Crusaders hand Maui its first loss of the season

By Kyle Sakamoto
Advertiser Staff Writer

Maui's Van Komatsu, left, fouls Saint Louis' Jason Rivers as he takes a shot in the second quarter. Maui's Gene Rivera, top center, attempts to block Rivers' shot. Saint Louis defeated Maui, 59-49, to advance to the state title game. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

He won the football championship in early December in his first year as head coach, and he's one win away from the basketball crown.

Saint Louis, the Interscholastic League of Honolulu runner-up, outmuscled previously undefeated Maui in a 59-49 semifinal win last night in the Hawaiian Airlines Basketball Championship at the Blaisdell Arena.

The Crusaders (14-3) will play Iolani in today's final.

"I told this team during the summer league we had the potential to go all the way," Tengan said. "We're right on the doorsteps of winning the championship, and we need to get one more good game tomorrow."

Last night's big-game atmosphere didn't appear to faze Saint Louis, which got nine of its 11 players off the team that won the football title.

It is believed that Tengan is the first coach to take two teams to state championship finals in the same school year.

"These guys have been in the big game at the stadium against all the odds and 20,000 people, so this is nothing new to them," Tengan said. "That experience definitely helps us."

Timo Paepule scored 12 points for Saint Louis, Desmond Hanohano added 11 and Jonah Lakatani had 10.

The Crusaders held a 43-21 rebounding advantage. Some of it had to do with Maui forward Tevita Finau being plagued by foul trouble.

Finau, who is 6 feet 5, picked up his third foul just two minutes into the second quarter and didn't return until 1:30 into the third. He picked up his fourth foul at the end of the third and fouled out with 5:09 remaining, having played just 13 minutes.

When asked if he played too aggressively, Finau said: "I think I was. I tried to do too much."

Brother Maafu Finau, who is 6-4, led Maui (15-1) with 18 points and nine rebounds.

"We wanted to take it inside early," