexi, who works out with the former Dragon, and soaks up all the helpful tips like a sponge.
“Central Washington loves Lexi’s length,” Ben Pana said. “They talked to Lexi and Chanelle. Secretly, they’re hoping one school will take the both of them, and they can play college ball together. Whatever coach pulls that off will have a beautiful backcourt.
“In July, we cruised the Central Washington campus. Jeff Harada (the Wildcats coach) told us he was bringing Keisha up there and Lexi’s eyes flickered. They watched Lexi and Chanelle when they went to Arizona with Team Aloha the past April.”
Central Washington doesn’t have anyone from Hawaii on its roster yet, though Harada is a former Hawaii Pacific coach and Kanekoa is a grad assistant.
“They’re in the most competitive conference in all of Division II,” Ben Pana said. “Who knows what will happen? They’ve put a full-ride on the table for Lexi. Even though it’s D-II, they’ve got what she wants to study in college. They’ve got one of the best veterinarian facilities in the country. That’s what she wants to be.
“No matter what division she plays, education is the key. She’s mature and she’s looking out more for her education than playing at any certain school. That’s good and I like that.”
From all the emails and friendly letters Lexi has been getting, it’s pretty obvious that the college coaches like that, too, as well as her all-around game.
