Basketball Recap: Hanalani Takes Down Ranked Hawaii Baptist Academy

On Saturday, Hanalani faced Hawaii Baptist Academy in a battle between two of the state's top teams. Everything went the Hanalani Royals' way against the Hawaii Baptist Academy Eagles as the Hanalani Royals made off with a 51-28 win. The Royals have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven matchups by 23 points or more this season.

Leading Hanalani to victory were Ellana Klemp and Piha Akiona. Klemp dropped a double-double on 17 points and 12 boards, while Akiona went 6 of 11 on her way to 13 points in addition to six rebounds and four steals. Akiona has been hot, having posted two or more steals the last five times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Tamlyn Celestino, who posted four points and three steals.

The victory (which was Hanalani's fifth in a row) raised their record to 11-4. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 53.8 points per game. As for Hawaii Baptist Academy, they have been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 13-4 record this season.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Hanalani will get to enjoy the win for a while: their next game is against Mid-Pacific Institute at 5:00 p.m. on January 3, 2025. Hawaii Baptist Academy and North will round out the year against one another at at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday.