Jaymason Nunuha scored 21 points, including five crucial free throws down the stretch, as No. 1 Saint Louis escaped with a 64-61 win over No. 9 Mid-Pacific on Wednesday night.
It was a wild finish that resulted in Saint Louis’ second three-point win over MPI this season. The Owls, who trailed by 17 points in the third quarter, were within striking distance in the final minute. After Zion Shepherd drove for a layup and Jacen Kimura sank an NBA-distance 3, the Owls were within 63-61 with 10.6 seconds left.
Nunuha sank one of two foul shots for a three-point lead with 9 seconds to play. Saint Louis extended pressure on the ball in the backcourt. With time running out, Kimura’s 45-footer from near midcourt hit the front of the rim as the final buzzer sounded.
Noa Purcell had 15 points and nine rebounds to help spark the first-place Crusaders. Saint Louis is now 6-1 in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, taking another big step closer to a regular-season title and an automatic state-tournament berth.
“Mid-Pac’s a tough team. Against Punahou, they just didn’t play their game,” Saint Louis coach Allan Silva said. “Their big guys (Shepherd and Justin Daise) are excellent.”
He was particularly satisfied with the Crusaders’ control in the final, frantic minutes.
“We played as a team. That was our best 2-minute span we’ve had. That was teamwork. That was real basketball,” Silva said.
Mid-Pacific dropped to 2-5 in league play. Saint Louis won the previous matchup 53-50 at McCabe Gym.
“It was the same. It doesn’t matter as long as we win,” said Nunuha, a 5-11 junior.
He connected on four of his nine 3-point attempts and added five rebounds, three assists, four steals and one block. But what made the Crusaders’ win most impressive was their ability to fend off the Owls’ furious onslaught.
“Coach wanted us to play defense and take care of the ball,” said Nunuha, who committed just one turnover.
Isaac Slade-Matautia added 13 points and point guard Zack Choo was on the spot with five rebounds during the fourth quarter. Choo finished with seven points, six boards and a steal.
Tristan Nichols tallied eight points, nine rebounds and three steals.
Shepherd, a 6-3 junior, used his non-stop motor to hustle for 16 points, 13 rebounds, three dimes and four steals. Daise, a 6-4 senior, had a team-high 22 points with seven boards.
The difference in the rematch was Purcell, a stocky 5-11 sophomore.
“I want him to shoot more, too,” Silva said. “He’s a force when he drives to the hole. He’s got a quick first step.”
Before the game, spectators honored the late Brad Swanson, father of former players Ben and Ryan, with a moment of silence. He died on Tuesday in Minnesota after a long battle with cancer. Many Owls fans wore #SwansonStrong T-shirts in memory.
Swanson was a devoted supporter of the program, coaching the OWLS club team in offseason leagues. The often humorous and energetic Swanson would have enjoyed MPI’s effort on Wednesday.
A rollicking crowd of about 300 at Mills Gymnasium saw the home team surge to an early 10-2 lead. The visiting Crusaders then dominated and opened a 41-24 lead in the third quarter.
The Owls rallied, however, behind the 1-2 punch of Shepherd and Daise. After going 1-for-8 in the first three quarters, MPI splashed four treys, including three by guard Jacen Kimura. Major Davis connected on a corner 3 before Kimura swished a wing 3 to bring Owls fans to their feet, cutting the lead to 48-46 with 5:24 remaining.
From there, however, Saint Louis maintained composure and went on a 9-0 run. Nichols scored on a follow shot and scored a layup on a feed from Nunuha to push the lead to 57-46 with less than 3 minutes to go.
The Owls started league play 2-0, but the turbulent nature of ILH hoops this winter makes it all unpredictable.
“It’s more about us being constant,” Shepherd said. “Saint Louis is crazy good, how smart they are. Coach Ryan (Hirata) puts us in a good situation, we just have to execute. The problem is just staying constant. There’s no bad loss. Everything is a learning point. ILH is crazy. Anything can happen.”
| At Mid-Pacific |
| Saint Louis (6-1 |
15 |
15 |
17 |
17 |
— |
64 |
| Mid-Pacific (2-5 |
12 |
10 |
14 |
25 |
— |
61 |
SAINT LOUIS–Jett Tanuvasa 0, Jaymason Nunuha 21, Zach Choo 7, Isaac Slade-Matautia 13, Chris Sykes 0, Noa Purcell 15, Lance Sataraka 0, Tristan Nichols 8.
MID-PACIFIC–Codey Mita 2, Isaiah Browning 0, Daniel Florenco 1, Travis Murayama 1, Jacen Kimura 16, Travis Hayashi 0, Zion Shepherd 16, Major Davis 3, Justin Daise 22, Logan Hutchinson 0.
3-point goals—Saint Louis 4 (Nunuha 4), Mid-Pacific 5 (Kimura 4, Davis).
