Tip-Off

Our Damien Girls Basketball team has tipped-off their pre-season games this week. The girls are hungry for revenge after losing to Sacred Hearts last year 62-53. But they are facing challenges with moving up to ILH D1 which is the top level of high school basketball on Oahu. Ke Al'i asked the Senior captain Theresa Anakalea her thoughts on the performance of the team last season and what the team needs to do to get a ticket into states with the thought of moving up and playing the big schools like Iolani and Punahou. 

As of last season, our Damien girls team averaged 54.2 pts. Ke Al'i asked Ms. Anakalea about how she feels about moving to ILH D1 and she said “I feel excited but nervous. It definitely does feel good to rise up to new competition and really challenge us as players. This is definitely an opportunity for us to make a name for our girls basketball program here at Damien. Some of the teams that we are definitely looking forward to playing are the defending champs Iolani Raiders and the Maryknoll Spartans because the other teams are unworthy.”

Damien Girls Basketball team has a chance to make a place into states with only losing last year's senior Shayna Selesele. These girls have fought back and forth with different opponents and Theresa said that “In the past, my freshman year coming into Damien I worked hard to achieve a lot of things that I had gotten. Freshman year I was the leading scorer in D2 and all around, Newcomers award and made the first team. My junior year I was the leading scorer, player of the year, Fab 15, All-State First team, and I was in the newspaper.” With all the hard work she has put in she believes that they have a chance to bring the state championship to Houghtailing.

This team has a bitter taste in their mouth with the outcome of last season. They came up short losing to Sacred Hearts which would have put them in the playoffs and a chance at states. The senior guard believes that the most memorable game was Senior Night at Damien because of winning D2 ILH champions against Hanalani. But she believes that with those outcomes last year that “basketball has taught me hard work and determination but also taught me mental toughness and confidence which I do apply to these things in my life.” 

The big picture about this team is moving up to D1 which is very exciting to see this team play a different level of basketball. This division consists of some of the best teams on the island like Iolani, Punahou, Maryknoll, and Kamehameha. As you grow you experience a sense of pressure and Theresa said that “I deal with pressure of having to perform in the crowd by blocking the noise and people out and just focusing on me and my game. Sometimes yes it is a lot of pressure of having people watch you but you can't feel pressured because then you are already letting your game go down hill. You have to block the noise and the people and just get in your zone of playing your game.” 

 As of now we have 3 seniors on this team which are Theresa Anakalea, Tiare Arquero, and Shastyne Selesele. Senior year is a tough thing to swallow because it’s the last time you are going to be attending and playing for that school. The next chapter is starting to creep on us and Theresa believes that “Overall, What I expect out of this season is to be able to take my team to states this year and become state champs this year. Also to just be able to have a fun season where I am able to just enjoy it with my teammates. I definitely will be continuing to play the game of basketball in the future and hopefully this love and dedication for this sport will lead me to the WNBA.” This girls team has fought through the adversity from last year and they now know what is expected for them to make it to states. Let’s cheer our Lady Monarchs as they kick-off the season playing the Iolani Raiders on December 12th at Iolani.