Moanalua turns back Kahuku
Moanalua's Dexter Williams beat Bronson Beatty and Shairone Thompson of Kahuku to the hole last night. Na Menehune beat the Red Raiders to force another meeting on Saturday.
Moanlaua coach Greg Tacon turned up the volume to get his team’s attention.
The effort paid off with a clutch 53-47 win over Kahuku last night, giving the Red Raiders their first loss in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red Conference double-elimination playoffs.
A raucous crowd of about 700 watched at McKinley Student Council Gym. The teams will meet one more time, 6 p.m. tomorrow at McKinley, with the OIA Red championship at stake.
Dexter Williams led No. 8-ranked Moanalua (21-13 overall) with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Wesley Armbrust had 10 points and nine rebounds.
"Coach said we had to pick up our intensity, to keep our confidence," Armbrust said of Tacon’s halftime advice. "And we got the ‘W’."
Shairone Thompson and reserve forward Makeli Fiso had 14 points each to pace No. 5 Kahuku (23-6). Point guard Galeai Malufau finished with seven points and six assists.
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The tournament’s hottest shooting team went cold from the perimeter and failed to protect a seven-point lead. The Red Raiders shot just 1-for-15 from the 3-point arc and 37 percent overall from the field (19-for-52).
Moanalua outrebounded the bigger Red Raiders 32-25, grabbing 16 caroms on the offensive glass. Kahuku post K.J. Aluave sat for most of the game with foul trouble.
"When K.J. came out (in the first quarter), that hurt us," Kahuku coach Darren Johnson said.
With Moanalua’s switching man-to-man defense collapsing on Thompson all night, the Red Raiders simply missed opportunities to seize the OIA Red title outright with a win.
Much of that had to do with Williams and Armbrust, but Moanalua backup guards Bronson Kepa and Brandon Guerrero were major contributors. Kahuku’s fullcourt traps stymied Moanalua in the first half, but Kepa’s ballhandling prowess came in handy. Guerrero scored 11 points, including five in the fourth quarter, and Kepa added six.
"Our backup guards came in and did great things," Moanalua coach Greg Tacon said.
"They knocked down their shots and we didn’t," Johnson said.
Despite a sloppy first half, Moanalua was still in the game, trailing 26-22 at the break.
"A few of the guys were mentally drained," Tacon said of his booming halftime lecture. "I let everybody know, everyone’s on a short leash tonight."
Down by five midway through the third quarter, Moanalua went on an 11-0 run to take the lead. Guerreo knocked down a 3-pointer and Armbrust scored five points during the rally, and Na Menehune led 42-36 with 6:42 left.
Kahuku got within 45-42 on a pair of free throws by Fiso with 4:39 to play, but cold shooting got the best of the Red Raiders and they didn’t score again for three minutes.
Another trey by Guerrero lifted Moanalua to a 49-42 lead with 3 minutes to go, and four free throws by Guerrero and Kepa in the final 1:12 sealed the win.
Kahuku had won all three games with Moanalua until last night by a total margin of nine points.
"I guess were were all off," Thompson said. "Our shots weren’t falling. We’ve got (today) to work on it, though."
| Moanalua (21-13) | 12 | 10 | 17 | 14 | — | 53 |
| Kahuku (23-6) | 8 | 18 | 10 | 11 | — | 47 |
MOANALUA–Bronson Kepa 6, Aaron Davis 0, Keven Amaral 3, Dexter Williams 19, Wesley Armbrust 10, Brandon Guerrero 11, Ikaika Ramos 0, Kreig Kepa 0, Alex Hutson 0, Kahanu Pu’ulei-Auld 0, Carl Ko 2, Dillon Turk 0, Clinton Winham 0, Justin Hudcovic 0, Richard Villasenor 2.
KAHUKU–Evan Ramirez 2, Kawehena Johnson 2, Samala Afalava 3, Tyrone Brown 2, Galeai Malufau 7, K.J. Uluave 2, Danny Aki 0, Bronson Beatty 1, Mekeli Fiso 14, Shairone Thompson 14.
3-point goals–Moanalua 6 (Williams 3, Guerrero 3), Kahuku 1 (Afalava).
ILH Division I Boys
Academy of the Pacific 56, Mid-Pacific 41
Moritz Krume scored 24 points and Micah Dunhour added 18 to lead the Dolphins over the Owls in the ILH Division I playoffs.
AOP will play at Punahou Saturday for the third ILH state berth. ‘Iolani and Kamehameha already have qualified.
