Konawaena feeds on doubt, turning any negative perception into fuel for their fire.
When there was only Cherilyn Molina, Mikayla Tablit, and Caiyle Kaupu, the last core of the team’s championship run, left to shoulder the load in 2018, many around the state had prematurely crowned Maryknoll, of the ILH, as a state champion.
The Wildcats adjusted their tempo and beat the Spartans for their fourth straight state title, changing the narrative of the powerhouse built by coaches Bobbie Awa and her daughter Dawnyelle Awa: the Wildcats can win when people don’t think that they can.
Then last season, Waiakea defeated Konawaena twice, snapping the Wildcats’ long BIIF winning streak at 124 games and 10-year league title reign.
Then the 2019-20 season began with Molina and Tablit gone, but the Wildcats had a seasoned Kaupu and a sharpshooter in Kaliana Salazar-Harrell, who came aboard last year.
While players come and go, the system stays in place. The team chemistry, seen in the sublime ball-movement, is a constant staple, so is the ball-sharing mentality, passing up a good shot to give a teammate a better scoring opportunity.
It helps that most of the players are raised in the Kona Stingrays club team, learning early how to play tough defense without fouling and working hard to sharpen rough edges.
Konawaena defeated Waiakea 43-42 in the BIIF Division I girls basketball championship game on Wednesday at Afook Chinen Civic Auditorium, continuing a new unbeaten streak.
No one can doubt Konawaena now, not after pulling out a thrilling victory.
“We do (feed off doubt),” co-coach Bobbie Awa said. “I didn’t have a pen in the locker room but wrote ‘UB’ with my finger and they figured it out. We had unfinished business. We wanted to bring the trophy back to Konawaena.”
The Warriors (10-2) next play in the state tournament’s first round at 3 p.m. Monday at their gym.
The rest of the state tourney runs Feb. 6-8 on Oahu.
Salazar-Harrell scored 16 points on 5 of 11 shooting, and Kaupu added 11 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Wildcats, who shot 34 percent, including 1 of 9 from 3-point range and made 16 of 28 free throws.
Jazelle Dorser and Destynee Williams each scored eight points, and Tayvia Cabatbat had seven points, and Kelsie Imai chipped in six points for the Warriors, who converted 36 percent, including 2 of 11 from beyond the arc.
Konawaena took a 23-14 lead at halftime but had difficulty scoring in the third quarter. The Warriors outscored the ‘Cats 9-6 in the third period.
Waiakea outscored Konawaena, 28-20, in the second half.
The Wildcats played for the last shot in the third quarter with 1:02 remaining, but the Warriors got the ball back with four seconds left. Imai dribbled down the court and converted a 3-pointer at the buzzer. Konawaena took a 29-23 lead into the fourth period.
“It was a great game,” Kaupu said. “Our bench was really involved.”
In the fourth period, Ayana Meyer swished a 3-pointer to cut Kona’s lead to 38-32 with 2:21 remaining.
Then the Wildcats were shaky from the free throw line in the final eight minutes. They made 5 of 10 free throws, the last by Juliana Losalio-Watson for a 43-39 lead with 26.6 seconds to go.
Cabatbat immediately scored in transition. It was 43-39, Konawaena ahead with 11.1 seconds to play.
Time could not drain fast enough for the Wildcats, who had to inbound the ball. They did but Salazar-Harrell was trapped in the corner and threw the ball up.
Cabatbat came down with the rebound and was fouled with two seconds left on the scoreboard. She made the front end of a one-and-one but missed the second.
The Wildcats rebounded the ball with .6 on the clock. Konawaena inbounded the ball and time ran out.
In the first half, the Wildcats made sure to get easy baskets. They hit four layups and went 8 of 13 on free throws.
Waiakea got one layup and went 2 of 2 from the free throw line.
Kaupu had five points in the first half, and Salazar-Harrell had seven points. She drained a 3-pointer and sank two layups.
The Warriors were unable to unleash their running game. Williams got Waiakea’s only layup off a turnover. Otherwise, the Wildcats hustled back on defense.
In the first half, Smith, who guarded Kaupu, had three personal fouls while Kaupu and Salazar-Harrell each had two fouls.
Smith did a standout job limiting Kaupu’s touches and held her to 4 of 7 shooting. The Warriors chased Salazar-Harrell and held her to 1 of 5 shooting from 3-point territory.
The Wildcats struggled with their shooting and had eight assists and 10 turnovers. The Warriors couldn’t hit free throws either. They made 10 of 18 from the charity stripe and had nine assists and 13 turnovers.
But Konawaena knows how to close out games, even if it isn’t pretty.
“We had too many turnovers and it was a little sloppy,” co-coach Dawnyelle Awa said. “But we toughed it out and got the win.”
