Saint Louis earns top seed in basketball state championships

Saint Louis is the top seed in the Division I bracket of the Heide & Cook/HHSAA Boys Basketball State Championships.

The Crusaders (23-7]) edged Maryknoll 41-36 in overtime on Wednesday to claim their second ILH title in a row. Saint Louis is the defending state champion, but this year’s lineup has five new starters, led by 6-foot-2 sophomore Pupu Sepulona.

OIA champion Campbell (24-5) is the second seed, MIL champion Kamehameha-Maui (13-9) is the third seed and BIIF champion Kamehameha-Hawaii (13-8) is fourth.

The tournament tips off on Monday with opening-round games at regional sites.

Kailua (21-6) will play at Lahainaluna (14-7) for the right to play Saint Louis on Wednesday.

Mililani (19-4) will host Moanalua (15-10) in a matchup of OIA teams. The winner will battle Kamehameha-Hawaii on Wednesday. Also on Monday, Kahuku (18-4) will travel to Konawaena (11-6) and Maryknoll (28-7) will host Leilehua (17-9).

The Kahuku-Konawaena winner will play Campbell on Wednesday. The Maryknoll-Leilehua victor will play Kamehameha-Maui.