Nice matchup at the ‘Iolani Classic between the tough Eagles of The Master’s Academy (Fla.) and host ‘Iolani, the top-ranked team in Hawaii.
FIRST QUARTER
Hugh Hogland scores on a low-post drop step move. Nice. But the Eagles as always are racing upcourt and moving the ball with long passes. Jakobi Bonner scores on another one of his lefty layups.
Nick Kennedy hits an elbow J for a 4-2 lead and the Raiders race back on defense before they get burned again. Eagles get a nice drive for a bucket from Tanner Rubio.
Robby Mann hits one of two FTs for a 5-4 lead.
Rubio offensive board on a nice tip, and then drives and dishes a no-look to Bonner for a layup. Chemistry.
Bonner pushes upcourt off an IOL miss and draws a foul. Hits both FTs for an 8-5 TMA lead.
Hogland with a nice power move, elevates nicely (crowd went “aah” and misses, but scores on the putback.
Bonner still having his way. They all know he’s going left, but he euro-steps through to the right and draws contact. Inbounds play, Kennedy stuffs Bonner on his jumper.
Rubio banks in a hanging 12-footer, but reserve forward Bailey Alabanza hits a corner 3 to tie the game at 13.
Bonner in transition on his favorite (left) side. He goes right this time and uses the right hand for another layup. The man is a layup machine. TMA 12-10. Rubio with a corner 3 off an inbounds play. Now it’s 15-10 with 1:01 left in the quarter.
Rubio drives baseline and turns the ball over on a pass to the elbow. TMA Coach Reggie Kohn pleading for a hand-check call. He wants the same call that was whistled against his team earlier, he says.
Quarter ends with the Eagles up 17-14.
SECOND QUARTER
Robby Mann’s corner 3 ties it at 17, but Cole Thomas scores on an easy layup. Alabanza hits a 10-foot baseline shot, but TMA scores again. ‘Iolani can’t seem to get a stop. Coach Dean Shimamoto calls time out with 5:49 to go in the second quarter.
Hogland passes up a 7-footer in the lane to hit an open man, then repeats the scenario and finds Kennedy, who hits a baseline J. Next possession, Hogland executes smooth footwork for a 7-foot jump hook that drops. IOL leads 23-22. Raiders getting back quickly. TMA can’t get the easy deuces anymore and Bonner even got overthrown on a baseball throw. Hogland gets open for an easy layup, but sophomore Greg Gallon drains a 3 to tie the game at 25.
Hogland on fire. Hits an elbow jumper for a 27-25 lead. If I had to guess, he’s shooting over 60 percent from the field this preseason.
Cole Hogland with a nice feed from Hugh, fouled on the layup try. The sophomore misses his first FT attempt. Makes the second. IOL up 28-27 with 2:41 left.
Bonner posts up on Mann in the center of the key and goes to work with a nice drop step to the left. Master’s leads 29-28. Sophomore Justin Genovia drives on a feed off an offensive board. Misses the first FT, makes the second. Game tied at 29.
Bonner rebounds a 3-point miss by Mann and goes coast to coast, splitting two Raiders for a layup and foul. He misses the FT, TMA leads 31-29. IOL wants to hold for the last shot. Bonner is extended to halfcourt and dangerous. Mann misses from the right corner. 3.7 seconds left. TMA ball. Rubio goes from one end to the under and nobody stops him. Hogland contests his layup attempt, though, and he misses at the buzzer.
The Master’s Academy leads ‘Iolani at the half, 31-29.
THIRD QUARTER
Rubio opens with a sweet left-side drive and scoop shot off the glass for 2. Then he is not boxed out and crashes the offensive glass for another easy deuce. IOL throws the ball away and Coach Dean Shimamoto calls time out, 6:50. TMA leads 35-29.
Eagles open the lead to 38-29, a 7-0 run, before IOL scores on a pass from Hogland to Mann. Hogland was triple-teamed for a moment, then the defense left and forgot to pick up Mann under the basket. Kennedy hits one of two FTs, and it’s 38-32.
Josh Marble sinks a wide-open corner 3, but Mann scores again and Zach Gelacio hits a long 2. 41-36.
Bonner with another coast-to-coast beauty. He hesitated twice along the way and got his shot past Hogland at the rim.
Hogland drives hard and draws a foul. Misses the first. Makes the second. 43-39.
Gelacio loses control of a rebound, TMA ball. Time out, TMA, 2:44.
Bonner with a fake handoff and hard drive, but Mann rejects his shot out of bounds. Brooks Cluxton, their 6-7 junior, draws contact and will shoot two. Misses the first and the second, but Bonner rebounds and misses.
Genovia sinks a wide-open trey from the top and the Raiders pull within 43-42.
Halfcourt pressure by TMA pays off. High, long pass to Hogland is too high, but Mann is there. His quick pass to Hogland misses and Bonner scores on a three-point drive at the other end. TMA up 47-44.
Freshman guard Noah Bumanglag gets the ball poked away as IOL plays for the final shot of the quarter, but it goes right to Hogland. He passes back to Bumanglag, who gets the ball poked away again by Rubio, and this time it’s a turnover. Pass upcourt to Rubio, who is fouled with a second left on the clock. He hits both shots, and that’s a momentum shift. TMA leads 48-44 after three quarters.
FOURTH QUARTER
TMA has stayed in this 2-3 zone for most or all of the game and the Raiders haven’t been able to get consistent knock-down shots from deep.
Bonner drives and kicks to Cluxton, who squares up at the top and swishes a 3. TMA leads 51-44.
Gelacio hits a pull-up elbow J, but Bonner drives the left and lays it up with his right for two more points. TMA 53-46. Time out, TMA, 4:32.
It’s only 6:11 p.m. and it’s a near full house already. I’d say there are enough open seats to make this about 85-90 percent filled right now.
Cluxton frees himself open on the inbounds pass for an easy layup. 55-46.
Bonner drives past his man but is met by Hogland, who rejects his shot. But Rubio runs a double-high pick and roll for an easy bounce pass to Cluxton on the roll for an easy layup. TMA 57-46. Time out IOL, 3:03.
Gelacio’s pass to the right wing is picked by Bonner for an easy layup. Then it’s another IOL turnover. Mann steals a pass, but Genovia throws it awayon a 2-on-1 with Hogland. Cluxton with a corner 3 and a 62-46 lead and 2 minutes to go. IOL not looking to foul.
Hogland tweaks an ankle on a foul by TMA. Might be the same one he hurt at the James Alegre Invitational three weeks ago. Gelacio sinks a 3, but Josh Reyelts hits his first 3 of the game. TMA 65-49 with less than a minute left.
Sophomore Ryan Van Cantfort fouled, shooting two. Misses the first, makes the second.
Good effort by the Raiders. TMA simply a sound, deep and balanced team. Very opportunistic, much like ‘Iolani is when it plays Hawaii teams.
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