Tribune-Herald
Juniors Shereena Bird and Hunter Liftee led a balanced attack as Honokaa all but clinched a postseason bye.
Bird and Liftee each scored 12 points and junior Shemika Frazier added 11 on Thursday night in Kailua-Kona to power the Dragons past Kealakehe 78-12 in a Big Island Interscholastic Federation girls basketball game.
Senior Keana Kaohimaunu and sophomore Jasmine Castro added 10 apiece for Honokaa (5-2), which led 27-1 at the end of the first quarter and 54-6 at halftime.
The Dragons can clinch the West’s top seed at the BIIF Division II tournament with a victory against Hawaii Prep (4-3) on Saturday night in Waimea. Because Honokaa won the teams’ first meeting 67-24, the Ka Makani need a 38-point victory to garner a bye into the semifinals.
Teria Kekuaokalani scored five points for the Waveriders (0-7) on their Senior Night.
Honokaa 27 27 16 8 —78
Kealakehe 1 5 5 1— 12
Waiakea 67, Keaau 34: Sophomore Nicole Antonio scored 13 points and senior Daven Namohala-Roloos added 11 as the Warriors coasted at home on Senior Night to win for the sixth time in their last seven games.
Waiakea (6-3), which has earned the East No. 2 seed and a date with Konawaena in the BIIF Division I semifinals, takes a three-game winning streak into its regular-season finale Saturday night in Pahoa.
Senior Taylor Pocock led the Cougars (2-7) with a game-high 16 points.
In Waiakea’s 48-10 JV victory, Kaelya Iwamoto scored 10 points.
Keaau 5 8 7 14 —34
Waiakea 16 13 19 19—67
Hilo 54, Ka’u 11: Sophomore Chailey Cabalis scored 13 points in Pahala as the Vikings moved one step from clinching a perfect regular season.
Junior Aliyah Pana and freshman Shalyn Guthier each added 10 points for Hilo, which will try to improve to 10-0 tonight against Kamehameha in Keaau. That will be the Vikings final tuneup before facing the Waveriders on Feb. 1 in the BIIF Division I semifinals at Kealakehe High School.
Casey Koi scored three points for the Trojans (1-8), who will travel to either Hawaii Prep or Honokaa on Wednesday in the first round of the Division II playoffs.
Hilo won the JV contest 57-22. Jennifer Caro and Faith Loeak scored 14 and 10 points, respectively, for the Vikings.
Kerri Domondon had six points for Ka’u.
Hilo 18 17 14 5—54
Kau 1 6 0 4— 11
Kamehameha 50, Pahoa 37: Junior Casey Poe scored 19 points to lead the host Warriors.
Sophomore Riana Arima added 14 points for Kamehameha (7-2), while senior Namele Naipo-Arsiga had 10.
Ranchell Berinobis led the Daggers with 13 points. With Ka’u’s loss to Hilo, Pahoa earned a home playoff game against Kohala on Wednesday in the first round of the Division II playoffs.
Kamehameha, the top seed in the East, gets a bye into the Division II semifinals.
In JV, Kyla Aguiar’s 24 points paced Kamehameha’s 40-34 win.
Pahoa 2 9 10 16 —37
Kamehameha 12 19 10 9—50
Konawaena 72, Kohala 35: Freshman forward Ihi Victor scored 17 points, and freshman guard Chanelle Molina added 16 as the Wildcats remained undefeated.
Victor also pulled down five rebounds for the Wildcats (7-0), who have won 55 consecutive league games. Senior guard Hoku Liftee added 13 points for Konawaena.
Senior guard Sheana Cazimero had 12 points and two rebounds for Kohala, which ended its regular season 2-6.
Konawaena 23 17 18 14 — 72
Kohala 6 10 11 8 — 35
