They are the No. 1 team in the state, but coach Chico Furtado is far from satisfied with his Maryknoll Spartans on offense.

The Spartans’ defense is something Furtado likes.

Isabella Cravens worked for 11 points and 11 rebounds as Maryknoll outlasted No. 2 Kamehameha 46-38 on Friday night at Clarence T.C. Ching Gymnasium. The Spartans improved to 3-0 in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu girls basketball race and 14-1 overall. Kamehameha played without All-State Fab 15 center Kalina Obrey, who is sidelined with a left-hand injury and dropped to 3-1 in league play (12-2 overall).

“I like the fact that we played hard on our defensive pressure,” Furtado said. “But we didn’t get our posts early touches.”

Settling for quick long-range shots, he added, was not part of the game plan. Maryknoll shot 32 percent from the field (18-for-56), including 3-for-21 from the 3-point arc. However, the Spartans stayed even on the boards — each team had 29 — and committed only six turnovers.

Maryknoll forced the Warriors into 19 turnovers. Kamehameha shot 39 percent (15-for-38) from the field.

After a back-and-forth battle in the first half, the home team opened the lead to 29-22 by halftime. In the third quarter, Maryknoll’s recent addition of freshmen from the JV squad — four in all — kept the fullcourt pressure on. Kamehameha committed five turnovers in the third stanza, and the Spartans opened the lead to 36-22 behind buckets from Moe Notoa, Cravens and Kodee Viena.

Furtado was less pleased, however, with his team’s impatience against Kamehameha’s 2-3 zone.

“In our halfcourt sets, we’ve got to do better with understanding time and possession. We’re up 14 and we have a chance to put them away,” he said of quick perimeter shots that allowed Kamehameha to sweep the boards. “It’s inexcusable.”

The visiting team couldn’t take advantage. Obrey, a potential 20-10 player, is a key part of their press breaker, as well. Sophomore Noelle Sua-Godinet had six points and three rebounds, and was a tough challenge driving from the perimeter against post defenders. But five fourth-quarter turnovers by Kamehameha stymied a potential comeback.

Point guard Jewel Paaluhi-Caulk tallied 13 points, four rebounds and three assists. Kiana Vierra, still playing with a flu, didn’t practice in the two days prior to the game and finished with 11 points, nine boards, two steals and two blocks.

Kamehameha’s 8-0 run at the end of the third quarter cut the lead to 38-32, but that was as close as it got. The lead ballooned back to 12, but Vierra and Sua-Godinet dropped 3-pointers to cut the lead to 44-37 with 3:59 remaining. However, the Warriors shot 2-for-12 in the final quarter.

“I’m sure everybody thought we’d get blown out by 20,” Kamehameha coach Joseph Cho said, referring to the absence of Obrey. “I’m proud of our seniors. Princy (Paaluhi-Caulk) played her heart out. I’m really proud of Noelle. She played a heck of a game.”

Obrey watched from the end of the bench. The prognosis for a fractured hand is normally a minimum of five weeks to heal, but she believes she’ll be back on the court next week.

Kamehameha will visit Sacred Hearts on Wednesday. Maryknoll doesn’t have an ILH game until Jan. 4. The Spartans will travel to Las Vegas to play in the Tarkanian Classic Dec. 20-23.