Portola’s star guard Moka Saiki reaches elite 1,000 point career scoring mark

Moka Saiki is having a memorable senior year for Portola. (Photo illustration courtesy Portola girls basketball).

It’s been a record-setting season for Portola High School senior guard Moka Saiki, who has already become the program’s second player to score 1,000 points in her career.

Saiki has been a standout throughout her career and this season, she became the second player in Portola history to hit the milestone (Allyson Tabayoyoung was the first during the 2021 season).

Saiki, who is averaging 20 points a game, currently holds every major career scoring record at Portola, including points, free throws made, three point field goal percentage, field goals made, free throw percentage and steals, according to Brian Hosokawa, the program’s booster club president and head statistician.

“It was definitely an exciting feeling being only the second player to reach the 1,000 point mark at Portola, but I also felt really proud of my team for accomplishing it because I felt it was like a team thing,” Saiki said. “I would not have been able to do it without the help of my teammates.”

Saiki was honored later in the week before one of the Portola games and players from the Bulldog boys basketball team joined in.

“It was a great feeling to have all my school friends and the other programs from JV and the boys program come out to support us,” she said.

Coaches and players have been proud of what the senior guard has accomplished.

“Moka is the walking embodiment of the type of player and young person we are trying to develop here at Portola,” said Portola Coach Brian Barham. “She is tough on and off the court; ready for whatever the game of life throws at her next.”

“Moka is never phased or rattled by the moment,” added Hosokawa. “After every practice drill we validate by hitting free throws. A player has the chance to save the team from running by hitting two free throws in a row.”

Saiki has continued her outstanding play this week at the Christina Mauser Memorial Tournament, scoring 23 points in the Bulldogs 59-20 victory over La Quinta Wednesday. She also scored 20 points in the Bulldogs 61-34 victory over Edison.

Portola, 13-3 on the season so far, is trying to bring home its second tournament championship this week.

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