Caiyle Kaupu didn’t make a 3-pointer, but she did everything else for Konawaena: scoring, rebounding, setting solid screens and controlling the tempo against Hilo.
Kaupu scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and the Wildcats defeated Hilo 54-42 on Wednesday in a BIIF Division I game at the Vikings Gym.
The Wildcats (1-0) shot a scorching 63 percent (23 of 36) from the field, including just 1 of 9 from 3-point range. They didn’t really need their perimeter scoring because of their dominance in the paint.
Kaliana Salazar-Harrell added 13 points, hitting one 3-pointer, and Grace Hing had eight points for Konawaena, which led 26-18 at halftime.
Keirstyn Agonias and Tatiana Rideout each scored 10 points, and Veda Galima added seven points for the Vikings (1-1), who shot 34 percent (17 of 49) from the floor, including just 3 of 17 from beyond the arc.
“We played very hard on defense,” Konawaena co-head coach Dawnyelle Awa said. “When we went to the zone, we didn’t rotate. When we went to man, everybody worked hard.”
The Wildcats seem to have the Vikings’ number. They beat Hilo 37-33 in the BIIF semifinals last year. In Hilo’s preseason tourney, Konawaena won 42-39 behind Salazar-Harrell’s 21 points, including four 3-pointers.
Like the last time, Agonias and Kaupu guarded each other while Kawaha and Keani Midel took turns shadowing Salazar-Harrell. The Viks did a much better job with their off-ball defense.
Once Salazar-Harrell comes off a screen, the Wildcats zip a pass to her, and she’s got a lightning-quick release. She doesn’t need much space to get her shot off.
However, the Wildcats scored a few too many easy points, getting transition layups when no one from Hilo hustled back on defense and several putbacks from Kaupu, who was an early force inside, scoring eight points in the first half.
The Vikings had just six turnovers. The Wildcats had 12 turnovers. Hilo couldn’t capitalize on its extra possessions because of its ice-cold shooting. The Viks moved the ball for clean looks; the ball just didn’t drop.
Galima was a defensive terror early with a steal and layup to get Hilo within 16-12 in the second quarter with under six minutes. Later, Midel drilled a 3-pointer to trim the lead to 18-16, and Agonias dribble-penetrated through Kona’s zone to get Hilo within 19-18 with 3:07 left.
But Konawaena closed the second quarter with a 7-0 run. Hing dropped in a basket, drew a foul and made her free throw. Salazar-Harrell picked Hilo’s pocket and dropped in an easy layup, and Kaupu fired a pass to Juliana Losalio-Watson, who was all alone under the basket for another too easy score and a 26-18 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, Kaupu put on a scoring clinic with eight points. She scored on a pair of drop-step moves, added a pair of drives to the basket and got four more points in the paint, where she does her best work.
Konawaena carried a 38-31 lead into the fourth quarter, and the closest Hilo got was 44-38 when Agonias sank a layup with 3:55 remaining.
The Wildcats neutralized Hilo’s pressure by dribble-driving to the rim for layups or trips to the free throw line. They went 6 of 6 in the final eight minutes. Salazar-Harrell hit a pair of free throws for a 54-42 cushion with 8.1 seconds left to ice the game.
For the most part, Kaupu was too much for Hilo to handle.
“She did other things. She rebounded and played defense,” Awa said. “But when it was her time, she took over.”