Photo courtesy of Coach Reid Sagawa
This was almost surgical work by the team in green.
Few teams on the hardwood, girls or boys, had the consistency and grit that the Mid-Pacific girls did as they went 21-4. That included a 9-0 run through the ILH for the Division II title.
The Owls, under first-year head coach Reid Sagawa, then ousted Damien and Kamehameha-Hawaii to set up a state final with ILH rival Hanalani. MPI lost for the first time in more than five weeks, 40-37, to finish second.
With a roster of eight players and a mix of veterans like center Paige Fahrni and elite point guard Madi Sagawa along with underclassmen, the Owls were effective from the start. They knocked off Kalani (42-28), lost to defending OIA champion Kahuku (36-24) and topped host McKinley at the preseason-opening Matsumoto Law Group/Black and Gold Classic. In between the Kahuku and McKinley games, the Owls journeyed to Mililani and posted a 44-34 win over the OIA West powerhouse.
“The big one was the Mililani game. We played on our bye night from the McKinley tournament. We were proud of the girls that they bounced back after the Kahuku game,” Sagawa said. “This is our first year coaching so we wanted to get them as many games as we could to get more chemistry and learn the system. Four games in four days, that’s exactly what we felt like we needed.”
Sagawa, a health education coordinator at ‘Iolani, was a constant with the Raiders in the Division II girls and intermediate boys programs. Then came an eight-year break as he devoted time to his growing family. With daughter Madi busy playing for the Owls, there were plenty of games to be played.
After a 42-36 nonconference win over eventual OIA West winner Radford, the Owls were 4-1. Eight days later, MPI entered Punahou’s Paani Invitational after Thanksgiving. MPI lost a thriller, 33-32, to Mililani, then edged Sacred Hearts, 26-24, and downed McKinley 47-31.
“It was still hard to tell where we were. After we lost to Mililani the second time, we were disappointed. What we felt good about was playing Kahuku, Sacred Hearts, Mililani, all competitive games there. That let us know where we stood and it helped us continue to build,” Coach Sagawa said.
Mid-Pacific flew to the Big Island to play in Hawaii Prep’s Ka Makani Tip-Off. They returned home with wins over host HPA (40-22), Kohala (64-21) and Keaau (52-38).
“We really wanted to just focus on working on our depth, got out of there healthy and we had a game that (next) Monday (in ILH play). It helped with team bonding, giving everybody good minutes and working on our final rotation,” Sagawa said.
There was concern, however. Alyssa Nakagawa had a back injury and Madi Sagawa was ill. MPI played its ILH season opener at Le Jardin with just six players in uniform. The Owls won, 44-26, starting their unbeaten run through the league. They were 4-0 after going to Hanalani and rallying for a 45-42 win.
“We had everybody back after the first game. We tried to piece everything back together again. We were down that game at half. I remember Caylina (Lindbo) was in foul trouble. We sat her out, she came back in, got another foul. Went back in, another foul. Madi picked up her fourth (foul),” Coach Sagawa recalled. “We were extremely resilient. The girls never panicked. We took the lead and held them off. That game really helped us grow and gave them tremendous confidence. That theme came up several times.”
Between the win at Hanalani and a game with Hawaii Baptist, MPI had a gap of 13 days. Sagawa felt relieved when his team participated in HBA’s tournament after Christmas. The Owls defeated Radford for a second time, edged Kalani, and lost to Menlo (Calif.).
“We really gained a lot. We had a preseason with lots of games, and the ILH season tapered off and with that break I was extremely worried. We were going all out, but we also wanted to let our bench play, working on our conditioning and trying not to lose a beat. The Menlo game, they shot lights out,” he said.
On Jan. 3, Mid-Pacific took command in the ILH standings with a 29-28 win over Hawaii Baptist.
“After the half, we took the lead and held them off,” Sagawa said.
With no playoffs, every game in ILH D-II was virtually a playoff contest. After the win over HBA, MPI defeated ‘Iolani II (61-33), Damien (54-41), Sacred Hearts (33-30) and University (35-20) to complete the 9-0 run.
