HONOLULU — The Kaua‘i Red Raiders magical run through the Hawaiian Airlines Girls Basketball State Championships came to a crashing halt Friday night. After a dominant opening game, followed by a thrilling one-point semifinal victory, the Red Raiders struggled in
HONOLULU — The Kaua‘i Red Raiders magical run through the Hawaiian Airlines Girls Basketball State Championships came to a crashing halt Friday night.
After a dominant opening game, followed by a thrilling one-point semifinal victory, the Red Raiders struggled in the opening quarter against Kamehameha-Hawai‘i and couldn’t recover, as the Warriors outgunned the Red Raiders, 57-36 Friday evening at Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu.
Although the Red Raiders fell short of the championship, head coach Sandi Nadatani-Mendez said the loss wouldn’t have any bearing on how the most successful season in team history will be viewed.
“This group of girls will always have a special place in my heart,” Nadatani-Mendez said following the game. “Kaua‘i High School has never played in a state championship before. There are no words for how far they came.”
The Red Raiders’ shot at the championship was greatly hampered by a first quarter that saw Kaua‘i miss on its first six attempts. Meanwhile, the Warriors’ ability to create fastbreak layups left the Red Raiders down 22-5 after the first quarter. The Warriors were paced by the sibling duo of Casey and Chelsea Poe. The sisters combined for 30 of the Warriors points, while the whole team shot over 50 percent from the floor.
Kaua‘i picked it up in the second quarter, led primarily by Casey Anacleto and Kawehi Louis-Diamond. Louis-Diamond struggled mightily to open the game, missing her first seven shot attempts, but adjusted to playing on a different court and finished with 11 points, tied with Anacleto for the team high.
Nadatani-Mendez said her shooters struggled to adjust to the NBA style rims of Blaisdell Arena, and that the large stage may have played a role in the slow start.
“It definitely took a little bit to get a feel for the baskets,” she said. “There were definitely some nerves out there. Nobody has played in this type of championship game before.”
Team leader Kristle Henry, who scored 24 points in the Red Raiders opening win, was the target of the Warrior defense and was limited to 7 points as she dealt with getting into foul trouble early on.
The Red Raiders recouped in the second half and were only outscored by three over the final two quarters.
The Red Raiders improved their shooting percentage from 26 percent in the first half to 42 percent in the second.
Despite the loss, Nadatani-Mendez said the Kaua‘i girls enjoyed playing on the large stage. With the game broadcast on television and the girls getting close ups with the camera, Nadatani-Mendez said making that far in the state tournament was worth the trip to O‘ahu.
“It was really cool for everybody,” she said. “It was a lot of fun. The girls had a great time.”
