KEALAKEKUA – The Konawaena girls’ basketball dynasty appears to have picked up right where they left off.
Nearly two years after their last contest on the Big Island – a 43-42 victory over Waiakea to claim the 2020 BIIF Division 1 Championship – the Wildcats returned to their home court Monday night, making a statement with a 75-16 victory over Honokaa.
“It’s definitely nice to be back,” said Konawaena’s co-head coach Dawnyelle Awa. “We had a good start. Defensively we gave up a lot of penetration, but offensively, we were able to get out on the break and score some easy ones.”
A smothering Wildcat defense forced turnover after turnover early on, resulting in an abundance of transition baskets. Konawaena senior Kaliana Salazar-Harrell led the way early, scoring 22 of her game-high 34 points in the first stanza as the Wildcats took a 34-0 lead heading into the second quarter.
Honokaa finally ended the shutout early in the second, but the outcome was never in doubt as the Wildcats cruised the rest of the way. The lopsided score allowed Konawaena’s bench to get valuable game experience as the Wildcats look ahead to more competitive matchups later in the season.
“For all our girls to get some experience – we got to pull up some JV girls as well – that was great for us,” said Awa. “I wish we had some fans in here. It’s always the best environment, being at home with everyone. Just glad to be back out here.”
Honokaa’s next contest is scheduled for Friday, when they host CLA. The Wildcats will hit the road for their next game on Wednesday, when they’ll play at Kealakehe. Tip times for both contests are scheduled for 6 p.m.
Konawaena 34 21 16 4 – 75
Honokaa 0 8 2 6 – 16
Scoring
Konawaena: Salazar-Harrell 34 points, Kauhi 15, Pak 14, Kihe 8, Galletes 2, James 2
Honokaa: Ragasa 6 points, Velazquez 6, Gonsalves 2, Carvalho 1