It was rise and shine at an early hour foe the Mid-Pacific Owls and Hawaii Prep Ka Makani, who tipped off today’s action with a 9 a.m. game.
Does anybody really shoot 3s and run the floor well this early? This fourth day of basketball, game No. 3 for all 16 teams in todays consolation and semifinal games, is a true test of endurance mentally and physically. There are great matchups up and down the schedule, very competitive matchups.
Some of us are blessed enough to see all of it in the comfy, air-conditioned confines of ‘Iolani’s gym. The ‘Iolani Prep Classic is actually only halfway through in terms of games played. But the end of this year’s tourney is in sight. It’s OK to feel sad.
Friday’s games
>> Hawaii Prep 38, Mid-Pacific 32
>> Roosevelt 47, Farrington 43
>> Kailua 52, Moanalua 38
>> St. Francis 72, Campbell 53
>> West Linn 78, ‘Iolani 56
>> Oak Ridge 58, Pleasant Grove 51
>> Sierra Canyon 64, Westchester 49, semifinal
>> La Lumiere 58, Montverde 51, semifinal
Saturday’s games
>> 9 a.m. Mid-Pacific vs. Farrington, 15th place
>> 10:30 a.m. Hawaii Prep vs. Roosevelt, 13th place
>> Noon Moanalua vs. Campbell, 11th place
>> 1:30 p.m. Kailua vs. St. Francis, ninth place
>> 3:30 p.m. ‘Iolani vs. Pleasant Grove, seventh place
>> 5 p.m. West Linn vs. Westchester*
>> 6:30 p.m. La Lumiere vs. Oak Ridge (if LL wins, it is co-champion or outright champion)
>> 8 p.m. Sierra Canyon vs. Montverde (if SC wins, it is co-champion or outright champion)
La Lumiere 58, Montverde 51, FINAL
No. 6 upsets No. 1 in the semifinals of the ‘Iolani Prep Classic. Gerald Drumgoole led the Lakers with 19 points and Keion Brooks was clutch with 17 points, including two huge 3-pointers down the stretch. Wendell Green added 13 points. Brooks, a 6-foot-8 senior, and 6-9 Isaiah Stewart were instrumental in neutralizing Montverde’s talented front line.
Cade Cunningham and Moses Moody led Montverde with 15 points each.
* * *
Here’s the bizarre scenario surrounding La Lumiere in the ‘Iolani Classic tonight and tomorrow as it leads Montverde in the fourth quarter of this semifinal.
The clock is ticking on Montverde Academy, the nation’s No. 1 team according to USA Today and MaxPreps.
As the fourth quarter begins in their ‘Iolani Prep Classic semifinal game with La Lumiere (Ind.) — ranked No. 6 by MaxPreps — Montverde (Fla.) trails 36-34. But no matter what happens, there’s a twist.
While Sierra Canyon (Calif.), the other semifinal winner, awaits, there may not an outright championship game for La Lumiere if it wins this game. That is because the Lakers do not belong to their state association. They’re an independent team, and other teams from California are not permitted by rule to play such programs.
So, if La Lumiere wins — and the Lakers’ lead over Monvterde is now 41-34 with 6 minutes left — they will play Oak Ridge, which lost in the quarterfinal round. That’s only because Oak Ridge is from Orlando, Fla,, as state that permits games with independents. In that case, a La Lumiere win would crown the Lakers as co-champion, and if Sierra Canyon would lose to Montverde, then La Lumiere would be the outright champ.
Confusing? The other possible matchup could’ve been with semifinalist Pleasant Grove, but that team is from Utah, another state that doesn’t support competition with independent teams.
All this would be moot if Montverde beats La Lumiere. Then two association-based teams would meet for the Classic title. But with 4:38 left, La Lumiere’s Kevin Brooks is fouled while shooting a corner 3. He makes all three foul shots and it’s 45-36. Moments later, a collision on a kick-out, no call and Brooks splashes a corner 3 for a 50-38 lead with 3:30 left.
La Lumiere (Ind.) 36, Montverde (Fla.) 34, end Q3
La Lumiere (Ind.) 19, Montverde (Fla.) 17, 2:44, Q2
Sierra Canyon 64, Westchester 49, FINAL
Cassius Stanley with 20 points on 9-for-13 shooting and KJ Martin 18 points on 8-for-9 shooting plus 13 rebounds. Scotty Pippen 17 points, 4 dimes in the semifinal win.