“Every game was huge. (Sacred Hearts) came down to the last couple of possessions. We were definitely working on having a high IQ, taking high-percentage shots, making the extra pass,” Sagawa said. “We knew Damien was dangerous, too, with Teresa (Anakalea). She had 15, but she had to work for those points.”
At 19-3, Mid-Pacific finally cracked the Star-Advertiser Girls Basketball Top 10. The Owls stayed there for three polls in a row. With first place and a first-round bye in the D-II state tourney in Hilo, the Owls found themselves with an 18-day break.
“I talked to (former ‘Iolani boys coach) Dean Shimamoto and asked, ‘What did you used to do?’ They ran an intrasquad game, assistants draft teams, and ran scrimmages like a game,” Sagawa said. “We hired refs. I asked the refs to call it as tight as they could, so that was fun.”
MPI also brought in alumni players, and former All-State guard Kiki Robertson, now an assistant coach, got on the court.
“Kiki is our intermediate head coach,” Sagawa said. “(Former Punahou All-State guard) Janelle Nomura was our assistant. Because we had only eight players, she was jumping in drills until the day before she went into labor.”
MPI fended off Damien, 59-41, in the opening round of the state tourney at Afook-Chinen Hilo Civic Auditorium. Then came a tight 32-28 win over Kamehameha-Hawaii. The loss to Hanalani gave the Royals their first state title.
“There’s a lot of variables that you don’t have to deal with in the regular season. Living out of hotels, eating every meal out. Trying to eat healthy, timing our shootarounds, study halls. It gave the girls self discipline. They were extremely focused and responsible. Super mature. And we had four JV girls who came up,” Sagawa said.
Coach Sagawa chatted about the season and his players.
This season was _________.
Sagawa: “An amazing journey!”
This season was the movie ________.
Sagawa: “Hoosiers without the story book ending!”
Review Starters and key rotation/role players:
Paige Fahrni, 6 ppg, Sr.
Sagawa: “So happy she got to play her senior year after missing last year with an ACL injury. Strong post presence, understands the game well. With Paige on the court, gave our team a chance competing with bigger teams.”
Caylina Lindbo, 5 ppg, Sr.
Sagawa: “Did the intangibles. A taller guard who could defend, rebound and pass really well. Definitely a high-IQ player, another coach on the court. Great vocal leader, willing to do anything for team success. Extremely versatile, was cog in our defensive and offensive schemes.”
Zannah Suehiro, Sr.
Sagawa: “Athletic, high motor, blue-collar worker. Played hard, fast, and strong. Willing to run through a wall or through opposing players! Unselfish and does the dirty work! Hard to replace.”
Lauren Hayashi, 7 ppg, So.
Sagawa: “Plays strong and physical. Versatile and bounced between the 3 and 4 position to help our team. Was able to adapt to matchups against both taller and bigger posts, or smaller, quicker guards. Possess basketball savvy to figure out mismatches. Will be a strong leader next season, and will need to provide physicality and inside presence as our muscle!”
Madi Sagawa, 16 ppg, voted All-State Fab 15 honorable mention, Jr.
Sagawa: “Improved physical strength, consistency, and confidence over the past year. Becoming more well-rounded offensively, as she was able to score in transition, mid game, as well as from outside. Her on-ball defense is still work in progress, and improving. She was more assertive and vocal on court, and will need to lead by example her senior year.”
Kenzie Lee, So.
Sagawa: “Demonstrated to coaches during summer and off season training that she was willing to do what it takes to contribute this year. Defensive menace! She is physically strong, has track speed, and wants to shut down opponent’s scorer. Her shooting improved over the season, and will definitely contribute more offensively next year. She’s always working on her game.”
Alyssa Nakagawa, Jr.
Sagawa: “Started half the games as an undersized 5 — 5 feet, 6 inches while stretching! Boxes out, sets jaw-breaking screens, unselfish, smart, makes good decisions, moves the ball, values our possessions. Plays year-round softball, but we welcome her athleticism, competitiveness, and dedication during basketball season. Dependable, plays hard, tough, gives us quality minutes, and contributes.”
