Sabers Supremacy: Campbell Contains Moanalua Offense in OIA Division I Championship
By: Paul Brecht
MOANALUA — The Campbell Sabers used a stifling defense and runs in the second and third quarters to down Moanalua, 28-22, in the OIA Division I girls varsity basketball championship Wednesday night.
“Defense is our bread and butter, we have the personnel to do it,” Campbell head coach Jazmine Corpuz said following the win. “We work on it a lot, work on a lot of defense, work on a lot of moving our feet.”
That defense, especially on the perimeter on Moanalua guard Braylee Riturban, allowed Campbell to survive a rare nightmare shooting performance.
“Hats off to Moanalua,” Corpuz continued. “They gave us a challenge, they pressured us and they made us stink. We haven’t had that in a while so I’m super proud of the girls for staying in it, sticking to what we know and staying within ourselves and battled.”
Points were tough to come by all night, as evidenced by a 6-4 first quarter that saw the Sabers leading thanks to a pair of Julien Parado 3-pointers. Riturban struggled to get airspace in the opening period, getting her first points late in the action.
End of 1st @OIASports DI GBB championship:
— Paul Brecht (@12brecht) January 26, 2023
Campbell - 6
Moanalua - 4
Defense reigns supreme in the opening quarter. Parado’s 3-pointers the only buckets in the 1st for the high-powered Campbell offense. #OIAgbb
She changed that in the second, knocking down a triple to give Na Menehune a 7-6 lead. Campbell went back ahead, 9-7, by the media timeout midway through the quarter but continued to find themselves limited in transition.
Na Menehune threw a 1-2-2 zone defense at the Sabers throughout the first half, forcing outside shots that would not fall until the end of the first half.
Campbell’s Taysia Molina-Schulte hit from long range from the top of the key right before halftime for the Sabers’ first 3-pointer since the game’s opening minutes, capping a 9-0 run to finish the period and head into the locker room up, 15-7.
The run continued into the third quarter, as Na Menehune opened in a man-to-man defense. Campbell got downhill penetration against Moanalua, extending the lead.
Moanalua opens the second half in a man-to-man defense look and Campbell immediately feasts getting to the basket.
— Paul Brecht (@12brecht) January 26, 2023
21-10, Sabers lead. 4:37 remaining in the 3rd quarter. #OIAgbb
Right as the Sabers seemed to be pulling away, Na Menehune calmly fought back once again and stayed within reach. By the media timeout midway through the fourth quarter, Moanalua had cut the lead down, 28-20, with 3:34 remaining and possession of the ball.
A basket and critical stop later, Na Menehune looked to pull off a miracle on a night that points were coming at a premium. Another timeout by Moanalua head coach Kirk Ronolo set up a possession that could allow the East’s top seed to make it a one-possession game with over a minute a half left.
Down by 6 with 1:49 remaining and the ball, Moanalua calls timeout for a crucial possession.
— Paul Brecht (@12brecht) January 26, 2023
Tons of credit to Na Menehune. Just when Campbell looked to be pulling away, Moanalua fought back again. #OIAgbb
“Tonight we were up and down on [capitalizing on possessions] but we were able to make it up on the defensive end,” Corpuz replied discussing her team’s second half effort. “You cannot have an off-day on defense. Offense will come, we will have off days on offense. Defense has got to be the same.”
Campbell’s defense was on display, forcing a turnover by Moanalua coming out of the break and forcing Na Menehune to foul. Though the Sabers struggled at the line to close the game, the offensive rebounding presence of Campbell drained the waning seconds as the West’s Division I leaders claimed the title, 28-22.
Campbell head coach Jazmine Corpuz presented with the championship plaque and celebrates with the Sabers #OIAgbb pic.twitter.com/y7Ln8vBlly
— Paul Brecht (@12brecht) January 26, 2023
Campbell forced 18 turnovers en route to victory and were led by Julien Parado’s 8 points and 11 rebounds. Aliyah Bantolina chipped in 6 points to go with a pair of steals, while Jaynalyn Sotelo and Taysia Molina-Schulte each had 5 points for the Sabers.
Moanalua was paced by forward Akaecia Mateo’s 10 points and 9 rebounds. Braylee Riturban had 5 points, while Jamie Smith gave 4 points to go with 7 rebounds in Na Menehune loss.
Each team now waits for the opening of the HHSAA Girls Basketball Division I state championship tournament, which will play the opening round on Monday, January 30. The state championship game is slated to be played at Stan Sheriff Center on Friday, February 3 at 7:00 PM HST.

Photo by: Alan Velasco
MORE HAWAII SPORTS

Gallery: OIA Softball Campbell vs. Waianae
Campbell shuts out Waianae 7-0 in OIA DI West showdown PHOTOS BY KU'ULEI AGBAYANI | MARCH 18, 2023 FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Waianae 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 Campbell 0 2 1 0 0 4 X 7 7 1 [adrotate...

Battle in the Bayou: Rainbow Wahine Head to Baton Rouge for NCAA Tournament Test against Reese, LSU
Battle in the Bayou: Rainbow Wahine Head to Baton Rouge for NCAA Tournament Test against Reese, LSU BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU PUBLISHED MAR 17, 2023 BATON ROUGE — Selection Sunday provided the Rainbow Wahine with a nice little surprise. Last...

Battle-Tested ‘Bows Take Down Long Beach to Reach 2nd Straight Big West Title Game
Battle-Tested ‘Bows Take Down Long Beach to Reach 2nd Straight Big West Title Game BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULUPUBLISHED MAR 10, 2023HENDERSON, Nev. — Two games. Two nail-biters. Two Big West Tournament wins for the Rainbow Wahine. The 3-seed...

Four Rainbow Wahine Register Double-Digit Points, ‘Bows Beat UCSB on Senior Night
Four Rainbow Wahine Register Double-Digit Points, ‘Bows Beat UCSB on Senior Night BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULUPUBLISHED MAR 5, 2023MANOA — Revenge is a dish best served… as a celebration on Senior Night. The University of Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine...

University of Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors Spring Football News, Notes & Observations — Week 4
University of Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors Spring Football News, Notes & Observations — Week 4 BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULUPUBLISHED MAR 4, 2023MANOA — It’s official, the ‘Bows spring program has come to a close. 15 windy, rain-filled practices later and the foundation...