Kaelen Allen with 14 points, eight boards, and Jordan Brinson 15 points with four rebounds for Westchester.
Sierra Canyon 53, Westchester 42, 3:27, Q4
Sierra Canyon 43, Westchester 31, end Q3
After stretching the lead to 30-19 late in the second stanza, Sierra Canyon kept pushing in the third quarter. After Pippen went coast to coast for a blazing layup, Stanley stole the ensuing inbounds pass and hit a rainbow floater in the lane for a 41-27 lead with 1:34 to go in the third.
Sierra Canyon 30, Westchester 22, halftime
It’s been a mathematically sequential game so far in a basic away. Sierra Canyon has scored 15 points in each quarter so far. Westchester has scored 11 in each period. Kenyon “KJ” Martin has been superb and efficient: 5-for-6 from the field for 10 points with five rebounds, one assist, one steal and no turnovers. Cassius Stanley has eight points and four boards.
Jeremiah Turley has 11 points to lead Westchester, but his team has already committed eight turnovers. Sierra Canyon has five giveaways.
Sierra Canyon 26, Westchester 17, 1:56, Q2
They had the lead up to 11, just pushing tempo, rebounding, playing solid defense. Nothing fancy about Sierra Canyon, just very fundamental and hungry.
Sierra Canyon 15, Westchester 11, end Q1
Oak Ridge 58, Pleasant Grove 51, FINAL
Down 56-51, Pleasant Grove got open looks from deep for Brown and Fairbanks in the final minute, but both shots were straight and long.
Oak Ridge 55, Pleasant Grove 48, 1:28, Q4
Up 49-48, the Pioneers turned to sharpshooter Zavien Smith-Morales. Christopher Walker passed to Smith-Morales for an open 3 to open the lead to four. Moments later, they pushed the ball on the fastbreak and Smith-Morales didn’t hesitate, hitting another 3 — early in the shot clock — for a seven-point lead.
Pleasant Grove 43, Oak Ridge 42, 6:27, Q4
The Vikings go ahead on another Tyler Fairbanks 3. Time out, Pioneers.
Oak Ridge 40, Pleasant Grove 37, end Q3
Christopher Walker is keeping the Pioneers ahead. The Vikings of Pleasant Grove have to be pleased to be this close with C Matt Van Komen sidelined.
Oak Ridge 34, Pleasant Grove 32, 2:04, Q3
The Vikings have rallied from a double-digit deficit with patient, precise offensive execution against the Pioneers’ man defense. Casey Brown, a 6-2 guard, has been very effective with penetration, and Tyler Fairbanks, a 5-10 guard, has been tough. He hit a 3 and came up with a steal that led to another bucket.
Oak Ridge (Orlando, Fla.) 16, Pleasant Grove (Utah) 9, end Q1
Have to admit, feels a bit strange seeing Oak Ridge in this third-place game. Not that they should’ve won their semifinal. It was a great game with La Lumiere. But they’re so talented. This is going to be a heck of a challenge for Pleasant Grove, especially without their 7-4 center Matt Van Komen. He’s in street clothes with a walking boot on his right ankle.
West Linn 78, ‘Iolani 56, FINAL
Things got testy in an otherwise flat fourth quarter. Micah Garett led West Linn with 24 points. Bryson Crockett tallied 15, Drayton Caolie added 12 and Parker Durbin chipped in 10. Kawika Lee led the Raiders with 16 points, including 8-for-8 shooting at the foul line. Noah Bumanglag tallied 12 points and Sam Wheeler finished with nine.
West Linn 68, ‘Iolani 52, 4+ minutes left
After a 5-minute stoppage in play to wipe blood off the court, ‘Iolani draws its second and third technical fouls of the game. One comes after Carter Kamana roofs a West Linn shot cleanly, but obviously said something an official did not support. Then Sam Wheeler is whistled for a personal foul , has a conversation with a Lion and gets zapped. That’s six foul shots in less than 20 seconds for West Linn with less than 4 minutes left.
West Linn 60, ‘Iolani 38, end Q3
Possibly the most impressing thing about West Linn today is that they have not let up defensively once. They’re covering ‘Iolani as if this was a championship game for the Classic, or for a state title. That’s a great measurement of how much the Lions respect the host Raiders. It’s also a measure of this team’s commitment defensively.
West Linn 46, ‘Iolani 31, halftime
The Lions’ man defense is making things tough on the Raiders, who are cold from the arc. G Noah Bumanglag has carried the load in the second quarter, attacking the rim effectively.
