#LeiahNaeata

Kahuku's Naeata headlines best OIA East ballers

Sophomore guard Leiah Naeata helped Kahuku go 14-0 during the OIA season. CJ Caraang | SL 2019 All-OIA East Girls Basketball selections selected by ScoringLive staff Player of the Year: Leiah Naeata, Kahuku Coach of the Year: Latoya Wily, Kahuku FIRST TEAM Taeya Blakeney, Kaiser Kaelyn Espinda, Kaimuki Kalena Halunajan, Kalani Kamalu Kamakawiwoole, Kalani Leiah Naeata, Kahuku SECOND TEAM Trinidee Kahunahana, Kaiser Colby Lane, McKinley Sadie Ann Luiz, Roosevelt Rave

No. 8 Konawaena holds off No. 5 Kahuku

SALT LAKE — No. 8 Konawaena isn't ready to give up its crown just yet. The Wildcats, winners of the past four state titles, staved off a late push by fourth-seeded and fifth-ranked Kahuku for a 46-42 win in the quarterfinals of the Snapple/HHSAA Division I Girls Basketball Championships at Moanalua Thursday night. Freshman guard Kaliana Salazar Harrell scored a game-high 22 points with five made triples and junior forward Caiyle Kaupu notched a double-double of 17 points and

Sophomore guard Leiah Naeata fuels Kahuku's rise to the top of OIA girls basketball standings

JAMM AQUINO/ JAN. 24 Leiah Naeata scored 33 points in helping Kahuku dethrone Kalani for the OIA title. Off the court, she is a scholarly pupil with a sparkly smile and easy-going manner. On the basketball court, Leiah Naeata takes no prisoners. The 5-foot-7 sophomore leads a young Kahuku team with ease, with vigor — with wisdom. She also plays fast with a certain fury that never ceases. Kahuku’s unbeaten season in the Oahu Interscholastic Association capped off with a stun

Q&A: Kahuku sophomore standout Leiah Naeata

Kahuku sophomore Leiah Naeata came up huge in the OIA title game with 33 points, eight rebounds and seven assists against Kalani. Photo by Bruce Asato/Star-Advertiser. The Lady Raiders of Kahuku never wavered. The ups and downs made them stronger as they rose to capture the Oahu Interscholastic Association girls basketball Division I title last week with a 63-59 win over Kalani. Leiah Naeata surpassed expectations all season, capping it with a 33-point, eight-rebound, seven

Kahuku hangs on to dethrone Kalani

Leiah Naeata poured in 33 points as No. 9 Kahuku stunned No. 4 Kalani 63-59 to capture the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I girls basketball championship on Thursday night at Radford’s James Alegre Gymnasium. “We knew if we could handle their awesome fullcourt pressure, we would win the game,” said Naeata, a sophomore. Defense was key for Kahuku, which got torched early on by Kalani sophomore guard Kalena Halunajan, who scored 15 points in the first half, mostl

Leiah Naeata’s 33 points powers Kahuku to OIA title

Kahuku celebrated after beating Kalani for the OIA D-I girls basketball title. Photo by Jamm Aquino/Star-Advertiser On paper, this was Kalani’s championship for the taking. Three players back since the last time the Lady Falcons met Kahuku, including Kamalu Kamakawiwo‘ole and Alayna Akiona. When Kahuku won at Kalani 51-48 during the regular season, it wasn’t a true test of the OIA East’s top teams at full strength. On Thursday night, there was no doubt. No. 9 Kahuku got a

Kahuku dethrones Kalani for OIA D1 championship

The Red Raiders embrace each other after holding off Kalani to win the OIA D1 championship. CJ Caraang | SL ALIAMANU — In a showdown that pitted the best teams from the East Division, No. 5 Kahuku took down reigning champ Kalani, 63-59 to win its first Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I title since 2005 at Radford's Jim Alegre Gymnasium Thursday. The Red Raiders (14-0) completed an undefeated run through OIA play with the win while ending the sixth-ranked Falcons'

