Lady Knights Eager To Seize Control On Basketball Courts
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usThe Castle girls basketball team’s mission in the second round of its OIA Red East slate is plainly “to finish,” to hear first-year head coach Mark Lum tell it.
“We’ve been in every game so far - and we’ve had the lead (in several), but we weren’t in the best condition (early-on),” said Lum, a longtime assistant who succeeded Jeff McKeown in the summer.
“Hopefully, we’ll be in better shape and be more ready to close out games.”
The Knights were 1-5 as they concluded the first round last week, but hopes remain high, in large part because of the sense of urgency they’ve displayed in practice.
“Win or lose, the girls always give me their best every day,” said Lum. “They have the desire to get better, and that’s all you can ask for.”
Four of Castle’s five losses came by 11 points or less, and three of the final four games will be played in the friendly confines of their own gym. Among them is Thursday’s key matchup with Kaiser, which had lost only once (to league-leader Farrington) in its first six encounters.
Kaiser won the first meeting 66-55 in Hawaii Kai Dec. 6 and is among the state’s surging programs under coach Simon Bitanga.
Lum is hoping his team can rally around its inside game when it meets the Cougars - namely, post players Leisha Liilii and Joshell Lilio.
“You don’t find many teams in Division II that have a pair of 6-footers,” said Lum. “They give us a onetwo punch, so we need to get the ball more inside. If we do that, and contain their 3-point shooting, we’ll give ourselves a chance.”
Senior Liilii is averaging 7.6 points per game, while Lilio (a junior) is scoring at a 6.5 rate.
“Leisha is just a natural talent - she could dominate the game if she wanted to,” said Lum of Liilii, who has already committed to play softball at University of Hawaii next year.
“She has a laid-back personality, but she could probably play both basketball and softball at the Division I level because of her athletic ability.
“Joshell is probably our best defensive player,” he added of Lilio, who is the daughter of Castle’s head boys JV coach Joe Lilio. “She’s a good shot-blocker, and she’s strong and can hold her ground.”
Senior point guard Cailee Awa remains the catalyst, meanwhile. She’s currently averaging a team-best 13.5 points per game, and basketball is her primary sport - a rarity on Lum’s current roster, which features an array of gifted multi-sport athletes.
“Being a pure basketball player, we look to her as our leader. Her strength is handling the ball - she has great skills - and finding people.”
Also back is junior Brittany Hawn, the team’s second leading scorer at 9.6 points per game. “I wish I had 12 more like her,” Lum said. “As a coach, you dream of having players like her. Her willingness to get better is there every day, and her attitude is outstanding.”
Balance has helped carry Kaiser to date, meanwhile, behind the play of Mililani-transfer Darcy Goulsby (10.8), Mele Adams (10.0), Makana Borden (8.8) and Kiana Nakai (7.7).
On the heels of the Cougar game, the Knights also have Red East encounters ahead at Farrington High School Dec. 28 and at home versus Kahuku Dec. 30.
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