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Lunas win 17th straight MIL title

Lahainaluna downs Maui High 52-44 in MIL tourney title game, off to state quarterfinals

By Robert Collias 4 min read

PUKALANI -- They set perhaps an unbreakable win streak in the Maui Interscholastic League of 164 games -- the 12-year run was broken in 2020 -- but the streak that the Lahainaluna High School girls basketball team is most proud of is 17.

The Lunas fought to their 17th straight MIL Division I girls basketball crown with a 52-44 win over Maui High in the championship game of the MIL D-I tournament on Tuesday night at Kaulaheanui­oka­moku Gym on the Kamehameha Maui campus.

The teams came into the fourth showdown between them ranked No. 3 and No. 4 in the Star-Advertiser statewide poll. The third-ranked Lunas won the season series 3-1, winning the last three games.

"Always, they're a good team, but in the end you gotta win," said Kiera Kaniho, a 5-foot-10 senior forward for the Lunas. "It's always great -- at the end, the better team is going to win."

There is clearly a level of respect between these two combatants. Four first-team MIL All-Stars from the 2020 season -- Kaniho, Taylor Eldredge and Ledjan Pahukoa of Lahainaluna, and Kayla Thornton of Maui High -- are back this season after missing last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Lunas (12-1) advance to the Heide & Cook/HHSAA state quarterfinals next week, while the Sabers (10-3) will host a first-round game against a team from the Oahu Interscholastic Association on Monday for the right to advance to the quarterfinals.

"Most definitely, they came out better and stronger," Kaniho said of the Sabers. "During summer we played each other, all season, yeah, of course, we made each other better."

After trailing by eight early in the second half, the Sabers climbed within 31-28 on a 3-pointer from the top of the key by Lyndee Sabas, but the Lunas went on a 12-3 run from there to take a 43-31 lead on a 15-foot jumper by Kaniho with 1:42 to go in the third quarter.

Kaniho scored six points in the Lunas' run. She completed a three-point play to make it 39-28 with 3:19 left in the third quarter.

A 3 from the right corner by Leiana Thornton with 20 seconds to go brought the Sabers within 43-34 to end the third.

Tavina Harris scored from the paint to start the fourth quarter, pushing the Lunas' lead to 11. Kayla Thornton answered on the next trip down the floor for the Sabers to bring them back within nine.

Ledjan Pahukoa sank a pair of free throws to make it 47-36. Moments later, Leiana Thornton looked to be free on a breakaway layup before Pahukoa swooped in to block the ball out of bounds.

A 3-pointer by Kiana Manuel pulled the Sabers within 49-42 with 1:20 to go before Pahukoa sank three of four free throws to push the lead to 52-42 with 56 seconds left.

The game was tied six times in the first half, the last at 21-21 when Chaland Pahukoa started a half-ending 8-0 run for the Lunas with a rebound basket in the lane with 2:30 left in the second quarter.

Iolani Kaniho coached the Lunas to the MIL title in his first year at the helm. Longtime coach Todd Rickard is an assistant on this staff.

"I had a lot of help," Iolani Kaniho said. "My coaching staff was there for me all year. Every time I needed help, every time I needed somebody to turn to Todd was there. It was a team effort, I didn't do it by myself.

"The girls played their hearts out today. Ledjan, she's bad. That girl is bad."

Iolani Kaniho tipped his hat to the Sabers. Kiera Kaniho and Harris each scored 12 points, and Ledjan Pahukoa had 11 points.

"Maui High is good, Kayla is tough, her sister is good, No. 40 (Manuel), she hit a lot of shots tonight," Iolani Kaniho said. "They played a really good game, we were just fortunate that we were able to come out with some breaks, we hit some shots and closed it out."

Maui High was led by Jordyn Luna, who had 14 points, and Kayla Thornton added 12.

"It's always a battle, that's what makes it fun, this crowd out here, they had a good game to watch," Maui High coach Vic Aguirre said. "It was good for Maui, especially after COVID. It was an awesome matchup. One thing I noticed on the floor, the two teams respect each other so much. And that's hard to come by."

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com

MAUI HIGH (10-3)

Jacy Anne Dela Cruz 0, Kayla Thornton 12, Lyndee Sabas 5, Jordyn Luna 14, Natea Rosete-Tokuhisa 0, Leiana Thornton 5, Kiana Manuel 8.

LAHAINALUNA (12-1)

Ledjan Pahukoa 11, Chaland Pahukoa 9, Mary Pahukoa 0, Tavina Harris 12, Kiera Kaniho 12, Taylor Eldredge 8.

Maui High 11 10 13 10--44

Lahainaluna 12 15 16 9--52

Starting at /week.