Center Noa Donnelly scored 21 points and freshman Maddox Pung added 17 as No. 7-ranked Kailua overpowered No. 10 Moanalua, 58-40, on Wednesday night.
Kailua improved to 4-0 in OIA East play (13-4 overall). Moanalua dropped to 3-1 (8-7 overall).
“I think we did really well. As a team we were able to show the state that we still are a good team,” said Donnelly, a 6-foot-5 senior. “We were all kind of hurt. I kind of hyperextended my knee out at Kalaheo. I know if I can play hurt, we all can play hurt and win as a team.”
Senior point guard Jonny Philbrick directed traffic for the first-place Surfriders from start to finish and ended with 16 points despite a sore ankle.
“Everybody looks at Jonny for his points, but Jonny’s a great assister, too, man. It showed tonight, so much focus on him and guys were wide open, and he dumped the ball in to them,” Kailua coach Walter Marciel said.
Skylar Miyasato led Moanalua with a hard-earned 17 points, contested all night by Philbrick and Pung, who is 6-3 with long arms. Trey Lanier added 10 points.
“Big win. We wanted to eliminate the penetration. Skylar’s going to get his points. I thought Jonny and Maddox did a wonderful job on him,” Marciel said.
“I think at the end he lost his legs and it showed on some of his shots falling short. We haven’t played a full game the whole regular season, and now our guys are healthy enough and it showed tonight.”
After a slow start against Kailua’s tough man-to-man defense, Na Menehune warmed up in the third quarter with a string of 3-pointers. Moanalua cut a 19-point lead to 38-25, shortly after Pung sat down with an ankle injury.
Kailua led 48-33 entering the final quarter, but with Philbrick resting, their offense got klunky and sloppy with turnovers. Moanalua chipped away and got within 48-37 before Philbrick returned with 6 minutes left.
He rattled in two foul shots, then banked in a 12-footer in the lane. After Elijah Stietzel hit a baseline jumper and Philbrick swished two more free throws, Kailua led 56-39 with 4 minutes to go.
With Pung back in the game contesting inside shots with Donnelly, Kailua closed out the game by extending the lead.
“There’s room to grow. Today, I was missing choke layups,” Philbrick noted.
Moanalua coach Brandon Dumlao is looking forward to getting back to practice. His team had a vast period of improvement after starting preseason slowly. Kahuku awaits on Friday.
“We’ve always started games out slow and had to make some type of comeback. We’ve been able to do that, but tonight Kailua did a good job,” Dumlao said. “Knowing we want to get out and run. We were down to Roosevelt (last week) by 17, thinking we can do it again. We couldn’t do it tonight, playing a really good team.”
Philbrick’s distribution skills were key.
“We did a decent job, but Jonny’s going to get his. He’s a really good player,” Dumlao said.
Kailua will host McKinley on Friday.
Punahou Invitational
No. 4 Saint Louis 49, Bellevue (Wash.) 47
Jiovanni Ramos sank two free throws with 7.6 seconds to play as the Crusaders (13-2) rallied from a 10-point deficit to edge the Wolverines (10-2).
Saint Louis will meet Cathedral Catholic of San Diego, which knocked out ‘Iolani, 45-34.
Sophomore Pupu Sepulona led Saint Louis with 24 points, including 10-for-11 at the free-throw line. As a team, the Crusaders made 21 of 25 attempts.
“We shoot free throws all the time at practice. Coach (Dan Hale) made us shoot 100 free throws (each) at practice,” said Ramos, a speedy guard. “I just take my time and knock it down.”
Alex Yu had 11 points and Brady Kageyama added 10 for Bellevue, ranked No. 16 by MaxPreps in the Washington state rankings.
Sepulona went to the bench with two fouls in the second quarter, and Bellevue opened the lead to 32-22 shortly before halftime.
In the fourth quarter, Sepulona scored on the fast break for a three-point play, and later tied it at 47 on two foul shots with 2 minutes remaining.
The Wolverines missed two free throws, and Saint Louis missed a layup and a 15-foot jumper.
Working the clock for a final shot, Bellevue turned the ball over on a pass and Sepulona lobbed a pass downcourt to Ramos, who was fouled with 7.6 seconds remaining.
Cathedral Catholic (Calif.) 45, ‘Iolani 34
Thomas Fleming splashed four 3-pointers and finished with 13 points as the Dons (9-5) stifled the Raiders. Casey Lyons led the Raiders (11-5) with 16 points.
Punahou 54, Kamehameha-Hawaii 39
Kekai Burnett scored 14 points and Ayndra Uperesa-Thomas tallied 13 as the Buffanblu (13-2) advanced. Nixis Yamauchi had 12 points for the Warriors (5-5).
Oakwood (Calif.) 55, Sandpoint (Idaho) 46
Ben Eisendrath scored 19 points and Hayden Suslow tallied 17 as the Owls (7-6) from North Hollywood advanced to the semifinal round. Oliver Ford added 10 points. Rusty Lee scored 22 and Parker Childs added 11 for the Bulldogs (3-5).
Punahou I-AA 49, Waiakea 44
Skyler Yamada scored 14 to lead the Buffanblu (5-8), who led 30-12 at the half. Nestor Herana and Matthew Pien had nine each in the consolation-bracket game.
Kaimalu Halemau scored 13, Jayke Prudencio added 12 and Nicholas-Ryder Cabreros had 10 for the Warriors (3-4).
Saint Louis I-AA 54, Hawaii Baptist 49, OT
Michael Joshua Price scored 15 points as the Crusaders (2-3) rallied from a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit. Hayden Hannemann added 11 points and Kelso Coloma had 10.
Eli Shibuya led the Eagles (4-7) with 16 points. Trent Mitchell tallied 11 and Jordon Qin chipped in 10.
University 40, Mid-Pacific 32
Duke Mobley scored 12 points and Todd McKinney added 10 as the Junior Rainbows (7-2) led from start to finish.
Tyson Norr paced the Owls (7-11) with nine points.
Faith Lutheran (Nev.) 45, No. 8 Kamehameha 39
Leyton Barr and LJ Mercurius scored 13 points each as the Crusaders (3-7) outlasted the Warriors (11-5), who were led by Christian Togiai’s 14 points.
