Photos: HHSAA Division II GIRLS BASKETBALL: Kaimuki defeats Moloka‘i for division II Championship title

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Fa’asoa family brings Kaimuki a title

By Paul Honda
Honolulu Star Bulletin

Every time Kaimuki faced a new challenge in the postseason, coach Mona Fa’asoa had the right recipe.

This time, her strategy brought Kaimuki a state championship.

With 20 points from Dejah Fa’asoa and 11 from Letishah Fa’asoa — both daughters of the coach — the Bulldogs toppled defending champion Molokai 41-32 in the final of the Hawaiian Airlines/HHSAA Girls Basketball Division II State Championships last night at Blaisdell Arena.

It is the first girls basketball state crown for Kaimuki, which placed third last year.

“Molokai’s a great team. We just tried to work off their mistakes and not rush anything,” coach Fa’asoa said. “We wanted them to come out and play ‘D’ on us. We have a lot of scoring factors.”

“They were the better team tonight,” Molokai assistant coach Mike Hooper said. 

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Kaimukī captures DII Title

By Stanley Lee
Advertiser Staff Writer

At the end of the game, Dejah Fa’asoa gave her player of the game plaque to teammate Pua Akaka. Without Akaka, Fa’asoa said Kaimukī wouldn’t have won last night’s state title.

On a small, tight-knit team where they consider each other as family, it was only the right thing to do when the Bulldogs espouse rising and falling together.

“Without her in the game, we probably would’ve lost,” said Fa’asoa, who scored 20 points in second-seeded Kaimukī’s 41-32 win over defending champion and No. 1 seed Moloka’i in last night’s title game of the Hawaiian Airlines Division II Girls Basketball State Championships at the Blaisdell Arena.

Fa’asoa received the award issued by OC-16. “She did so well, she played really good defense. Without her, our defense wouldn’t have worked.”

Letishah Fa’asoa, Dejah’s older sister, had 11 points for the Bulldogs (16-2), who came together over the course of the season. Coach Mona Fa’asoa, Letishah’s and Dejah’s mother, said her team, which had just eight active players last night, would frequently text message each other at night about the following day’s practices or meals. Coach Fa’asoa said the texting was at times irritating, but it bonded the squad. 

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