By Timothy Leoncio

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The MHS varsity girls basketball team took to the courts despite having a reduced roster and slugged it out from Feb. 10 to 12 at Moanalua High School to contend for the Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) state title. While a victory was posted in the consolation round with the game against Nanakuli, the Lady Trojans eventually ended their post-season with losses to Radford and Leilehua.

“I don’t regret anything,” said Captain Senior Summer Bolibol. “I’m proud of all the girls for playing hard and sticking through and wanting it as bad as the next guy out there on the court. I’m glad I was able to end my senior year with sort of a bang.”

With a spotless regular season record and a pivotal win over Kaiser in the Oahu Interscholastic Association playoffs, the team was able to secure a spot in the state tournament.  However, the time before states proved to be demanding for the team as it faced several unforeseen roster changes and adjustments. “The biggest challenges coming into the playoffs was losing two out of five starters,” said Head Coach Patrick Basilio. “We lost (Junior) Shantel Appleby to injury and (Freshman) Talia Brandner left the team for family reasons.  We also lost one of our key contributors, (Sophomore) Hope Carter, prior to the state tournament as she had a volleyball commitment.”

With these changes in motion and eight players left on the list, the team had to re-evaluate their strategy and come together to face the opposition ahead. Junior Megan Shimabukuro stated, “A lot of the girls had to step up and I don’t think we were completely ready to take on that big task, but considering everything that happened before, we actually contributed really well.” Basilio added, “I have never coached a team that has fought through so much at such a key juncture in the season.  This team refused to use losing players as an excuse, and to the contrary, used the unfortunate incidents as fuel to work harder. The resiliency of the team, led by the three seniors, will go unparalleled for a very long time.”

With a united effort, the girls opened their state championship run with an exciting game against Radford High School. The game remained tight throughout its duration, with Mililani only being down by three at one point, until the very end when Radford won, 42-37. “For us, every play was a big play and there was really no play that you could pinpoint,” said Bolibol. “Everyone did phenomenal that game.” Shimabukuro said, “(Radford) was a pretty close game and I was able to contribute by hitting some key shots. Overall, we did really well, but it just didn’t end in our favor.”

The next game saw Mililani take care of their opponent Nanakuli, winning with a score of 43-35. Following their win was a loss – their final game of the season – to Leilehua, 44-52. The girls, although not necessarily satisfied with the overall outcome, were grateful for the camaraderie and experience. “It would’ve been great to win, but you know what, just being in that tournament alone just said a lot because a lot of people doubted that Mililani girls basketball had anything left in them, so I’m actually really proud of our season and states,” said Bolibol. Shimabukuro added, “Making it to states is such a big thing. It says a lot about us and even though we’re considered underdogs because we come from the west, the west is usually weaker than the east, we still ended really strong.”

The team, Basilio included, ultimately shared a “no regrets” attitude, focusing on what they have accomplished more than what could have been. “I would’ve loved to have competed against the best with everyone we started with and see where we stand with the best,” he expressed. “(But) I think the team, our family, really stuck together through adversity and played for each other. They refused to give up despite the odds, and really showed their mettle and was able to show the state what Lady Trojan basketball is all about.”

Although high school basketball may be over for the seniors, the returning junior players hope to  take what they have learned to push even further next season. “I think next year, now that we are going to have our injured (players) back, it’s going to be easier for us,” stated Shimabukuro. “I think we still have to work hard, just as hard as we did this year to get farther than we did.”

The team continues to look to the future with hope, equipped with all the tools and courage necessary from this year’s competitions to have yet another promising season.