Girls basketball

Rhea Nobleza bided her time, patiently waiting for her chance on Saturday. The senior guard pumped in 14 points, including 10 in the second quarter after sitting out the first, as Moanalua ran away with a 55-21 win over a gritty Nanakuli squad in an OIA quarterfinal-round battle Saturday night. Junior guard Shanti Castillo added 11 points, including 5-for-6 from the free-throw line, and dynamic freshman guard Alofa Simanu had three points and seven assists. Ava Atagi chipped in nine […]

All they wanted was a chance to fill a void in the schedule. Kamehameha, ‘Iolani and Punahou are getting all they wanted and more. No. 1-ranked Kamehameha opened the inaugural Honolulu Hoops Showcase with a 65-34 win over Bakersfield Christian (Calif.) on Thursday at ‘Iolani. Center Nihoa Dunn dominated with 18 points on 9-for-12 shooting from the field. The 6-foot-1 junior also hauled down 10 rebounds. Makenzie Alapai added 14 points on 5-for-7 field-goal shooting. Ruby Yanagi had 11 points, […]

Some bonus material from this week’s prep feature story on Hanalani senior Ellana Klemp. This is the stuff that we didn’t have space for from the story and her Q&A. * * * Q&A Ellana Klemp Hanalani basketball Sr. Did you know? >> All three Klemp siblings are Hanalani student-athletes. Her older brother Jackson (class of 2023) ran cross country and younger brother Trevor (2026) plays basketball. >> Ellana’s first name is pronounced el-LANE-ah. Top 3 movies/shows 1. “The Notebook” […]

Junior guard Pua‘ena Herrington scored all 27 points in the first three quarters and No. 3-ranked Maryknoll saw its 23-point lead melt down to eight in the final minute for a 62-52 win over King’s High (Seattle, Wash.) on Thursday night at the HBA Invitational. Senior point guard Hailey Perez tallied 12 points, including two key free throws with 49 seconds left after the Knights had cut a 60-37 deficit to 60-52. Skylyn Moore added 11 points and four steals. […]

Here’s a look at the 2024 Star-Advertiser Girls Basketball All-State Fab 15 bonus round. Voting by a panel of coaches and media. 1. Lola Donez, Lahainaluna, G, 5-11, Sr. 27 ppg, HHSAA record 41 points vs. Waiakea Shooting is easy, but scoring is work. Donez’s relentless, persistent scoring attacks at all three levels is matched by a superb hoops IQ. More than one season of Donez would’ve changed the landscape for Lady Luna basketball, but sometimes, the journey provides the […]

From near and far, many of Hawaii’s finest girls basketball players arrived at lower gym of ‘Iolani School on Monday morning. When the day was done at the Mufi Hannemann Jamboree, Lahainaluna senior Lola Donez was a 3-point champion and a key contributor for tournament team champion Team Red. The 3-point contest had a head-to-head format that whittled down a dozen or so shooters. In a one-minute time frame, the gunners went to each of five spots to score. After […]

This Hoopbook is long overdue and it took a state-tournament record night by Lola Donez to trigger it. Donez was in sniper mode, but ordinary sniper, during a 41-point performance on Wednesday night. Green light, tough off the dribble with the mid-range J from anywhere, and especially strong going to her left — the mark of a true workaholic hoopster. Lahainaluna needed all of it in a 69-66 win over a talented Waiakea squad. As a combo guard in a […]