For MIL boys, an improvement

After several years of collectively struggling in the state prep basketball tournaments, MIL teams gave solid account of themselves and their league last week, compiling an overall record of 5-6.

Leading the way was Molokai, which advanced to the semifinals before finishing fourth in Division-II following losses to Castle, 57-44, and Kohala, 70-55.

Farmers’ center Joseph Akaka was the lone MIL player named to the all-tournament teams, scoring 49 points and grabbing 36 rebounds in three outings.

Two other teams settled for seventh-place finishes in their respective divisions as the Lunas topped Radford 47-33 in D-I and Seabury routed University 64-39 in D-II.

Ironically, after going unbeaten against MIL competition, fourth-seeded Baldwin was two and out following a 62-58 consolation loss to Kalaheo despite Lincoln Seto’s 28.

PRO BOWL:  Bowing to intense pressure from politicians, the media and fans, the Hawaii Tourism Authority reversed its earlier rejection of a bid by the NFL bring back the Pro Bowl in 2011 and 2012 after the league opted to end an uninterrupted 30-year run in the Aloha Stadium.  Next year’s Pro Bowl will be played in Miami the week before the Super Bowl and will be similarly scheduled when the game returns to Hawaii.  In other words, the top players from the top two teams will not take part in the NFL’s all-star game.

HAWAII HOOPS:  Indicative of what kind of basketball season it’s been for the University of Hawaii, both of its teams have been relegated to participating in Tuesday’s dreaded play-in games in the WAC tournament at Reno.
The Rainbow Wahine will meet last-place San Jose State in a 2 p.m. game on Tuesday, while the Rainbows will tangle with last-place Fresno State at 4:30.
Trailing by a point at the break, the Rainbow Wahine fell apart in the second half of a 75-57 loss to host Nevada in Saturday’s regular-season finale for both teams.  Megan Tinnin had 15 points, including three-of-three from behind the arc – and eight rebounds as Hawai’i fell to 7-22 overall and 4-12 in the WAC.
For the UH men, Saturday’s home finale was a game this struggling team badly needed at several key levels.  It was Senior Night for the Bows.  A victory would have kept the Bows out of the WAC tournament play-in game, with the winner of that game earning the dubious distinction of squaring off against regular-season champ Utah State in the quarterfinals.
But instead of rising to the occasion, the Bows committed 21 turnovers and shot a dismal 32.1 percent from the field in a 70-59 home loss to New Mexico State.   It’s fourth straight setback dropped UH to 13-16 overall and 5-11 in the WAC.