West Linn (Ore.) 19, ‘Iolani 11, end Q1
The Raiders, wearing their road black uniforms for the first time this week, jumped to a 9-4 lead. The Lions answered with a 15-2 run.
St. Francis 72, Campbell 53, FINAL
The Saints opened the lead to 20, even with Kordel Ng on the bench. Campbell eventually cut the lead to 10 with a string of NBA-range 3s by Makana Ortiz. The Saints then went on a roll with the starting five back in, getting two more treys from Kameron Ng and one from Chase Akana.
Kameron Ng finished with 32 points, including six treys. Kordel Ng added 11 points. Mitchell Williams led Campbell with 13 points, all in the first half. Kaimana Preza hustled for 10 points.
St. Francis 47, Campbell 35, end Q3
The Saints sink five 3-pointers in the third stanza to open the lead. Noah McKenzie swished a corner 3 and scored off a steal, while Kameron Ng made those three treys. Kordell Ng left the game after reinjuring the pinky finger on his off (right) hand. He left it untaped today for the first time in a few weeks.
St. Francis 42, Campbell 31, 2:44, Q3
The Saints have caught fire against Campbell’s man defense with four 3-pointers. Three are by Kameron Ng, who now has 18 points.
St. Francis 28, Campbell 25, halftime
Jett Tanuvasa’s defense is a major factor whether the Saints are playing zone or man. His corner 3 helps push them into the lead before the half. They did it without another point from Kameron Ng, who has nine points. Kordel Ng scored six in the second. Mitchell Williams has 13 points.
Campbell 16, St. Francis 13, end Q1
A lot of offense, but not much transition with Campbell in a 3-2 matchup zone. Kameron Ng is off to a good start with nine points. Campbell’s Mitchell Williams has eight. Could be one of those shootout games.
Kailua 52, Moanalua 38
Isaiah Hopson scored 16 points and Nainoa Peters tallied 15 to spark the Surfriders. Geremy Robinson led Moanalua with nine points.
Kailua’s bench came up strong defensively, and backup guard Micah Fraticelli hustled for a putback during this big second-half run. Kailua was able to get to the rack and score inside. Moanalua hardly had any inside points. McRaven is one of the best rim protectors in the state, but he hasn’t become a low-post scorer. Robinson floats a lot on the perimeter, but against Kailua’s man defense, he didn’t get many looks and when he did, sometimes hesitated. The game plan was good, but offensively, Moanalua sure could use someone who has the will to get to the rim when defenses are bringing tough on-ball pressure.
Moanalua is ranked No. 6 in this weeks’ Star-Advertiser Top 10.
Kailua 44, Moanalua 33, 5:13, Q4
Incredible sequence with Everett Torres-Kahapea leaping to block a layup by Geremy Robinson, and on the next run downcourt, DiAeris McRaven swats a layup off the glass by Kaniela Williams. A minute later, Isaiah Hopson rejects a Robinson jumper, and Nainoa Peters drives on McRaven for an and-1 layup. This game is entertaining, but there’s a lot more defense than I expected.
Kailua 38, Moanalua 29, end Q3
That’s a 19-9 run by the Surfriders in the third. Transition game has been key for Kailua.
Kailua 20, Moanalua 19, halftime
Well, maybe it’s not so high-scoring. Though Kailua has scoring punch, they haven’t gotten untracked. Same with Moanalua. Some of it has to do with the defense both teams are playing. But it’s also this: there’s not a lot of scoring coming off the bench when that might not have been the case a year ago for each team.
Moanalua 11, Kailua 10, end Q1
Isaiah Hopson ran the floor hard and scored on two layups to get the Surfriders back within one point.
Moanalua 11, Kailua 6, 2:59, Q1
Kailua-Moanalua might turn out to be an OIA championship matchup. For sure, it has big potential for entertainment value. Though is ranked No. 6 in the Star-Advertiser Top 10 and Kailua is unranked, Kailua was in the rankings for two weeks. It’s similar to the HPA-MPI game earlier. Though HPA is unranked, the talent is there and Ka Makani is playing well enough to beat teams in the lower half of the Top 10.
Roosevelt 47, Farrington 43, FINAL
The Rough Riders have a foul to give and do so near midcourt. No chance for a 4-point play for Farrington as Roosevelt defenders stay away from contact. Game over. A gritty win for the Rough Riders, who continue to play without Micah Visoria (ankle).
