When Pat Clatchey told the Mount Saint Joseph basketball team he’d booked the Gaels a trip from Baltimore, Md., to Hawaii, the veteran coach received a somewhat skeptical response.
“We waited a while to tell them, most of them thought we were lying,” Clatchey said.
He assured them the invitation to the ‘Iolani Classic wasn’t a ruse and after the planning and anticipation, the Gaels opened their stay with a 72-42 opening-round win over Leilehua on Thursday.
A day after completing the trek, Mount Saint Joseph broke away from the Mules with a 22-0 run bridging the first and second quarters and advanced in the winner’s bracket in its debut in the 32nd-annual tournament.
“One of our guys had never flown before, so I think he’s a veteran after a 13-hour flight,” Clatchey said.
“We were well aware of the tournament and we travel, but hadn’t traveled any place this far or this nice weather-wise. … It’s an opportunity of a lifetime to be honest.”
Leilehua coach Russ Fitzgerald was also appreciative of the opportunity for the Mules — who held a 30-28 edge in the second half — to face the Baltimore power in a tournament conceived by the late Glenn Young in the early 1980s to expose Hawaii teams to the level of play on the mainland.
“That was our message to our guys, to appreciate the contact that you’re going to have with these kids,” Fitzgerald said.
“We just have to continue to get this exposure and thank goodness for Mr. Young and him doing this kind of tournament.”
Mount Saint Joseph will face Lone Peak of Utah — an 89-24 winner over Farrington in the tournament’s opening game — in the quarterfinals on Saturday while Leilehua and Farrington meet in the consolation bracket.
The Gaels’ length and athleticism powered Mount Saint Joseph to a commanding lead in the second quarter and they took a 44-12 advantage into halftime.
Senior guard Randy Miller sliced to the rim and knocked down pull-up jumpers to lead Mount Saint Joseph with 14 points and Jefferson Collins added 11 off the bench.
“Our team is pretty deep, pretty athletic and we try to use that to our advantage and just try to keep the tempo up and I thought we were able to do that tonight,” Clatchey said.
After the trip from Baltimore, Miller said the coaches told the Gaels to “stay focused because when it’s game time you have to be ready.
“This is a beautiful place. It’s a blessing coming to Hawaii and being able to play in this kind of tournament.”
Leilehua point guard Joseph Gouty scored 12 of his team-high 14 points in the second half and hit two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. But Fitzgerald was more impressed with the senior’s penchant for creating opportunities for his teammates.
“I thought he was really a consummate teammate tonight,” Fitzgerald said. “Shared the ball, moved it and continued to trust throughout the game. … I thought Joe played really well within the system.”
The first round continues with four more games today starting at 3:30 p.m.
Lone Peak (Utah) 89, Farrington 24
Frank Jackson, a 6-foot-4 guard who has signed with Duke, scored a game-high 17 points for the Knights, who are ranked No. 17 in the latest USA Today Super 25 rankings.
Steven Ashworth added 15 points on five 3-pointers and Nate Harkness had 16 points for Lone Peak.
Vaitomoa Agor had a team-high eight points for the Governors.
Martinsburg (WVa.) 73, Kahuku 48
Jarrell Jones led all scorers with 19 points to lead the Bulldogs into the winner’s bracket.
Jessiyn Villa added 13 points and Devonte Redman nailed two of Martingsburg’s three 3-pointers.
Keanu Akina hit all four 3-pointers for Kahuku and had a team-high 16 points and Hirkley Latu added 15 points on 9-for-15 shooting from the free-throw line.
Sierra Canyon 83, Kamehameha 34
Adam Seiko went 8-for-9 from the free-throw line and led the Trailblazers with 16 points in a rout of the Warriors. Ira Lee finished with 14 points, going 8-for-11 from the line, Terrence McBride added 13 and Sierra Canyon advanced to face Martinsburg on Saturday.
Jayden Zarriello hit two 3-pointers and led Kamehameha with nine points.
