The shot-clock era has arrived in Interscholastic League of Honolulu boys basketball, where fans often clamored for it after sitting through occasional stall-ball tactics over the years.
Two-time defending state champion Saint Louis showed total comfort with the tempo, grinding out a 43-37 win over No. 5-ranked ‘Iolani on Wednesday night. It was the ILH season opener for both teams.
Junior guard Shancin Revuelto led the No. 2-ranked Crusaders with 18 points on 8-for-14 shooting from the field. He came through from the perimeter with crucial 3-pointers, and contributed two assists and one steal.
“I feel great. It’s a great way to start off the season. We’ve been preparing for ‘Iolani this whole week and we showed it tonight,” Revuelto said. “We do defense every day. We do our shell drill every day. That’s how you win games.”
Saint Louis (14-2 overall) will host Kamehameha on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. ‘Iolani (9-8) will visit Punahou on Saturday at 5 p.m.
With returning All-State player of the year Pupu Sepulona in foul trouble and facing double teams on every touch, Saint Louis needed a full team effort for a tough road win.
“That’s just the guys stepping up against a very good team. We build this team on defense and that’s what it took tonight,” Crusaders coach Dan Hale said.
With Sepulona on the bench after his third foul early in the third quarter, ‘Iolani had the size advantage. Mana Lau Kong, a 6-foot-5, two-sport athlete, scored eight points in the third stanza. Ayden Goo hit a 3, Kaleb Tenn scored on a baseline jumper on a feed from Nela Taliauli, and Lau Kong’s layup on a pass from Wong tied it at 27.
Revuelto’s lone takeaway proved crucial, leading to his layup to beat the buzzer at the end of the third quarter. The breakaway bucket kept Saint Louis ahead, 29-27.
The Crusaders opened the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run and never relinquished the lead. ‘Iolani got it to 38-35 on a steal by Luke Tobin, who fed Taliauli for a fast break layup with 1:08 remaining.
Keanu Meacham’s mid-range jumper opened Saint Louis’ lead back to five points, and Revuelto’s full-court inbounds pass to Caelan Fernando for a layup made it 42-35 with 29 seconds left.
Sepulona finished with eight points and hurt his midsection as he dove for a loose ball in front of his bench during the fourth quarter. He stayed in the game and teamed with Jordan Posiulai to wall off the interior against Lau Kong, who finished with a team-high 15 points.
The Raiders are playing their best basketball of the young season, but ran into a complete, balanced and proud squad. Saint Louis got by without major minutes from Sepulona, their versatile 6-foot-3 playmaker.
“He just got back from football and we’ve been playing the whole summer (and fall) without him. So we know how to execute without him,” Revuelto said.
One thing the newly implemented shot clock did not do was change the rhythm of a classic Crusaders-Raiders game. The visitors relied on air-tight man-to-man defense, forcing three early turnovers to open a 9-1 lead. Revuelto was opportunistic, shooting 4-for-5 for nine points in the opening quarter as Saint Louis opened the lead to 16-6.
The home team cut a nine-point halftime deficit down on free throws by Aiden Wong, an old-school three-point play on the block by Lau Kong, and a driving layup by Taliauli. That run cut the lead to 19-13, but the Crusaders took a 23-14 cushion into the half.
