Prep Beat

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Friday, May 2, 1997

Unbeaten Punahou
clinches ILHtitle

By Pat Bigold
Star-Bulletin

Every time Kamehameha got close to Punahou last night, Onaona Miller was there to make the save.

The junior transfer from the Big Island played much bigger than her willowy 5 feet-11 inches, blocking seven shots, grabbing 14 rebounds (nine offensive, five defensive), making two steals and finding time to score a game-high 17 points as the Buffanblu defeated the Warriors, 48-41, at the Hemmeter Fieldhouse.

The victory clinched the Interscholastic League of Honolulu championship for Punahou, which is now 10-0. It is head coach Shelley Fey's second league title in the three years she's coached the Buffanblu since 1994. She took maternity leave in 1995 after leading Punahou to the league and state titles.

Kamehameha and Iolani are both 7-3 behind Punahou.

"We had pretty emotional pregame festivities," said Fey, referring to the presentation of leis to seniors playing their last game at the Punahou gym. The last two regular-season games will be on the road.

Recording artist Henry Kapono, father of Punahou center Momi Kaaihue, heightened the emotion by singing, "Friends," before the start of the game.

"But we knew what this game meant and I'm glad we were able to finish it off," said Fey.

Miller made sure of that.

She was at her best in the fourth quarter when Kamehameha made a determined run at the Buffanblu press.

Punahou saw its 28-21 halftime lead dwindle to 34-30 at the end of three quarters, and Kamehameha was within one point (37-36) after Kodee Domingo scored with 4 minutes remaining in the game.

But Miller forced the issue, driving baseline moments later and getting fouled by Shannon Searle. Miller sank both free throws.

Domingo narrowed it to 39-37 when she made one of two free throws at the other end, but Miller quickly answered that, making the score 41-37.

Continuing to press, Punahou got the ball back and controlled for most of the final three minutes. Miller dropped two more free throws to widen the lead to a comfortable 43-37 with less than a minute to go.

"She could go any place and make a team a contender," said first-year Kamehameha head coach Clay Cockett.

"She is an extremely versatile player and such an unselfish and humble person," said Fey.

Punahou caused 19 Kamehameha turnovers while committing 14 of its own.

Point guard Kii Spencer-Vasconcellos scored 10 points and had five steals while guard Lisa Kowal had nine points (4-for-4 from the line) and four assists.

Kamehameha, which shot 18 of 44 from the field, was led by point guard Risse Hodson's 15 points.

Kamehameha 	10	11	9	11--41
Punahou  	19	9	6	14--48

Kamehameha: Enos 1, Hodson 15, Ventura 4, Kiaha 0, Keahiolalo 4, Kapeli 0, Searle 6, Domingo 11.

Punahou: Usita 5, Nakajo 2, Miller 17, Durand 0, Kowal 9, Ushijima 0, Kaaihue 2, Spencer-Vasconcellos 10, Lum 0, Okumura 3.

Campbell 57, Waianae 42: At Waianae, the Sabers' Jeana Fisher scored 20 points in a romp to end the regular season in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Western Division.

Campbell (9-1) had a 24-23 halftime lead but broke the game open with a 20-9 third quarter. Fisher scored six of her points in that quarter.

Sanoi Sao scored 13 and Bridgit Halmos added 11 for Campbell.

Waianae's Shauntay Fletcher scored 10 of her 19 in second half.

The Seariders are 7-3.

Campbell 	14	10	20	13--57
Waianae 	10	13	9	10--42

Campbell: Fisher 20, Sao 13, Halmos 11, Pico 7, McChesney 4, Burkett 2, Domingo 0, Baldwin 0.

Waianae: Fletcher 19, Mendez 6, A. Acosta 6, C. Acosta 4, Lorenzo 3, Reinhardt 2, Irvine 2, Amina 0.

Mililani 43, Waialua 27: Kristin Anderson scored 12 of her game-high 19 points in the second half as the Trojans ran away.

Anita Askman added 12 for Mililani (5-5).

Kayla Kahuli scored five of her team-leading nine points in the second quarter for Waialua (0-10).

