A lot can happen when a team finds the simplest path.
Farrington’s season-long quest for a title became reality on Wednesday night with a 41-28 win over Campbell at James Alegre Gymnasium.
>> CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME
The Lady Governors last won a Division II league title in 2014 under then-coach Steven Leopoldo. Caroline Tatupu, the current coach, last guided the team to an OIA D-I crown in ’17.
This year’s squad isn’t particularly tall, but quite scrappy. The Govs limited Campbell’s top two shooters to nine points.
“There are teams with more talent than us,” Tatupu said. “But the last few weeks, our team has been resilient. They know they have to work harder than other teams.”
Shaylen Tatupu-Timu scored 16 points, including four treys, to lead Farrington’s offense. MJ Peralta and Jorga Williams patrolled the paint and grabbed nine rebounds apiece.
Defense, though, is what won the title. Hikilani Molitau, Alyssa Kamealoha and Teizya Telefoni were among the tough-nosed defenders who covered Campbell’s Lauren Poniatowski and Julien Parado.
The Govs found their momentum with a tighter bond as a unit.
“Our goal is just to push through no matter what the outcome is. We just have to want it more than anybody else and keep pushing to get it,” Tatupu-Timu said. “I love my teammates. I wouldn’t trade them for anyone in the world. We used to have a lot of drama and that brought us down because we didn’t work as a team, but we made sure coming into this game that we pushed for each other and everybody else out there.”
Farrington’s next game will be at the New City Nissan/HHSAA Division II State Championships in Hilo, which begins next Wednesday.
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