Kahuku, Kalani advance to OIA D-I girls basketball final

JAY METZGER / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER Kahuku’s Leiah Naeata, left, drove to the basket against Kaiser’s Macy Hill during Tuesday’s OIA girls basketball tournament semifinal game at Radford. Leiah Naeata is a point guard and more. The sophomore gave her team what it needed, five offensive rebounds in the third quarter, to spark a 15-0 run as No. 9 Kahuku pulled away for a 55-37 win over Kaiser on Tuesday night in the semifinal round of the Oahu Interscholastic Associati

Kalani, Kahuku to play for OIA D1 title

Kalani's Shelby McDaniel paced the Falcons defensively against Mililani while Kahuku's Leiah Naeata led all semifinal scorers with 17 points against Kaiser. CJ Caraang | SL ALIAMANU — For Kamalu Kamakawiwoole, it is not how many she scores, but when. The senior shot an uncharacteristic 1 for 13 from the field, but that one came with five minutes, 13 seconds left as part of an 8-0 run to help No. 6 Kalani rally past No. 10 Mililani, 38-34, Tuesday to advance to Thursday's Oa

Leiah Naeata crashes boards as No. 9 Kahuku ousts Kaiser

Kaiser's Taeya Blakeney (35) and Kahuku's Meleane Tonga (1) battled for a rebound. Photo by Jay Metzger/Special to the Star-Advertiser. In the end, the rebounding numbers were almost dead even for No. 9 Kahuku and Kaiser. Kahuku outboarded Kaiser 31-30 in the final tally, but it was the third quarter when Leiah Naeata took the lead role. The sophomore point guard scored eight points and grabbed seven rebounds — five on the offensive glass — in the pivotal third period as th

Hoopbook: Kahuku flourishing despite departure of Kaufusi

Kahuku's Sisilia Kaufusi, an All-State Fab 15 selection last year, has transferred to a school in Utah and is no longer with the team. Photo by Bruce Asato/Star-Advertiser. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel had a hit song back in 1970 that proclaimed, “Cecilia, you’re breakin’ my heart. You’re shakin’ my confidence daily. Oh Cecilia, I’m down on my knees. I’m beggin’ you please to come home.” Kahuku knew that feeling well a month ago, though the Lady Raiders have roared to success

Pascua, Naeata led Lunas, Red Raiders last week

Female Athlete of the Week: Leiah Naeata, Kahuku basketball When Leiah Naeata first joined the Kahuku girls basketball team last year, coach Latoya Wily saw enough out of her to tab her as a captain, despite being just a freshman. This season, the 5-foot-7 guard has taken her game — and her leadership — to another level. "For me and my coaching staff, it was about putting that responsibility on her as a freshman because we were looking to build this program and we needed some

No. 10 Kahuku overtakes No. 6 Kalani

Kahuku's Leiah Naeata rises up for a layup against Kalani Tuesday night. Greg Yamamoto | SL In a showdown between the top two teams in the OIA East, the knockout punch came in the final period of play. Tenth-ranked Kahuku outscored No. 6 Kalani by eight in the fourth quarter for a 51-48 win to at Earl C. Homer Gymnasium to pull into first place in the OIA Division I East standings Tuesday night. Leiah Naeata scored 22 points to lead the Red Raiders, who improved to 5-0 in the

Congrats to Sisilia Kaufusi!

Congrats to Sisilia Kaufusi for being selected to the ScoringLive Division I ALL HAWAII Girls Basketball 2nd team . . . that makes here one of the 10 best girls basketball players in the State! Accolades to Leiah Naeata for being an Honorable Mention selectee. Bella Cravens of Maryknoll via Laie was selected to the 1st team. See the entire team @ Division I ALL HAWAII Girls Basketball 2017-2018 #SisiliaKaufusi #LeiahNaeata

Kahuku's Kaufusi headlines All-OIA East picks

Kahuku's Sisilia Kaufusi puts up a layup in an OIA East contest against Moanalua on Jan. 6. CJ Caraang | SL 2018 All-OIA Girls Basketball Eastern Conference selections Selected by ScoringLive staff Player of the Year: Sisilia Kaufusi, Kahuku Coach of the Year: Chi Mok, Kalani FIRST TEAM Kaelyn Espinda, Kaimuki - Junior Sisilia Kaufusi, Kahuku - Junior Logan Luke, Kalani - Senior CC Pollard, Kalaheo - Senior Delylah Sanerivi, Moanalua - Senior SECOND TEAM Alayna Akiona,