Kamehameha-Hawai`i head coach Garrett Arima said before Friday’s home finale that he hoped that his team would have enough energy to survive all four quarters to compete with the Hilo Vikings.
The pace of play was quick all evening long, and it was to the benefit of the Vikings, who rolled past the Warriors 70-44 to improve to 14-5 overall and 7-1 in Big Island Interscholastic Federation girls basketball play.
The pace was quick from the opening tip. Kamehameha-Hawai`i senior Casey Poe won the opening toss, tipping the ball ahead to Makamae Gabriel, who scored on a layup to open the game. The Warriors opened the game on a 7-2 run, putting the Vikings on edge early.
Hilo, like a true championship contender, found a way to respond, riding the toughness of Sharlei Graham-Bernisto to put up a 7-0 run of its own to take a 9-7 lead. From there, the Vikings kept the pace up, looking to run at every opportunity they could.
That fast pace was enforced on the defensive end, too, with the Warriors having to bring up the ball against full court pressure. That took a toll on the home team, who started to show signs of wear as early as the late stages of the second quarter.
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Kamehameha-Hawai`i (15-7, 6-3) hung tough with Hilo throughout most of the first half, guided by the senior Poe, who scored eight of her team-high 12 points in the first half. She served not only as the team’s chief physical force inside, but also brought up the basketball nearly every possession.
The second half was dominated by the Vikings in every facet of the game. Defensively, sophomore Aliyah Pana led the charge, challenging shots all over the floor. She blocked five second half shots that riled up a large Hilo following in Koai`a Gym.
Another sophomore, Shalyn Guthier, stepped forward on the offensive end, surviving early foul trouble to score nine second half points. She led the Vikings with 13 points.
It was not the result that Kamehameha-Hawai`i was hoping for, especially on senior night for Poe, who is used to playing every minute of every game, which is why she didn’t want to leave the game with 14 seconds remaining as Arima hoped to take her out to get one final ovation from the crowd. Poe finished the game with a team high 14 rebounds to complete a double-double.
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Riana Arima added 10 points for the Warriors. Kiera Kua-Ramirez and Caitlyn Poe each scored seven. The Warriors shot 25.5 percent (14-for-55) from the field for the game.
Graham-Bernisto scored 12 points for Hilo while Aliyah Pana added 11. Amber Vaughn, Chailey Cabalis, and Alexis Pana each dropped eight. The Vikings were out-rebounded 34-32, but shot 52.8 percent from the field to run away with the victory.
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