The ‘Iolani girls basketball team won two of its four games at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix, Ariz.
‘Iolani played in the Darril Kipp division. The Raiders defeated Fremont (Neb.) 57-41 on Monday.
‘Iolani lost to Eastlake (Calif.) 64-51 on Tuesday.
Hawaii’s No. 2-ranked team then topped Forest Grove (Ore.) 62-52 on Wednesday.
Today, the Raiders lost to Gilbert (Ariz.) 57-40 in the consolation title game, completing their schedule.
“It was a great experience for the team to spend quality time together and compete against bigger mainland competition,” ‘Iolani coach Dean Young texted on Thursday afternoon. “The losses were good for us to help us get better for the second half of the ILH season. The team had a lot of fun and the players and coaches got much closer, too. Overall, it was a terrific trip.”
The Raiders also attended an NBA game on Wednesday night: Houston Rockets at Phoenix Suns.
Raiders point guard Tori Lynn Maeda and Skylar Nakata suffered injuries during the Eastlake game after taking elbows. Maeda was elbowed in the eye and Nakata has a loose tooth and swollen lip. In the same game, an Eastlake player was whistled for a technical foul after taking a swing at ‘Iolani guard Camy Aguinaldo.
Another Raider, Keilie Okamura, took a hit in the head during today’s game against Gilbert.
The team returns to Honolulu on Friday. Their next game is at Kamehameha on Jan. 4.
“We’re giving them four days off,” Young said.
Mainland teams don’t mess around. They claw and scrap.