At Le Jardin gym
| AOP (10-5) | 13 | 13 | 13 | 17 | — | 56 |
| Mid-Pacific (7-9) | 5 | 14 | 7 | 15 | — | 41 |
ACADEMY OF THE PACIFIC–Michael Urcia 5, Carter Kauwenaole 0, Moritz Krume 24, Micah Dunhour 18, Wilson Macleod 1, Drew Vienna 4, David Daniel 1, Kona Makaula 3, Sam Orcutt 0, Kyan Furtado 0, Marshall Gourley 0.
MID-PACIFIC–Jordan Doi 0, Terrence Tenjoma 2, Shaun Dobovan 5, Tryston Fagarang 3, Patrick Matthews 14, Marcus Doi 4, Brent Yee 0, Matthew Tanaka 2, Matthew Carland 9, Titus Failauga 2.
3-point goals–AOP 2 (Krume, Dunhour). Mid-Pacific 1 (Fagarang).
Punahou 58, Saint Louis 40
Malik Johnson poured in 24 points and DeForest Buckner added 12 to lead the Buffanblu past Saint Louis in the ILH Division I playoffs.
At Hemmeter Fieldhouse
| Saint Louis (4-11) | 13 | 2 | 8 | 17 | — | 40 |
| Punahou (11-4) | 20 | 9 | 15 |
14 — 58
SAINT LOUIS— Keenan Ayau-Paulos 8, Eli Teo 0, Quinn Arakawa 5, Acen Cabral , Nate Mantanona 0, Jared Tomaszek 2, Max Botticelli 12, Jaron Hall-Moniz 0, Joseph Kanoa 0, JV Caires 8, Kamalei Correa 5, Reeve Koehler 0 .
PUNAHOU–Patrick O’Neill 0, Bryan Matsukawa 3, Sean Gruebner 2, Steven Lakalaka 0, Jaren McCartney 0, Lowell Tong 5, Caden McAfee-Torco 0, Nicholas Velasquez 7, Malik Johnson 24, Kupono Fey 1, DeForest Buckner 12, Luke Kaumatule 4.
3-point goals–Saint Louis 5 (Botticelli 2, Ayau-Paulos 2, Arakawa). Punahou 3 (Matsukawa, Tong, Velasquez).
ILH D- II Boys Playoffs
University 67, Hawaii Baptist 52
Nalu O’Connor scored 14 points to lead the Jr. ‘Bows over the Eagles in the ILH Division II boys basketball tournament last night.
University plays St. Francis tomorrow for the second league berth in next week’s D-II state tournament.
At Klum Gym
| HBA (10-4) | 14 | 14 | 14 | 10 | — | 52 |
| University (10-4) | 16 | 15 | 12 | 24 | — | 67 |
HAWAII BAPTIST–Chasen Fukuda 0, Jun Fritz 9, Landry Kiyabu 13, Sage Bulseco 5, Michael Fisher 2, Travis Teramae 4, Brennan Lee 2, Kalei Hosaka 0, Wayden Chu 0, Nathan Le 7, Jordan Kauwe 8, Caleb Gaskins 2, Andrew Kanemaru 0, Matt Kishaba 0, John Hirokawa 0.
UNIVERSITY–Makena Suan Rothenborg 6, Andrew Canencia 6, Eugene Malvar 0, Ryan Alvarado 10, Cobey Young 2, Ian Akamine 0, Joe Choy 2, Nalu O’Connor 14, Cameron Conant 6, Gui Aires 10, Peter Fee 2, Ben Keller 9, Joshua Javier 0.
3-point goals–Hawaii Baptist 6 (Kauwe 2, Fritz 2, Kiyabu, Bulseco). University 2 (Rothenborg, Aires).
St. Francis 42, Hanalani 27
Austin Ursua scored 10 points and the Saints rode a 12-1 advantage in the third quarter to victory over the Royals.
At Maryknoll gym
| Hanalani (4-11) | 4 | 10 | 1 | 12 | — | 27 |
| St. Francis (11-4) | 11 | 6 | 12 | 13 | — | 42 |
HANALANI–Pomi Milton 3, Lucas Leaman 6, Kainoa Souza Chaves 10, Michael Milton 0, Ian Robinson 2, Brandon Kubo 0, Aaron Schoniwitz 1, Zach Relles 0, Kainoa Peterson 2, T.J. Olson 3.
ST. FRANCIS–Austin Ursua 10, Sosiua Havea 0, Drew Wilson 8, Matthew Nuumania 7, Kaohukea Sandborn 2, Shabir Lynton 0, Jason Wu 3, Keoni Tom-Millare 9, Daron Sun 1, Kalei Davis 0, Blayne Won 2.
3-point goals–Hanalani 1 (Milton). St. Francis none.
