With their former coach, Sol Batoon, watching from the bleachers, the Saints pulled away in the second half for a 63-48 win over University High on Tuesday night at Klum Gym. 

 

Led by Matthew Nuumanaia’s 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists, St. Francis clinched a Division II state-tourney berth. Keola Kealoha was 8-for-8 at the free-throw line and finished with 13 points as the Saints improved to 8-2 in league play (16-11 overall) and sent the Jr. Rainbows

(6-4) out of the running for an automatic berth. 

 

Damien (7-2) has also sealed a state berth. 

 

The rest of the league, including UHS, will vie for a state berth through the ILH’s third-place tournament. The winner of that tourney will then travel to the Big Island to play the BIIF’s third-place team for the right to play in the state tourney. 

 

St. Francis fired Batoon, who built the program from the ground up four years ago from his positions as athletic director and boys basketball coach, on Monday. Batoon admitted lying to the school headmaster, Sister Joan of Arc, about having knowledge of the ILH’s looming decision regarding St. Francis’ football team at the end of last week. The league voted on Monday to impose a two-year ban on the varsity program for lack of numbers — minimum of 40 players — and when Sister Joan of Arc inquired with her AD, she dismissed him. 

 

That left assistant Brian Ka’a’a in charge of the team. He was more comfortable with his new role during the game than he was afterward, but he was happy for the team. 

 

"Right after school, they found out. It was shocking. We didn’t know what to do at first," Ka’a’a said. "We talked to them and everybody got focused. They each know what their job is. We’re trying to win the ILH and states again." 

It was close for more than a half despite difficulties for UHS, which had three players out of the lineup, including two starters, due to academic probation. 

 

"That was definitely the difference when we lost the kids. When you do something a certain way the whole season, it’s really an adjustment to make. At a small school, you don’t really have the depth coming off the bench," longtime UHS coach Walt Quitan said. "Anthony (Canencia) got off to a good start, but once they took his penetration away and geared that whole defense toward stopping him, it’s tough. They’re so big and long up top." 

 

The Saints attacked the paint from the start, using the 6-foot-5 Nuumanaia as a target on alley-oop lobs. University relied on Canencia, a senior point guard, to stay close. He hit two treys in the opening quarter, then scored eight points in the second.  

 

St. Francis took the lead for good on two foul shots by Nuumanaia with 5.5 seconds left in the first half. After a steal by Justin Sarsuelo led to a layup by Nuumanaia, the Saints led 31-27 going into the half. 

 

From there, the Saints clamped down on Canencia, who had 15 of his 22 points in the first half. 

St. Francis’ depth and length wore UHS down. 

 

"We had our same game plan," Ka’a’a said. 

 

 

ST. FRANCIS–Keola Kealoha 13, Kyle Lau 5, Nayton Koki 8, Janson Kupau 4, Matthew Nuumanaia 23, Ranan Mamiya 6, Blayne Won 4, Justin Sarsuelo 0. 

 

UNIVERSITY–Anthony Canencia 22, Eric Leung 5, Joshua Akamine 9, Frank Hobus 0, Milton Monico 6, Shaun Mahiko 2, Micah Kahumoku 4. 

 

3-point goals: St. Francis 5 (Nuumanaia 2, Kealoha, Lau, Mamiya), University 10 (Canencia 4, Akamine 3, Monico 2, Leung). 

 

Assets 44

 

 

ASSETS–Greg Millar 0, Christian Wacker 2, Paul Matsuda 0, Carter Kawai 9, Cole Herrera 0, Micah Swenson-Kim 4, Adien Matsumura 4, Michael Tory 2, Paul David 5, Chase Deaton 0, Nenad Djondjevic 4, Mike Weaver 12, Todd Colby 0.

 

LANAKILA BAPTIST–Keanu Cikowsky 11, Roycen Roult 17, Robert Baker 5, Geo Julian 4, Jerrold Mariano 24, Colton Salvador 4, Joshua Carlton 3.

 

3-point goals–Assets none. Lanakila Baptist 2 (Cikowsky, Mariano).