Sarae Miguel, Jr.
Sagawa: “Although we’re not a tall team, we have a 6 footer! Sarae worked extremely hard in practice, and improved tremendously over the course of the season. Sarae is a year-round volleyball player, but is also starting to realize her potential in basketball. With a long reach and good mobility, she has the ability to be a huge presence in the paint. She is starting to embrace physical contact around the basket, and has a really nice touch. She is definitely the x-factor for us! Also a very talented musician!”
Did the rotation change?
Sagawa: “We started out the season with only eight players on varsity. During preseason, Paige missed several pre-season games because of trips and she was also playing soccer. Therefore, it allowed us to play and develop different combinations, especially in the post. It helped us develop depth and gave needed game experience for Sarae and Alyssa for the regular season. Because girls soccer and basketball state tournament was same time, fortunately we were able to have Paige for the states.
What or who surprised you the most?
Sagawa: “Our team’s resiliency. Many of our games were grind-out games, as we were down sometimes at half, and fought back for a hard earned victory. They also always kept their composure. A classic example was in the state final against Hanalani. We were down six at half, took a one-point lead with four minutes left. Although we didn’t pull it off, they believed we were going to do it. Hats off to Hanalani, who has an excellent team.”
What were the most adverse challenges?
Sagawa: “Probably having eight players in the beginning of season. We had 15 girls total tryout for JV and varsity combined, so we placed eight on Varsity and seven on JV. It was really challenging. Good thing is everyone made a team and had to play good minutes! We sometimes had five, six or seven at practice because of school functions, illness, injuries. We had six for a regular season game. Coach Janelle Nomura was jumping in drills until the day before she gave birth! She’s a nut! Also, good thing we have Coach Kiki Robertson to help in practices. Wish we could’ve suited her up! In December, we pulled up four girls from JV when their season ended. It was an adjustment for us, as we forgot what is was like to have 12 girls in practice after all those weeks! The energy, spirit and attitude the new girls brought definitely helped us make a run in the state tournament.”
What was the peak?
Sagawa: “I’d say it was the state tournament. We played at Hawaii Prep during pre-season, so to finish the postseason with our second trip to the Big Island was quite a reward for the girls. Upon reflecting, seeing our team’s physical growth as individual players and ultimately as a team was so special to observe. Also our team’s maturity and mental approach in Hilo during the state tournament was fantastic. They treated it as a business trip, and were on a mission. We had team study halls, early curfews, practice/shootarounds/walk throughs, team meals, and meetings. Of course we had tremendous support and help from parents, which we truly appreciate. It’s a lot more pressure, knowing it’s one and done! But the girls handled it so well, and demonstrated great emotional intelligence. Our van rides were to the Civic for games were dead silent, as everyone was incredibly locked in. I couldn’t have been more proud of our team at that moment. They left everything on the court that weekend, did things the right way, and hopefully will always remember that experience.”
What will you miss about this group?
Sagawa: “Definitely the seniors. The senior class has a strong influence on the dynamics and personality of each team. Also, as a team, everybody knew their role, and played within themselves. Our sum was greater than its parts, and everyone was unselfish and team players.”
What are you anticipating for offseason and next season?
Sagawa: “For each girls to try and improve off-season, to get physically stronger and to work on their ball skills. The players should be more familiar with our system after our first year together. We are also anxious to find our team identity next year, as we lose three seniors who have been four-year varsity players, as they won a state championship their freshman year. Excited to see who puts in the work from the returnees!”
Offseason play
Sagawa: “Usually we do summer league, then a month off when school starts. Strength training in September and roll it through the season. Summer leagues, officially cancelled. McKinley and ‘Iolani. Our hope is that in June or July, we can reconvene and school just to practice to the end of summer. In the OIA, they can work with the kids. In the ILH, (the fall) is blackout. Last year we put a team in a league and we had a parent coach them. We have four JV coming up.
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