Melody Lum scored 15 points, including two driving layups in the first minute of overtime, as No. 8 Punahou fought off Mid-Pacific 65-63 on Saturday night at Mills Gymnasium.
Tatianna Burciaga-Reyes and Kianna Young added nine points each for Punahou (10-4 overall), which improved to 5-4 in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu. Brilie Kovaloff poured in 20 points, and Samantha Makiya and Tylee-Kanani Wong scored 10 points each for Mid-Pacific (4-13, 1-8 ILH).
Lum scored off the tip to begin the extra period, and after a steal by Caitlyn Andrade-Tomitomo, Lum scored on another layup for a 60-56 lead.
The Owls pulled within 60-59 with 2:01 to go on a runner by Wong. Punahou extended the lead to three points on a layup by Andrade-Tomitomo, but Kovaloff drove and scored on the fastbreak to cut the lead to 62-61.
The Buffanblu stretched the lead to 65-61 and put the game away with three free throws by Lum during the final minute. Makiya’s layup lefty layup with 4.5 seconds cut the margin to two points, and Andrade-Tomitomo went to the line for Punahou with 3.4 ticks left. She missed both foul shots, and after a struggle for the rebound, Makiya’s 70-foot heave from the backcourt missed at the buzzer.
“Coach (Gary Pacarro) said to play hard defense, no drives,” Lum said. “Come help on defense, and don’t force anything on offense, just be patient.”
The Owls rallied from a five-point deficit in the fourth quarter and went ahead on two foul shots by Kovaloff for a 53-52 lead with less than 2 minutes left. She added another free throw for a two-point lead with a minute to go.
With the game tied again, Kovaloff then drove and scored off a spin move in the paint for a 56-54 MPI lead with :34.5 seconds left in regulation. Burciaga-Reyes tied it for Punahou with a reverse layup with 11.6 seconds remaining.
The Owls had a last shot. Kovaloff couldn’t drive on Lum, kicked the ball out to Wong on the right wing, and her shot was blocked by Tara Kaneshiro as the buzzer sounded.
“We’ve worked so hard for each other at practice,” Lum said.
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