Girls Basketball Secures Fourth Consecutive MIL Championship

photos by Christian Yumol and Roderick Sumagit

The Pine Lasses entered preseason without a head coach, yet nothing about their trajectory suggested decline.

Three straight MIL championships were already secured. The upperclassmen had spent years inside the high school and middle school basketball program. None of them had experienced an MIL loss. A fourth title this year would be continuation.

“I was called in and asked to be head coach this season as interim,” AJ Garbin said.

He did not inherit a team learning how to win.

“I just wanted to keep things as normal as possible for them,” AJ said. “They already know what’s expected and know what to do.”

The routines were already in place. Warmups moved without hesitation. Drills ran at pace. Players rotated through reps with little instruction. Conditioning, shooting work, and situational play did not require explanation. Upperclassmen modeled tempo and accountability. The habits of a championship program were visible from the first day of preseason.

Much of that foundation begins before high school. The Haka Kahiki feeder program, led by MaryLou Kaukeano and Christian Yumol, has developed players through the middle school ranks, reinforcing fundamentals, tempo, and competitive standards. By the time freshmen reach varsity, many have already been shaped by the same expectations.

“If you set the standards high, they follow it. They don’t slack off,” AJ said.

Lānaʻi moved through the Maui Interscholastic League schedule without a regular season loss, posting 66–9 and 74–8 wins over Kulanihakoi, 70–25 and 64–25 victories against Seabury Hall, and a 58–21 result over Maui Prep.

The only consistent resistance came from the Molokaʻi High School Farmers. Lānaʻi defeated Molokaʻi 48–34 and 57–38 in the regular season, then won the MIL championship game 49–38 to secure a fourth consecutive league title.

“I think the championship game was our biggest adversity,” AJ said. “As a coach, you’re on the sideline. You can’t play the game for them. You have to give them the right information and trust them to carry it out.”

He said assistant coaches Chant’e Sproat and Kiona Siliga helped communicate those instructions and keep players composed during tight stretches.

The MIL title sent the Pine Lasses to the 2026 HHSAA Division II State Basketball Championships, held February 4–7 at Hilo Civic Auditorium and Keaʻau High School.

In the quarterfinals on February 5, Lānaʻi defeated Kohala 49–43.

“We were going back and forth through the first half,” AJ said. “They scored, we scored. At halftime we talked, made a few changes, and the girls were able to pull away.”

In the semifinals on February 6, Lānaʻi fell to Hawaiʻi Baptist Academy 43–17. The following day, in the third-place game, the Pine Lasses lost to Waimea of Kauaʻi 63–32.

“It’s a different level at states,” AJ said. “The speed, the physical play, the discipline. You have to execute every possession. The girls didn’t quit. They kept competing. That’s something they can carry with them.”

Lānaʻi finished fourth overall in Division II, marking the deepest state tournament run in program history.

The 2025–26 Pine Lasses roster included Alina Garbin, Ananda Richardson, Destinee Dupree, Graziella Reese, Heavenly Tabucbuc, Izabella Bolo, Kai Cervania, Kamila Koloi, Katelyn Bello, Katie Kraytchev, Kaylee Llamelo, Kylie Yumol, Princess Burgos, Sophia Pascual, Trinity Simon, and Zana Bolo.