Youth is on Maryknoll’s side, but the Farrington Governors have the benefits of age and wisdom.
Jake Smith and Tua Unutoa scored 12 points each as No. 2 Farrington withstood a late rally to edge No. 9 Maryknoll 47-44 on Saturday in the second round of the Punahou Invitational boys basketball tournament.
Ranan Mamiya, yet another senior, added 10 points for Farrington (11-2).
Sophomore Justice Sueing Jr. led Maryknoll with 15 points. Freshman Brian Washington added 14 points, six rebounds and three blocks.
Playing in the comfortable confines of Clarence T.C. Ching Gymnasium, the Spartans rallied from a six-point first-half deficit for a 26-24 lead early in the third quarter. That’s when Smith did his usual number in the third quarter, lighting up the scoreboard from 3-point range. He connected on four of his five attempts from deep, including three in a row, as the visiting Governors went on a 15-4 run for a 39-30 lead in the third. All 15 third-quarter points came on treys.
Down nine points with 3:54 to play, the Spartans’ fullcourt pressure led to Farrington turnovers, and they pulled within 45-43 after Sueing hustled for a follow with about two minutes to go.
Maryknoll got within 45-44 on a free throw by Washington, who shot 6-for-14 at the foul line, with 1:43 left. They got no closer.
After Farrington’s third turnover in a row, Sueing drove past Mamiya and took off in the paint. He found Smith and Keola Kealoha standing there to take the charge with 43 seconds left. Both Governors went down like bowling pins.
A foul shot by Kealoha with 25 ticks to go bumped the margin up to two points. Moments later, Mamiya tied up Sueing on the left wing for a jump ball, though Spartans coach Kelly Grant disputed the call.
John Paul Raymundo hit one of two foul shots with 8.7 seconds left, giving Maryknoll a chance to tie the game with a 3-point shot.
Sueing got a decent look on a pull-up trey from the left wing that missed, and freshman Isaiah Gelacio’s 3-point try from the top missed at the buzzer.
It was another gritty effort by Farrington, which is one of the shortest teams in the OIA this season. Unutoa, at 5-foot-10, was crafty and strong against the 6-4 Washington. Unutoa finished with seven rebounds, two assists and two steals, using a mix of fakes, up-and-unders and drives from the top of the key to get high-percentage shots.
"Coach said they like to jump, so I used my pump fakes," Unutoa said.
The Spartans saw a 1-2-2 zone for much of the game and couldn’t take advantage, shooting just 15 percent (2-for-13) from the arc. The good news is, they got good looks against the defending OIA champions, and they figure to improve on 10-for-20 shooting from the charity stripe.
"I’m proud of the way my kids came back," Grant said. "I have to keep reminding my coaches that we’ve got four freshmen and a sophomore out there. There’s a reason they’re out there. They’re good enough."
That youthful exuberance energized the 200 or so home fans. Sueing hustled for seven rebounds and shot an efficient 64 percent from the field (7-for-11). He was also 2-for-2 from the foul line.
"It’s just us getting too emotional sometimes about (referee) calls," he said. "If we play harder, we’ll be good."
The tourney, which also used Mid-Pacific’s Mills Gym and Punahou’s Hemmeter Fieldhouse as sites on Saturday, will resume with the semifinal and consolation rounds on Monday.
Though four Top 10 teams have drawn plenty of attention, it’s Kahuku that is the talk of the tourney. The Red Raiders have three transfers from New Zealand on their roster, including former Maryknoll player Hyrum Harris. He played for the Spartans two seasons ago. Two of the transfers, including Harris, are at least 6-6.
PUNAHOU INVITATIONAL
Kahuku 82, Mid-Pacific 59
Kalaheo 48, Kamehameha 32
Farrington 47, Maryknoll 44
Moanalua 50, Punahou I-AA 35
KS-Hawaii 52, Iolani I-AA 48
Wilson 54, Kalani 47
Mt. Pleasant 46, Castle 37
WALTER WONG TOURNAMENT
Damien 46, Roosevelt 42
University 61, Kapolei 45
Leilehua 65, McKinley 54
Zeijiang (China) 60, Saint Louis 47
ST. FRANCIS HOLIDAY HOOPS CLASSIC
St. Anthony 60, Assets 35
Le Jardin 54, Saint Louis I-AA 41
Christian Academy 57, St. Joseph 48
Lahainaluna 45, Kailua 38
Radford 47, St. Francis 45
