Visitors get out of ‘vacation zone,’ rally to beat La Costa Canyon in prestigious tournament
Honolulu ‘Iolani High School’s girls basketball team touched down at LAX on Dec. 23 with two goals: Soak up Disneyland, then win some games.
The teenagers literally splashed about “The Happiest Place on Earth” on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and didn’t let a little rain – OK, at times a downpour – dampen their fun.
“It made me feel like a kid again,” said ‘Iolani freshman Charlotte Galloway.
On Saturday, the Raiders got down to business and, after a slow start, kicked it into gear. The Hawaiian visitors beat La Costa Canyon 57-41 at Canyon Hills High School in the WNBA Gold Division of the SoCal Holiday Prep Classic.
The tournament features 102 teams competing in 14 divisions, with teams from Canada, New York and across the country. The WNBA Gold is the tournament’s third-highest division.
The girls from Hawaii are accustomed to winning, having won the state championship five of the past six years. The Raiders finished second last year.
“We like to hang banners,” Justice Kekauoha, a 5-foot-7 junior guard who has Division I offers from Hawaii, Long Beach State, Idaho and Saint Mary’s.
‘Iolani trailed by 10 in the first quarter and was still looking at a 26-23 halftime deficit.
“Too much Disneyland,” said coach Cy Ohta. “We knew we’d come out slow, but were hoping it wouldn’t be that slow.”
Said Kekauoha: “I feel like I was more in a vacation zone the first half.”
A third quarter sparked by the Raiders’ defense turned things around. ‘Iolani (8-4) scored more points in the third quarter (24) than it did in the first half, bolting to a 47-35 lead.
LCC (10-2) turned the ball over on its first two third-quarter possessions. Both were converted into layups and a 27-26 lead, ‘Iolani’s first of the game. LCC hit just 3 of 17 shots in the quarter.
“We stress defense,” said Ohta. “That’s our number one thing, defense.”
In a 30-point swing, ‘Iolani went from trialing by 10 late in the first quarter to leading by 20 in the fourth.
“They have good athletes,” said LCC coach Malcolm Warfield. “They decided to step up their defense and antagonize our guards.”
Kekauoha scored 15 points, but the breakout star was 6-4 freshman Charlotte Galloway. Before the game, Ohta said Galloway was a “work in progress.” She progressed by leaps and bounds Saturday, scoring a season-high 18 points. Her previous high was 11.
LCC, which plays three freshmen, was led by Keani Brown’s 13 points. Freshman Lily Lejeune scored 10 points off the bench.
LCC is ranked sixth in San Diego by the Union-Tribune, highest among the section’s 21 Division 2 teams.
“The energy level from these kids is fantastic,” said Warfield. “Their commitment to the game is something special. These kids come in 30 minutes early, leave 30 minutes late. They ask for opportunities to open the gym for extra shots. When you have players like that, you couldn’t ask for more.”
Other scores in the tournament:
Cathedral Catholic 43, Victory Christian Academy 37: McKinley Hanlon led the Dons (8-4) with 18 points and freshman Addie Yang added 15.
Canyon Hills 49, Menifee Paloma Valley 34: The Rattlers improved to 10-0 as three players hit double figures. Sophomores Sophie Wilson and London Waggoner scored 12 and 11, respectively. Freshman Tatiana Santana scored 10.
Redondo Union 46, La Jolla Country Day 31: The 31 points were a season low for La Jolla Country Day (10-5), ranked third in the section. The Torreys’ previous low was 42. Atlanta Bass-Sulpizio led LJCD with 16.
