Updates from the ILH-OIA Challenge boys basketball tournament at Moanalua High School.
Wednesday’s scores
Farrington 64, Kamehameha 56
Saint Louis 64, Kalani 61
Punahou 70, Kahuku 55
Maryknoll 64, Moanalua 50
Thursday’s games
Maryknoll vs. Kalani, 4
Punahou at Moanalua, 5:30
Kamehameha vs. Kahuku, 7
Saint Louis vs. Farrington, 8:30
Friday’s games
Kahuku vs. Saint Louis, 4
Kalani vs. Punahou, 5:30
Farrington vs. Maryknoll, 7
Kamehameha at Moanalua, 8:30
Maryknoll 63, Moanalua 50, final
The Spartans withstood a furious rally by Na Menehune, who cut the lead to 51-48 with 2:57 left. But Maryknoll went on an 11-2 run, capped by a dunk by cutting Josh Burnett on a pass into the paint. He finally got a dunk tonight.
Burnett led Maryknoll with 26 points and Kaleb Gilmore added 14. Jamaal Willis had 21 points for Moanalua and Aaron Stuart scored 10.
Maryknoll 59, Moanalua 50, 1:24
That’s an 8-2 run by the Spartans.
Maryknoll 55, Moanalua 48, 2:28
Moanalua had the lead down to 51-48 with 2:57 left on two free throws by Hines, but Josh Burnett hit a tough lefty reverse layup and Kaleb Gilmore added two foul shots to extend the lead. Na Menehune making the Spartans work hard for this one. Great transition defense. Burnett hasn’t dunked one tonight. Yet.
Maryknoll 44, Moanalua 34, end third quarter
Na Menehune starting to run out of gas. Long-range threes by Josh Burnett and Kaleb Gilmore helped the Spartans a bunch.
Maryknoll 32, Moanalua 26, halftime
The visiting Spartans seemed on the verge of a blowout, but Moanalua opened the second quarter with a 7-0 run by running the court. There aren’t a lot of teams that outrun Maryknoll, but Na Menehune have tremendous speed in transition.
One thing Moanalua isn’t doing is trapping defensively. It’s straight man or zone, and that 1-2-2 zone was just temporary. (I could be wrong; maybe it was a soft man defense.)
This is my first time watching Moanalua this season. They’re going to be a tough team to beat in the OIA and, if I’m guessing right, at the state tourney. Only question is how quickly they can develop chemistry. They’re so dependent on jump shots, no post game whatsoever, so execution is a must.
Maryknoll 21, Moanalua 10, end first quarter
The Spartans went deep on the bench in the opening stanza. Moanalua is quick and athletic, but experience, chemistry and quality depth are with the Spartans.
Here’s a twist: Moanalua is in a 1-2-2 zone, something that certainly is in first-year head coach Byron Mello’s package. Previous coach Greg Tacon (now at Kamehameha) is a fervent man-to-man disciple.
Punahou 70, Kahuku 55, final
Dayson Watanabe poured in 18 points in smooth fashion as the Buffanblu jumped to a 20-point halftime lead and coasted the rest of the way. Chris Kobayashi added nine points, all from 3-point range, for the deep, talented Buffanblu.
Hirkley Latu led Kahuku with nine points.
Punahou 59, Kahuku 35, end third quarter
Keanu Akina hit a couple of treys in the third for Kahuku. He’s just a freshman, another pure shooter from the Akina ohana. He’s only a freshman. I wish Kahuku would play him and Chance Maghanoy, their point guard, together.
Punahou 39, Kahuku 19, halftime
Punahou’s second unit is probably good enough to beat most teams in the state. Having that much quality depth is a blessing and a curse, depending on how a coach handles it. So far, Coach Darren Matsuda is doing quite well, and it goes back to last season, too.
Kahuku is always a little frustrating to watch. Athletic and fast, but the skill level isn’t on par with an elite program like Punahou. They just haven’t been the same since Kawehena Johnson’s junior year, when they had a strong senior class of hoopsters.
Punahou 18, Kahuku 12, end first quarter
Buffanblu are going deep on the bench as usual. Both teams pressing, not a lot of guys finishing. Buffanblu got some early buckets from guard Dayson Watanabe, but no real flow yet.
Kahuku is tall, strong, athletic, not a good shooting team at all so far.
Saint Louis 64, Kalani 61, final
It was a 12-point game when Saint Louis put its second unit in. Then Kalani went on a 15-5 run. Alex Tulangpalan’s trey cut it to 63-61 with 5.3 seconds left. Haka Johnson hit the first of two free throws with 3 seconds left for a three-point Saint Louis lead. Tulangpalan’s desperation 30-footer from the sideline missed at the buzzer.
Haka Johnson and Jimmy Nunuha led Saint Louis with 13 points each. Elijah Robb added 11 points. Robb is very effective on the boards and low post.
Brandon Roberts had 21 points and Alex Tungpalan scored 20, including four treys, for Kalani.
Saint Louis 58, Kalani 46, 4:31
Crusaders wearing the Falcons down inside, on the boards. Can’t count Kalani out yet, not with their perimeter shooters.
Saint Louis 43, Kalani 38, third quarter, 3:41
Both teams started hot from the field. Alex Tungpalan of Kalani hit three treys to give the Falcons a 9-0 lead, but the Crusaders are in the lead now. Fun game to watch, as expected. Both teams running and gunning. Saint Louis has the edge size-wise, but Kalani has a stretch 5 in Brandon Roberts.
Farrington 64, Kamehameha 56, final
Isaiah Visoria scored 14 points and Isaiah Smith had all 12 of his points in the second half, including three consecutive treys that put the Govs ahead. Van Hugo tallied 12 points and Jacob McEnroe added 11 points.
Jaycob Smith led Kamehameha with 18 points.
Farrington 60, Kamehameha 56, 1:35
Govs got hot shooting from Isaiah Smith, who hit two more treys to start the fourth quarter, and opened a nine-point lead.
Farrington 42, Kamehameha 40, end third quarter
The Isaiahs are coming up big for the Govs. Isaiah Visoria and Isaiah Smith combined for 10 points in the third as the Govs rallied. Smith drilled a trey with :01 left in the quarter to give Farrington the lead.
Kamehameha 26, Farrington 23, halftime
A lot of missed open shots and halfcourt man pressure by both teams. The Govs made it more interesting by trapping out of their man defense up high, forcing five Kamehameha turnovers in the second quarter.
Jaycob Smith kept getting open, though, in the first half and has eight points to lead the Warriors. Noa Kinimaka is scoreless so far.
Isaiah Visoria has five points for Farrington.
It’s the return of Greg Tacon, who moved over to Kamehameha from Moanalua in the offseason.
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