KAILUA-KONA — Kohala won the opening tip, but after that it was all Kamehameha-Hawaii in the BIIF Division II Championship at Kealakehe on Friday night.
Using a combination of stifling defense and effective shooting, the Warriors downed the Cowgirls 50-17 to reel off a second consecutive BIIF title.
“The starting five set the tone, and it didn’t drop off after that,” Kamehameha head coach Weston Willard said. “Our strength is really our parity. It was a full team effort today.”
The Warriors shot 54 percent from the field and built up a 41-5 lead by half. Jordun Mantz and Taylor Sullivan led the way, each netting 14 points.
Mantz hit on three of four of her 3-point attempts, which was no surprise to her coach, who has seen the junior guard reel off a few perfect games from the floor this season.
“When she’s on, she’s on,” Willard said.
The added pressure of a BIIF championship game obviously didn’t weigh much on Mantz. With a clear head, her trio of 3-pointers in the first half were huge momentum boosters with Kohala slumping.
“The difference is going out every night with the right mindset,” Mantz said. “I had a few games in the middle of the season where I wasn’t hitting at all. But I just kept going in the gym. If I stay calm and relaxed, things usually work out.”
Sullivan did her damage from under the rim, shooting 5 of 7 from close range and converting all four of her free throws.
While Mantz and Sullivan were lighting up the box score in the first half, Kohala was having a hard time lifting the cover off the rim, especially with standout center Mikayla Kekoa in early foul trouble. She finished with six points and 10 rebounds, but the Cowgirls made just two shots in the first half and their only point of the second quarter came on a late free throw by Shania Fuertes.
The full court pressure by the Warriors forced 18 turnovers — most around midcourt — and Kohala was just 1-of-14 from the free throw line in the game.
The final result was a stark contrast to the regular season meeting between the teams, where the Cowgirls led after the first quarter but eventually fell 46-36. However, the turnovers were the common theme. Kohala had 36 the first time the teams met.
“The score was not indicative of the game. Kohala is a solid team and every possession was competitive,” Willard said. “They missed some free throws. If they hit those and (Kekoa) doesn’t get in foul trouble early it’s a different game.”
Kamehameha’s defending BIIF DII player of the year Saydee Aganus thrived in the fast paced contest, stuffing her stat line. She scored just four points in limited minutes due to the blowout, but added five rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals in a complete effort. She was more than happy to give the ball up when she saw her teammates thriving.
“We felt like we had to keep up the tempo and it was good to see everyone finishing,” Aganus said. “I get a lot of help from my teammates.”
That uptempo style is exactly what Willard likes about his young squad, which features just one senior but a bevy of juniors with big game experience.
“With the athletes we can put on the floor and the pressure we can put on at 1 through 5 on offense and defense — that’s us and that’s how we want to play,” Willard said.
Both teams advance to the HHSAA state tournament next week on Oahu, territory the Warriors know well.
Kamehameha boast some of the best championship pedigree in the state when it comes to Division II. The program has captured the DII state title four times (2005, ’07, 12’ and ’13), and has been the runner-up five times, including a 44-31 loss to Hawaii Baptist in the title game last season.
“It’s hella been on my mind,” Mantz said of that runner-up finish. “We won’t be taking anything or granted.”
With the majority of his starting lineup intact from a year ago, Willard feels his team deserves one of the top two seeds in the tournament, although he acknowledges the tough competition that lurks on Oahu. However, he also noted that the Big Island boasts one of the more competitive regular season circuits.
“We get to play really good competition in the regular season against DI teams like Hilo, Waiakea and Konawaena,” he said. “When we are playing out best, we feel like we are good enough to win states.”