Prep Beat

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Thursday, May 15, 1997

Junior Rainbows win state tourney berth

By Cindy Luis
Star-Bulletin

It was a case where the sum was greater than the parts.

Balanced scoring, patient defense and accurate free-throw shooting lifted University High School past Kamehameha, 39-28, yesterday at McCabe Gym.

The Junior Rainbows earned the Interscholastic League of Honolulu's second berth in next week's Hawaii High School Athletic Association state girls' basketball tournament. It'll be the first appearance in five years for UHS, the state champ in 1982 and '84.

Kasey Tabar hit half of her game-high 12 points from the line in the second half to help University (11-4) break open the contest.

"Anything that puts points on the board is a key," said Tabar. "We did a good job at ball control, controlling the pace, and took good shots. We really wanted this win."

The Junior 'Bows took the hard road to the state tournament, eliminating two-time defending champion Iolani Tuesday, then ousting Kamehameha (10-5), last year's runner-up. The teams had tied for second place in the ILH.

"After we beat Iolani, we knew we could do it against (Kamehameha)," said UHS's Nikki Drevno, who had seven points. "Usually we have trouble with the press but we took good care of the ball and didn't make any bad passes. We played good defense and tried to shut down their shooters."

University frustrated Kamehameha's shooters with 2-3 and 2-1-2 match-up zones. With senior captain and leading rebounder Shannon Searle on the bench with the flu, the Warriors had little luck getting the ball inside against the taller Junior Rainbows.

"We struggled with their height," said Kamehameha senior guard Risse Hodson, who scored seven points. "We missed Shannon out there, her motivation and ball-handling. We didn't have the patience we needed. When they sped things up, we couldn't."

When Kamehameha was patient, the game was even. The Warriors rallied from an early 12-8 deficit to take their only lead of the game (15-14) on Hodson's basket six seconds before the half.

University, which had opened the game with 1-of-11 shooting from the floor, went 13 of 21 in the second half. Cheri Melson's putback to open the second-half scoring gave the Junior Rainbows the lead for good.

Kamehameha managed just one basket in the third quarter to fall behind, 24-20. A free throw by Hodson pulled the Warriors to within 24-21 early in the fourth but University went on a 12-2 run over the next five minutes to clinch the victory.

Kamehameha was led by Brie Ventura's 10 points and Kimela Keahiolalo's eight rebounds and four steals.

University High  5  9  10 15-39

Kamehameha  2  13  5  8-28

University High: Tabar 12, Pascua 8, Melson 8, Drevno 7, Wilson 2, Vakasausau 2, Fuller 0.

Kamehameha: Ventura 10, Hodson 7, Keahiolalo 5, Kiaha 4, Enos 2, Porter 0, Self 0, Copp 0, Chang 0, Kapeli 0, Frank 0, Domingo 0.

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Seariders, Falcons advance

Star-Bulletin staff

Waianae rallied for five runs in the third inning to defeat Roosevelt, 10-4, yesterday at Stevenson Intermediate School field in an Oahu Interscholastic Association baseball playoff game.

The Seariders will play Kalani at 1 p.m. Saturday at Aloha Stadium to determine which team earns the fifth OIA berth in next week's state baseball tournament.

Ikaika Akana's three-run double was the key hit for Waianae.

Waianae    005   011   3-10   12   0

Roosevelt    200   002    0-   4   7   2

Phillip Sarono, Kaulana Kuhaulua (6), and Bobby Lee Tavares. Kurt Murata, Darren Ishizu (6) and Hunter Haliniak and Roland Saito (4). W-Sarono. L-Murata.

Leading hitters-Waianae: Tavares 2-4; Kuhaulua 2-2, 2 RBIs; Joseph Soares 2-4; Ikaika Akana 2-2, 2b, 3 RBIs; Cliff Cabral 2b; Mike Simpson 2b. Roosevelt: Sean Yokotaki 2-4, 2b; Murata 2-2, 2-run HR, 2 RBIs; Kris Maeda 2b.

Kalani 4, Nanakuli 2: At Nanakuli, reliever Robert Shimabuku struck out four in three innings and gave up two hits to get the win.

Adam Smith hit a two-run homer in the first for Kalani.

Kalani    210   010   0-4   4   1

Nanakuli    010   000   1-2   8   2

Carl Pires, Robert Shimabuku (2), Shane Komine (5) and Collin Funamura, Michael Yasunaga (2); Edmanuel DeFreitas and S. Ganeau. W-Shimabuku. L-DeFreitas.

Leading hitters-Kalani: Adam Smith, 2-run HR; Pires, 2-3. Nanakuli: DeFreitas, 2-4; S. Ahsui, 2-4.

Kamehameha 14, Punahou 13: At Joey DeSa Field, Duke Sardinha's homer in the bottom of the seventh lifted Kamehameha to victory in an Interscholastic League of Honolulu makeup game.

The win kept the Warriors (14-6) in the hunt for a state tournament berth. They play at Mid-Pacific today at 3:45 p.m.

Punahou    003   900   1-13   16   3

Kamehameha    512   500   1-14   10   2

Justin Wayne, Chad Giannetti (2), Kent Okihiro (5) and David Sugihara; Adrian Contreras, Dane Sardinha (4), Lanakila Niles (4) and Dane Sardinha, Jesse Aloy (4), Dane Sardinha (4). W-Lanakila Niles. L-Kent Okihiro.

Leading hitters-Punahou: Blair Suzuki, 3-5, 2b, 3 RBIs; Sugihara, 2-4, HR; Scooter Martines, 2-4; Keenan Sue, 3-5, 2 2bs, 3 RBIs; Scott LaFountaine, 2b, 2 RBIs; Jared Kitamura, 2-4; Keola Ane, 2-4, 2b. Kamehameha: Shane Chan, 2-4; Mikel Okouchi, 2-2; Paki Lum, 2-4, 2 3-run HRs; Niles, 2-run HR; Duke Sardinha, HR.