Girls Basketball Rivals Playing Shoulder To Shoulder
By Jack Danilewicz
E-mail this story | Print this page | Comments (0) | Archive | RSS | Share
Del.icio.us
Kalaheo’s Kendra Fisher aims to
score. Photo by Nathalie Walker,
staff photographer
The evidence of parity in the Oahu Interscholastic Association’s Eastern Division was overwhelming last week in Windward girls basketball. With Kahuku and Kalaheo both on the wrong end of upset-losses the same night, balance around the league is at an all-time high, according to Kalaheo coach Chico Furtado.
“I’d have been surprised if anyone in our league had won out - the league is too close this year,“said Furtado, who has led Kalaheo to five overall OIA titles. “Our loss to Moanalua was disheartening but not really surprising. On any day you can get beat. That was proven with both us and Kahuku losing the same night, both to teams that were 2-3, and both (losses) at home. This is as balanced as I’ve seen the East since I’ve been coaching girls basketball.”
Kahuku and Kalaheo were to meet on Tuesday in a key East encounter before the Lady Mustangs enjoy their bye week. Kalaheo returns to action on Tuesday, April 11, when the Lady Mustangs host McKinley.
“We’re going to take an extra day off in there,” Furtado said of this week. “We’ll go out and watch Roosevelt, too. Our second meeting is going to be a big game. We’ll work on continuing to get better.”
Kalaheo’s loss last week to Moanalua was its first in six games in league play, so they entered last Friday’s game at Kaiser tied for the lead in the East with Roosevelt.
As the Lady Mustangs progress into the OIA’s second round, junior guard Shanadee Canon’s offensive output remains a focal point for the team. A pre-season McDonald’s All-American nominee, Canon is averaging an OIA-best 20.0 points per game. Against Moanalua, she was held to 9 points, the first time this year (including the Lady Mustangs’ pre-season slate) that she failed to crack double figures. She fouled out with just under three minutes remaining in that game.
“She struggled, and part of it was frustration,“Furtado said.“Four of her fouls came at the offensive end, three of them offensive charges. I don’t want to take anything away from Moanalua, which played well, but it can get frustrating when part of your game is taken away. She couldn’t get anything to go her way, offensively.”
Canon made only two trips to the free throw line in the Moanalua game after averaging 15 free throw attempts per game through Kalaheo’s first five league contests.
A strong supporting cast led by Kendra Fischer and Kaliko Kepa has helped to complement Canon’s individual efforts. Fischer tallied 13 points against Moanalua,while Kepa finished with 10.
Kepa,who is among the most versatile players in the East, will be operating more from the block in the coming weeks, Furtado said.
“She’s been so versatile that it’s allowed us to play her on the perimeter where she can do more things,“he said.“But right now,we’re struggling in the post, offensively. We’re going to make a conscious effort to keep her more around the basket.We haven’t had enough scoring punch there, and Kaliko’s strong and physical and active.”
For Fischer, 2006 has been a break-out season after she was mostly in a reserve role since transferring from Word of Life following her freshman year. She was also slowed by injury during the pre-season.
“We’ve always thought she had the potential to score since she came here,” Furtado said.“She’s shot the ball well and has given us an offensive lift.”
E-mail this story | Print this page | Comments (0) | Archive | RSS
Most Recent Comment(s):
