The unbeaten Crusaders rolled to their 12th win with a disciplined, air-tight team effort on both ends of the floor. Freshman Zion Lefotu added nine points for the three-time defending state champions. As usual, they lulled another opponent into play at a more methodical pace. The Crusaders played five games last week on Maui and four this week, nine games in a 10-day span.
“Mililani is a really good team. For us to survive that was tough,” Saint Louis coach Dan Hale said. “Our boys sucked it up and we got some plays from some other guys. Zion had a great tournament. Nainoa (Lopes) is getting his legs. Plugging in those kind of guys with the guys we have, good things are going to happen.”
Saint Louis routed Moanalua, 59-26, and Waipahu, 71-36, to reach the semifinal round.
The Crusaders ousted No. 5 Maryknoll, 42-41, in a mid-afternoon battle at Kalani before taking their yellow bus to Kaimuki.
Mililani (9-3) knocked No. 2 Punahou out in the semifinals, 66-60, to qualify for the title game, avenging a 60-46 loss to the Buffanblu on Nov. 22.
Mililani cut a six-point deficit to 26-24 in the third quarter, but never got closer.
Two free throws by Lefotu opened the lead to 37-29 with 5 minutes remaining. Bailey added two foul shots with 3:21 left for the Crusaders’ biggest lead, 39-29.
“I feel like we have more experience this year,” said Bailey, a 6-foot-3 junior.
“We’re still don’t have our whole team yet. We’re missing Pupu (Sepulona) and Jordan (Nunuha),” senior point guard Shancin Revuelto said of the recent state football champions.
The Trojans were without coach Garrett Gabriel, who was in New York with son Dillon Gabriel attending the Heisman Trophy ceremony.
The tournament expanded to 16 entries this year. Along with the Merv Lopes Classic across town at Farrington, it is believed to be the first time two 16-team boys basketball tournaments ran simultaneously in Hawaii.
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