Maryknoll earns spot in state final

Sage Tolentino scored 21 points and hauled in seven rebounds as Maryknoll ousted Damien 57-40 in the Division I semifinal round of the Snapple/HHSAA Boys Basketball State Championships at Stan Sheriff Center.

The win capped a string of four in four tries by the defending D-I state champion Spartans over last year’s D-II state titlist. The first three matchups in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu season were determined by a four-point margin each time.

This time, Tolentino was at his best on both ends. The 7-foot sophomore shot 7-for-8 from the field and added two blocks and two steals. He also played all 32 minutes, committing just one turnover.

“Coach (Kelly Grant) said to calm down and we’ve got this,” Tolentino said.

Liko Soares, playing on a partially torn meniscus, added 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting as the Spartans were crisp against Damien’s man-to-man defense.

>> Photo Gallery: Boys basketball: Damien vs. Maryknoll

Maryknoll overcame a seven-point first-half deficit. With Tolentino commanding the paint, the Spartans went on a 19-0 run in the second half to turn a 21-15 deficit into a 34-21 lead.

“By halftime, I knew it was good. They were losing their cool. We were just playing smarter,” Soares said.

It was tough sledding in the paint against Damien’s sturdy, athletic and long defenders. Leading scorer Niko Robben shot just 1-for-7 from the field, but hit six of eight from the line and finished with nine points.

As a team, Maryknoll shot 15-for-21 at the charity stripe in the fourth stanza. As a unit, the Spartans were as smooth and precise as they’ve been over a largely successful regular season and postseason. Having Soares back in the lineup is a difference-maker.

“It’s sore. It’s a 12,” Soares said of the pain level. “I usually just lie and say 3.”

Maryknoll (29-4), the runner-up from the ILH, will meet Kamehameha today for the title.

From the opening tip, Maryknoll sent Noah Furtado to blanket Damien point guard Hayden Bayudan, one of the hottest players in the state tourney. Bayudan never got going and finished 2-for-9 from the field for eight points with just one assist.

Bryce Forbes led Damien (19-15), the ILH’s third-place team, with 18 points, six rebounds and two steals. Jake Holtz added nine points and six boards. Tino Atonio, another key cog, was in foul trouble and finished with just two points in 21 minutes.

Damien came into the tourney ranked No. 4 in the Star-Advertiser Top 10. Maryknoll is No. 2.

Damien opened its biggest lead of the first half, 16-9, on an 11-0 run. Maryknoll stayed in range, however, and went on a 9-0 run in the third quarter. Robben splashed a wing 3, Soares scored in the paint, and Parker Grant converted a steal into a layup to give the Spartans a 22-21 lead.

After Robben drove and dished to Tolentino for a dunk, it was a 24-21 lead with 4:09 left in the third.

Maryknoll’s man-to-man defense clamped down on Damien, and a follow shot by Soares, a Soares pass to a cutting Tolentino for a bucket, and a Grant bounce pass to Soares on a backdoor cut opened the lead to 30-21 just before the horn.

That capped a resounding 15-0 run by Maryknoll. It didn’t end there.

Grant came up with another steal and fed Reggie Eiland for a basket. After Furtado found Soares for another layup, the Spartans had a 34-21 lead with less than seven minutes remaining.

An alley-oop pass from Grant to Tolentino for a slam brought Spartans fans to their feet and opened the lead to 38-23. On the ensuing play, Holtz drove the baseline for a one-handed jam, cutting the margin to 13.

Damien never got the lead down to single digits, though. Maryknoll shot 15-for-21 from the charity stripe in the final quarter to keep the Monarchs at bay.