KEALAKEKUA — The streak lives, albeit by the slimmest of margins.
Behind a furious fourth quarter comeback, Konawaena (4-0) defeated Hilo 46-44 on Monday night at Ellison Onizuka Gymnasium, extending the program’s win streak over BIIF foes to 120-0.
“There were a lot of emotions there at the end,” Konawaena junior Caiyle Kaupu said. “Coming in, we knew people were doubting us, so it felt really good to pull it off. I’m proud of this team.”
The last time Konawaena lost a league game was to Waiakea for the BIIF title in 2008.
Kaupu scored 22 points for the Wildcats, including a pair of contact layups late in the fourth quarter that resulted in 3-point plays. She also had all six of Konawaena’s points in the third quarter to keep the boat afloat.
“Caiyle made some big plays at the end. That was huge for her,” Konawaena head coach Bobbie Awa said. “In big game situations, she’s the leader on the court. The ball will be in her hands and she has to make the right decisions.”
However, Konawaena played the biggest possession of the game with Kaupu — the team’s best post defender — sidelined after fouling out with just over a minute left.
Down 45-44 late and inbounding the ball with 17 seconds left, Hilo had a chance for the win. But the Wildcats’ swarming defense stood strong in the paint as Hilo looked to take advantage of Kaupu’s absence. Both team’s watched as a pair of contested tries rolled off the rim.
A foul was called with one-second left and Konawaena’s Juliana Losalio-Watson sealed the game, making one of two from the line on the other end.
“It could have gone either way,” Awa said. “The girls stepped up big at the end.”
Despite being in an unfamiliar situation down late, Kaupu said there was no doubt in her mind that her Wildcats could pull it off.
“Never,” she said. “It’s never over until that buzzer goes off.”
Freshman Kaliana Salazar-Harrell gave Konawaena its first lead of the fourth quarter with a pair of free throws with 1:55 left. She finished with 10 points. Junior Grace Lyn Hing added 7 points, including a clutch 3-pointer off the glass to aid the fourth-quarter run.
Hilo (1-1) left Kealakekua without a victory, but plenty to build on, putting the four-time defending D-I state champions on the ropes. The Vikings aren’t scheduled to meet up with the Wildcats again unless their paths cross in the postseason.
“I’m happy with how our girls performed,” Hilo head coach Cliff Kawaha said. “They played hard, smart and never gave up. I’m impressed with them.”
Tatiana Rideout hit a trio of 3-pointers and had a team-high 14 points for Hilo. Freshman Keirstyn Agonias added 12 and also played tough defense on Kaupu for most of the night.
Kawaha knows a roll here and a bounce there might have provided a different kind of bus ride back to the east side of the island.
“We have to finish,” Kawaha said. “I know it came down to the end, but we made some mistakes through the game and let them come back. Two years in a row we haven’t been able to finish. We just have to learn to close out these kind of games.”
Awa joked that when she asked her girls if they were nervous before the game, they all responded with a swift, “no.” But there’s no tricking the veteran head coach. She knew there were some jitters heading into the first real test of the BIIF season for her youth-heavy roster.
“It’s OK — they’re young so it’s expected,” Awa said. “We need more games like this to get ourselves better and used to playing in these situations. This was good for them.”
When asked about the team’s mindset heading into the game, Kaupu kept it simple.
“Don’t lose,” she said with a smile. “You don’t want to be the team that ends the streak.”
So indeed, the streak lives another day — 120 and counting. And if Kaupu and the rest of the Wildcats have their way, it won’t be ending anytime soon.
“We have that urge to win,” Kaupu said. “Everyday these girls are working hard to be better and never settling. We’re young, but don’t count us out.”
In the JV contest, Konawaena beat Hilo 46-38.
Hilo 17 6 9 12 — 44
Konawaena 16 9 6 15 — 46