The defending state champions are back to business at hand.

The second-ranked Kamehameha Warriors used suffocating fullcourt and halfcourt traps to wear down No. 5 Maryknoll for a surprisingly easy 54-35 win Tuesday night in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu boys basketball opener for both teams.

A crowd of about 400 watched at Kekuhaupio Gym.

The Warriors did it with precision and efficiency in first-year head coach Julian Nakanishi’s regular-season debut. Guard Makoa Camanse-Stevens dished out a game-high six assists, Dyrbe Enos scored 15 points and reserve guard J.T. Campbell added nine points.

“The most fun was seeing my teammates step up and knock down shots. I penetrated and passed it out. Seeing J.T. fire it up made it fun,” said Camanse-Stevens, a 6-3 junior. “We knew they had that 6-9 German guy (Tobias Schramm) and that freshman is pretty good.”

That freshman, Maryknoll guard Kaleb Gilmore, finished with one point against a swarm of double teams by Kamehameha’s trapping defenders.

“We tried to play the German kid’s left side. We schemed well,” Camanse-Stevens said.

The bigs also made a difference under the glass against Maryknoll’s big front line of Schramm (6 feet 9) and Austin Gaskins (6-4). Kamehameha grabbed 15 offensive rebounds, including seven in the first quarter.

The versatility and athleticism of those same bigs gave Nakanishi the freedom to press at will. He went 10 deep in the first half. Zerin Parker, a 6-4 senior, had eight points and five rebounds for the Warriors, who are 11-3 overall.

Schramm led Maryknoll (12-3 overall) with 10 points and Gaskins added nine. Joshua Burnett, a 6-3 sophomore, chipped in eight points. The Spartans shot 25 percent (9-for-36) against Kamehameha’s mix of defenses, which included a 2-3 matchup zone.

It was a bitter taste for the Spartans, who got a quick tongue lashing from coach Kelly Grant after the game. Like Nakanishi, Grant made his ILH debut. He guided Kaimuki of the OIA for nine years.

“I’m disappointed with our concentration and effort. Kamehameha got every loose ball. There is no excuse for a missed dunk and missed layups,” Grant said.

“Right now, it’s a little bit disappointing, but we can play a lot better,” said Schramm, who had just one shot attempt in the first half as Maryknoll struggled to set up its halfcourt offense.

“There’s not that much time until the postseason, so we’ll use that time to get better,” he said.

Maryknoll, with three seniors on its roster, came into the regular season with plenty of potential and hope, losing only to Punahou and AOP in nonconference tournament play.

However, Kamehameha forced Maryknoll into 14 first-half turnovers. The Spartans managed to stay close for a quarter despite seven giveaways, pulling within 10-9 after a 3-pointer from the corner by Burnett.

Kamehameha went on a 10-1 run midway through the second quarter, spurred by Enos. The senior guard hit two foul shots, swished his first trey, and later turned a steal into another 3-point bomb. After he drove for a floater in the lane, the Warriors led 22-12 with 2:36 left in the second quarter.

The Warriors used their press to open a 15-point lead in the third quarter. Down 38-25 entering the fourth quarter, the Spartans switched back to a matchup zone, and Campbell scored nine points in a row as Kamehameha opened the lead to 20.

Kamehameha will meet AOP Thursday at Le Jardin’s gym. Also Thursday, Maryknoll will host ‘Iolani.