Lāna‘i Pine Lasses Clinch Third Straight MIL Title

Last week, Moloka‘i High hosted the Maui Interscholastic League Division II girls basketball championship, where the Lāna‘i Pine Lasses secured their third consecutive title with a 26-23 win over the Lady Farmers.

“We played them the last three years, and this year was the hardest,” said head coach Christian Yumol. “They have more seniors, more experience at the varsity level. We’re younger, talented, but younger and not necessarily proven. The girls, they surprised me. Surprising me is probably an understatement, because as far as I’m concerned, they exceeded expectations.”

The game saw multiple shifts in momentum. Lāna‘i held a three-point lead heading into the fourth quarter but fell behind before rallying in the final minutes. “In the last minute and 16 seconds, we called timeout. We got a and-one basket plus the foul, so we got free throws,” Christian said. “It was a one-point lead, and we held them off.”

The roster had no seniors this season, with only seven returning players from last year. “We lost a good amount. There’re three juniors on the team, but two of them didn’t play with us last year. Then we have our sophomores. They are all returnees,” said Christian.

Looking ahead, the team remains intact. “The whole team comes back. We have one or two eighth graders that could join the roster,” Christian said. The Hala Kahiki Basketball Club has expanded opportunities for younger players, strengthening Lāna‘i’s program. “The group goes all the way down, and it’s preparing the next group and the next group and the next group,” Christian shared. “This whole group played club all summer, the last two summers together. While they’re young in varsity basketball, they’re seasoned in terms of their playing experience.”

With another MIL title secured, Lāna‘i will now advance to the 2025 HHSAA State Championships, held from February 5–8 on Oʻahu.