Ty Shishido finished with 18 points to lead the Rough Riders. Jem Kouch led the Govs with 10 points.
Roosevelt 47, Farrington 43, :08.8, Q4
McEnroe feeds Jem Kouch, who misses on a drive with Lio Ilalio defending. That could have tied the game. Chris Lee shooting 1-and-1 with :08.8 left. Lee hits the first, 46-43. And the second. That should ice it, but you never know…
Roosevelt 45, Farrington 43, :46.2, Q4
Shishido’s 10-foot J gives Roosevelt a 45-43 lead with 1:20 left. Govs turn the ball over on an inbounds pass. Roosevelt calls time out.
Roosevelt 43, Farrington 43, 2:12, Q4
A 7-0 run by the Govs and the game is tied. It’s been a game of runs and mini-runs.
Roosevelt 43, Farrington 36, 4:45, Q4
Shishido is a man on fire, scoring six points in a row to give Roosevelt a two-point lead. Miyasato scores and it’s a 40-36 lead for the Rough Riders. Andy Yeung’s corner 3 comes out of nowhere.
Farrington 36, Roosevelt 32, end Q3
Roosevelt starts the second half flat and falls behind 32-26. Coach Steve Hathaway calls time out and jolts his team about the energy level. It works. Chris Lee splashes a 3, and later, a pull-up J.
Roosevelt 26, Farrington 24, halftime
Farrington scrapped its 2-3 zone and went to man defense to begin the second quarter. Felcris Ahadain, back from an ankle injury, scored five quick points on a lefty drive and a 3. The x-factor is Raefe McEnroe, a 6-3 senior who can play any position. The Govs look like they had their best 5 on the floor with him as a stretch 5 with passing skills. Roosevelt is still getting deflections and strips for transition opportunities. Ty Shishido and Cameron Miyasato probably have a combined five steals or more.
Roosevelt 13, Farrington 9, end Q1
The Rough Riders raced to a 9-2 lead. Farrington cut it to 11-8. Jared Nonaka’s putback with 3 seconds left opened the lead back to four for Roosevelt.
Hawaii Prep 38, Mid-Pacific 32, FINAL
Ka Makani get a FT down the stretch and hang on to edge the Owls. Mid-Pacific was 3-1 at the beginning of the week, ranked No. 7 in the Star-Advertiser Boys Basketball Top 10. HPA notches its first win at the Classic after two losses, including the close 61-56 game against Moanalua on Thursday.
Kelsen-Jaye Walker led HPA with 11 points. Javan Perez and Valentinas Ulinas added eight points each. Cameron Dang led MPI with six points.
Hawaii Prep 35, Mid-Pacific 29, :46.6, Q4
Ka Makani continue to drive into the lane for buckets. Walker scores in transition, and HPA is up by six. WOW.
Hawaii Prep 31, Mid-Pacific 29, 2:23, Q4
Ulinas is on fire, driving for another layup and the lead is 31-27. HPA’s matchup defense is causing problems. Coach Fred Wawner mentioned on Thursday that they used a triangle-and-two to counter Moanalua’s shooters. It looked a lot like man defense, but the help on the back side was what he wanted, too. Cameron Hersh scores his second bucket inside this quarter and MPI is within two. They set up a halfcourt trap and HPA calls time out.
Hawaii Prep 29, Mid-Pacific 25, 4:43, Q4
Kelsen-Jaye Walker drives for a layup to give HPA a 25-23 lead with 7:12 left. Then Ulinas scores on a layup for a four-point lead.
Mid-Pacific 23, Hawaii Prep 23, end Q3
MPI still bringing the energy. Danton Nitta has connected on a couple of drive-and-kick 3s from guards Kamana Lapina and Colin Ramos. Ka Makani rally from a seven-point deficit to tie it up. Good battle.
Mid-Pacific 13, Hawaii Prep 10, halftime
Hawaii Prep is an island team, but from the Big Island. Being away from home for several days hasn’t hurt them. They’re playing better each day. MPI’s press, however, has thrown them a bit out of rhythm. Leading scorer Valentinas Ulinas hasn’t gotten untracked yet.
Mid-Pacific 9, Hawaii Prep 5, end Q1
The Owls are playing with a LOT more energy than most teams would at this point, especially early morning. Coach Ryan Hirata has them playing aggressively on both ends, using a fullcourt press.
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