Bitanga Returns To Lady Cougar Den In A Big Way

Wednesday - February 04, 2009
By Jack Danilewicz
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Keely-Marie Bitanga passes the ball to Cougar teammates during a recent practice. Photo by Byron Lee, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

It didn’t take long for word to get out about Kaiser’s Keely-Marie Bitanga, who burst onto the prep basketball scene like a meteor during her freshman year when she led an out-manned Kaiser team to a 53-49 road win at Kahuku.

That game had marked the first home loss for the Red Raiders in more than two years, and Bitanga was the catalyst that night, putting up 18 points while battling one of the top players in the state in Kahuku’s Artevia Wily.

After transferring to Roosevelt for two seasons, Bitanga returned to Kaiser last semester to play for her father, first-year Cougar coach Simon Bitanga, and is in the midst of a solid senior season.

She recently took some time away from her busy schedule to answer some questions for MidWeek.

What is your earliest basketball-related memory? Being a part of the first team to form Eastsidaz. We started out as a team to play for fun and didn’t win a whole lot of games. The more we played together, we began to gel as a team, and that’s when the competitiveness developed.


 

When we hit high school, that’s when we all played for different schools, but we remain friends and still keep in touch, and that’s the best part.

What has made basketball your sport of choice? Before I was introduced to basketball, I played soccer for a couple of years. During that time, my dad was the junior varsity boys basketball coach at Kaiser. I went to all of their practices and games, and that’s when my interest started.

Who has had the biggest impact on you in your life and why? My mom. She wants to save the world. She always thinks of others, tries to do a good deed every day, and she always says every day is a beautiful day even when it’s storming outside. The doors of communication are always open to talk. Her advice always makes me feel better. She’s someone I would choose as a friend if she wasn’t my mom.

Who is your basketball mentor? Is there a player whose game you have tried to emulate or look up to? I look up to Diana Zane, a 2008 graduate from Roosevelt. She is a great basketball player. I use to be scared of her when I played against her. Then I transferred to Roosevelt and played with her. It was completely different. Her aggressiveness and mental toughness inspired me to try to play like her. She did exactly what she was told and more. She wasn’t afraid to step outside the box. Not only is she a great player and student, she’s also a great person. She kept her grades up and excelled in everything. She is a perfect role model for young adults.

I know you’ve played for your father for a number of years - first with his Eastsidaz Club, and now that he is the head coach at Kaiser. What is it like playing for your dad? I LOVE IT! I can’t see myself not playing for him, and I’m happy that I can end my high school season with him as my coach.


Who plays the toughest defense among your teammates in practice? I would have to say Shelby Pa. She is new to this style of play, but she works hard at every practice. She doesn’t care who she is up against - she’ll try her hardest no matter if the person is bigger, smaller or the same size as her. Her eagerness to learn and step up her game inspires other girls who play her position to do the same.

What part of your individual game did you try to work on this off-season? How would you assess your progress in that area? I’m always trying to work on mental toughness. It’s always a work in progress for me.

Who on the Kaiser roster has surprised people this season? I think people are surprised and astonished by Chelsy’s (Okuma) performance. Her endurance is amazing. She’s an honor student, she runs cross country and track, plays soccer and basketball during the same season, and she also plays softball. She manages to play soccer and basketball back-to-back on some days and doesn’t complain. Like Diana Zane, she is a great role model for young adults.

What is your favorite pre-game meal? I’m not a picky eater. I’ll eat anything, but a major must is Triple X Vitamin water (acai-blueberry-pomegranate). YUM!!!

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? I’m not sure what the future holds, but I’m hoping to become a dentist.

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