Miguel Nunez scored nine points, and Dylan Colon and Chris Fitzgerald added eight each as Mount Vernon (N.Y.) outlasted ‘Iolani 43-29 in championship consolation play at the ‘Iolani Prep Classic on Tuesday night.
Using a rugged man-to-man defense, the Knights (2-1) stifled the Raiders’ offense. ‘Iolani stayed in striking distance thanks to some tough man defense of its own, but the third quarter was practically a scoring drought.
“You know, we didn’t shoot well. We played a very disciplined team and I like how hard we played. We just kept coming, kept doing some good things. If you play hard, good things are eventually going to happen,” longtime Knights coach Bob Cimmino said. “It was a back-and-forth game. A lot closer than what the score indicated.”
Taniela Taliauli had nine points and Casey Lyons tallied eight for the Raiders (10-3). Center Kaimana Lau Kong injured his right ankle in the first half and did not return. The two-sport athlete had already injured his right knee earlier in the tournament.
“It’s tough to play with injuries. It’s part of the game and I knew they were going to be relentless. I’m happy that we escaped with a victory,” Cimmino said.
Cimmino and the Knights are a mainstay among visitors to the ‘Iolani Classic.
“This is our eighth trip,” he said. “We just love the hospitality of our brothers at ‘Iolani.”
Semifinals
Mount St. Joseph 56, Montverde 55
Amani Hansberry scored 19 points as the Gaels shocked No. 1-ranked Montverde in semifinal action.
Austin Abrams added 14 points for MSJ (9-1), which will play Neumann-Goretti for the tourney title today.
Kwame Evans scored 19 points, Cooper Flagg tallied 12 and Asa Newell had 10 for Montverde.
“Oh man, let me catch my breath,” MSJ coach Pat Clatchey said. “They have a great team, great talent, great coach. We told our guys, against them, their length, their size, their protection at the rim, you’ve got to move the basketball. Find the open guy, take good shots, defend. To hold them to 55 points with that kind of talent is amazing.”
Hansberry led the charge in the paint with savvy and physicality.
“They’re pretty big. Have a heart, you find a way. They’re bigger and more athletic than us, but a boxout can take you a little way,” he said. “Stay disciplined with fundamentals and learn to win.”
Montverde started strong with a 15-5 lead, but MSJ chipped away with a patient, backdoor-heavy offensive scheme. MSJ led at the half 28-27.
Brashawn Galloway’s follow shot gave MSJ a two-point lead, 56-54, with less than two minutes left. Montverde’s Kwame Evans made one of two foul shots, cutting the margin to 56-55.
After the Eagles missed a 3, MSJ had the ball with 24.1 seconds left.
Abrams, their clutch shooter all night, missed the front of a 1-and-1 with 21 seconds left, but Montverde missed a mid-range jumper and MSJ rebounded.
Joe Green missed two free throws with four-tenths of a second left and Montverde called time out with a tenth of a second remaining.
Farrell intercepted Flagg’s long pass to end the game and embed Mount St. Joseph in ‘Iolani Classic lore.
The Eagles started strong as always, opening a 15-5 lead, but Abrams kept MSJ in the game with precise shooting. He scored 11 points, including three treys, in the first 11 minutes to bring his team within 25-20 with less than six minutes left in the first half.
Neumann-Goretti (Pa.) 56, Milton (Ga.) 50
Robert Wright III continued his stellar play, scoring 25 points in the Saints’ tough win. Khaafiq Myers chipped in 10 points.
Avery White and Josh Dixon scored 14 points each for Milton (11-1). Seth Fitzgerald added 13 points.
Milton trailed by nine in the fourth quarter but scored five points in a row, getting a corner 3 from Devan Rush, cutting the score to 52-48 with 1:28 remaining.
Stephon Ashley-Wright then sank two free throws with 21.6 seconds left to give Neumann-Goretti a 56-50 lead.
Milton came up empty on the ensuing possession, missing three times in the paint, and the Saints (5-0) advanced to the final.
Consolation
Millennium (Ariz.) 63, Lake Oswego (Ore.) 44
The Tigers (11-3) exploded to a 35-11 halftime lead and was never threatened. Sharpshooter Brayden Barrett led the way with 16 points, including four 3-pointers. Freshman Cameron Holmes added 13 points.
Sophomore Winters Grady finished with 22 points for the Lakers (2-4). The 6-7 wing is averaging 31.3 points per game at the tournament.
Moanalua 58, Saint Louis 57
Skylar Miyasato scored 30 points, including four in the final 14.7 seconds, as Na Menehune rallied for the upset win.
Pupu Sepulona scored 23 points and Jordan Posiulai added 19 for the Crusaders.
Moanalua, which nearly upset Punahou on Monday, improved to 7-5. Ranked No. 2 in the Star-Advertiser Boys Basketball Top 10, Saint Louis dropped to 11-2.
Maryknoll 58, Radford 40
Justin Yap scored 13 points, and Hunter Marumoto and Rome Lilio added 12 each as the Spartans (12-1) won in consolation play.
Caden Williams led Radford (2-9) with 12 points. Hawkins Souffrant added 10.
Leilehua 62, Kamehameha 59
Lamont Mitchell’s corner 3 with nine seconds left broke a 59-all tie, and Kamehameha’s last-second 3 missed at the buzzer. The Mules improved to 7-5 after a battle between two fast, full-court pressing teams.
Kaina Watson led the Warriors (7-6) with 11 points.
Punahou 73, Baldwin 34
James Taras and Dash Watanabe scored 14 points each to lead a balanced attack for Punahou (10-2). Dillon Kellner and Justice Wu added 11 points apiece. Wu sank buzzer-beating 3-pointers from the left wing to end the first and second quarters.
Kolt Yarbrough led the Bears (3-7) with seven points.
