KSM’s girls basketball team finished their first winning season with a 28-22 loss to Maui High during last night’s Maui Interscholastic League Division I tournament at Seabury Hall.
It was an especially hard loss given that it was the first time since 2006 that the Warrior basketball girls were widely considered serious contenders for a state slot.
The game got off to a slow start. The Warriors spent the majority of the first quarter and the beginning of the second quarter killing time on the clock, with little to no active challenge from Maui High.
Coach David NeSmith said he employed this strategy to “get the game going the way we wanted it to be played.”
Junior Tori Cambra didn’t make a decisive move in to take a shot until there were only 18 seconds left in the first quarter, but the shot missed, and Maui High’s Jordan Vega made the first basket of the game, ending the quarter at 2-0.
Maui High’s head coach, Mr. Gilbert Silva, noted that the girls are always sure to keep an eye on Cambra. “She’s a very good player. Kamehameha [Maui] plays with a lot of heart ,” he said.
The second quarter started with a free throw point by Maui High’s Patricia Batoon, taking the score to 3-0.
Throughout the quarter, KSM was able to catch up and eventually pass Maui High thanks to two-point shots by sophomore Ashley Tanoue-Singson, freshman Jayden Almeida and two baskets by Cambra. Madison Vaught and Almeida put up an additional two points via free throws.
The quarter ended at 10-5 with a closing basket by Maui High’s Vega just before the buzzer.
KSM and Maui High kept the game close throughout the third quarter, staying within three points of each other at most. The quarter ended, 16-14, with KSM ahead.
From the beginning of the fourth quarter, Maui High pushed their way into the lead. With nine successful baskets against KS’s four, Maui High took the win with a score of 28-22.
Patricia Batoon was one of the Sabers’ strongest players for the night. She accounted for at least nine points for Maui High and made 83% of her free throws. Batoon said that she thinks she did okay, but could have done better. She was glad that her team was able to pull it together towards the end.
Coach Silva was grateful for his team’s hard work. “My two senior captains, Jamia Degala and Megan Malubay, played with determination and desire. They pushed the younger girls to keep playing hard and pick up where it counted. This was the best they’ve ever played,” he said.
Coach Silva said that the strategy for states will be working on speed.
Kamehameha Maui’s Coach NeSmith said that he was proud of the girls for a season’s worth of dedication. He said, “It hurts to lose, but overall we did well. With the program continuing to build, I have a feeling there are great things ahead of us in the future.”
