Iolani Alumni

Competing in the 1st Annual Wahine Warriors Basketball Classic on the Big Island, the Iolani Girls Basketball team faced three tough teams from three different leagues to capture their first tournament title and maintain their unblemished preseason record (8-0).

In the opening round on Thursday, the Raiders defeated Hilo 45-42 behind 24 points by senior forward Jamie Smith. The Vikings feature all-state guard Vicky Tagalicod and are expected to be among the top contenders for the title in the BIIF.

With a 51-40 semifinal win over Lahainaluna, the MIL’s top team, Iolani advanced to the finals against ILH opponent Kamehameha (Oahu) where they turned a 1-point game after three quarters into a 46-34 win.

Smith led the Raiders in scoring in each of the three games (20.6 ppg) and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

[Photo: Honolulu Advertiser]

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The Iolani Boys Basketball team (3-1) had their own share of success at the James Alegre Tournament at Radford, advancing to the finals with wins over Moanalua (59-45) and Mid-Pacific (50-40).

In the title game, the Raiders fell to top-ranked Punahou 53-52 on a buzzer beater by Buffanblu guard Dalton Hilliard who went the length of the court with 5.5 seconds remaining to score a layup as time expired.