The cat is out of the bag for the UH-Hilo women’s basketball team, which embarrassed Chaminade 89-49 with a school-record 17 3-pointers, including 6 of 8 from Sierra Cavaletto last Friday.
The No. 6 seed Vulcans (13-9) play No. 3 Academy of Art (16-9) in the first round of the PacWest championships at 10:30 p.m. Thursday in Fresno, Calif.
UHH won the first game 66-58 at home and lost the road rematch 69-54.
“They play strong pressure defense and are the No. 1 offensive rebounding team,” coach David Kaneshiro said. “They’ve got good, quick, skilled athletes. They’ve got really good balance.”
Chanel Stuart, a 5-foot-8 guard, leads the team in scoring with 11.4 points per game. Lauren Manns, also a 5-8 guard, is second at 9.7 ppg, and Alisha Wilson, a 6-2 center, is third at 11.3 ppg.
The most points Cavaletto had scored was seven against Chaminade on Feb. 9 and Holy Names on Feb. 15. The most minutes she played was 18 against Biola on Jan. 15 when she scored five points.
But everything clicked for Cavaletto, a junior transfer from Santana Barbara College, who scored 22 points on 7 of 10 shooting in 15 minutes against the woebegone Silverswords, who have had 16 straight losing seasons.
The Urban Knights might not remember Cavaletto, a 5-8 guard, because she played only three minutes and scored zero points in the first game and didn’t play in the second.
But thanks to the internet, the Urban Knight have likely seen video of her and won’t let her fire uncontested 3-point shots. They rank ninth at 33% on defending 3-point shots.
The Vulcans are second in 3-point percentage at 37%. Sara Shimizu, who averages 10.5 ppg, leads the team in 3-point shooting at 43%. Mandi Kawaha leads the team with 15.9 ppg. Coming off the bench, Cavaletto’s percentage is 56% on 14 of 25 shooting from long distance.
Kaneshiro is certain he can’t spring Cavaletto off the bench for an injection of 3-point shots without being covered.
“If they didn’t know about her, I’m sure they know now,” he said. “Every day after practice, she’s getting shots up. I’m happy for her. She worked really hard. She’s improved a lot throughout the season.
“We need her as well as everybody. We have to take care of the ball, play good defense and have a total team effort.”
The Vulcans are the best defensive team in the PacWest, allowing a league-low 59.8 points per game.
Cavaletto was a recruiting gift from Santa Barbara coach Sandrine Krul, who contacted Kaneshiro two years ago before COVID-19. So she was a pandemic recruit, no school visit and communication by phone.
“She’s a great fit with the rest of her teammates and in the community,” Kaneshiro said. “I talked with her parents. Her hometown (Goleta, Calif.) is similar to Hilo. The coach spoke of her work ethic, how she’s unselfish. She’s a great fit, and we’re lucky to have her.”
Cavaletto averaged six points and four rebounds for the Vaqueros, who went 15-9 last winter and was named the team’s Most Improved player. The Vaqueros qualified for the postseason in her two years.
She’s a psychology major and received a scholarship for leadership in the community. She enjoys skateboarding and going to the beach, so she’s a perfect fit for Hilo and the Vulcans.