Waialua 	6	10	2	9--27
Mililani	13	7	11	12--43

Waialua: Dela Pena 6, Lani Ladao 2, McIntosh 4, Leona Ladao 0, Matas 6, Kahuli 9.

Mililani: Durrette 0, C. Kajiyama 2, Okimoto 0, Strong 0, Oshiro 4, Sackett 0, Tice 2, Baltero 0, Askman 12, Anderson 19, Vega 2, Inouye 2.

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Crusaders’ Morimatsu
shuts down Warriors

Kent Morimatsu scattered six hits as St. Louis defeated Kamehameha, 5-1, at Ala Wai Field yesterday in Interscholastic League of Honolulu baseball.

The Crusaders, who were led by Chad Santos' double and triple, improved to 10-4. The Warriors, who hold second place in the ILH, fell to 10-3.

Lanakila Niles took the loss for Kamehameha.

Kamehameha	010	000	0--1	6	1
St. Louis 	110	030	x--5	6	2

Lanakila Niles, Adam Contreras (5) and Dane Sardinha; Kent Morimatsu and Kona Sampaio. W—Morimatsu. L—Niles.

Leading hitters—Kam: Robert Webster, 2-3, 2b; Paki Lum, 2-4, 2b. StL: Chad Santos, 2-2, 2b, 3b; Robert Ing, 2b.

Iolani 11, Maryknoll 0: At Iolani, Greg Omori blasted a three-run homer to highlight a six-run second inning as the first-place Raiders rolled in a five-inning game.

Iolani (13-1) scored five runs on five hits in the first, two runs coming off Thad Estrada's triple.

Kano Fong yielded three of Maryknoll's (3-12) four hits over four innings to earn the win.

5 innings, 10-run rule

Maryknoll 	000	00--0		4	1
Iolani	 	560	0x--11		11	0

Bryce Higa and Brian Higa; Kano Fong, Melvin Wong (5) and Scott Tagima. W—Fong. L—Bryce Higa.

Leading hitters—Iolani: Greg Omori, 3-run HR; Keoni DeRenne, 2-2, 3; Thad Estrada, 2-2, 3b, 2 RBIs.

Punahou 15, Damien 3: The Buffanblu exploded for seven runs (three unearned) in the third inning to improve to 8-5 in a six-inning game.

Chad Giannetti went all the way for Punahou, yielding five hits.

Keenan Sue and Brent Kunimura each drove in a pair of runs for the Buffanblu.

Damien fell to 1-13.

Punahou		107 	034 -- 15 	12 	2
Damien	 	000 	210 -- 3	 5 	3

Chad Giannetti and David Sugihara, Barry Burgess (4); Mike Cezar, Shannon Lau (5), B. Candido (6) and J. Vergason.

Leading hitters—Pun: Keenan Sue 2-3, 2 RBIs; Brent Kunimura 2-3, 2 RBIs; Keola Ane, 3B.

Mid-Pacific 18, UHBA 12: At Mid-Pacific, Cyrus Oh Young went 3-for-4 and drove in four runs as the Owls (9-5) prevailed in a 30-run, 38-hit slugfest.

Jensen Muraoka had a grand slam for UHBA (2-13) in the sixth inning.

Mid-Pacific 	322	020	9--18	19	1
UHBA	  	010	016	4--12	19	1

Chad Tanaka, Brendon Fujimoto (2), Kenneth Yamaoka (6) and Chad Ramos; Kris Cambra, Nathan Pang (7), Brent Matsuda (7) and Coree Motonaga. W—Fujimoto. L—Cambra.

Leading hitters—MPI: Cyrus Oh Young, 3-4, 2b, 3b, 4 RBIs; Jared Kato, 2b; Lane Nogawa, 3-5, 3b, 3 RBIs; Shaun Ebesutani, 2-4, 2b; Darren Imada, 3-5, 2b, 3 RBIs; Blake Sing Chow, 2-3, 2 RBIs; Chad Ramos, 3-4, 2 2bs; Bryan Lee, 2b. UHBA: Jensen Muraoka, 3-4, 2b, HR, 4 RBIs; Nathan Pang, 3-5; Mike Ganialongo, 3-5, 2b; Motonaga, 2-3; Cambra, 3-4, 2 2b; Ty Sakaguchi, 2-4, 2b.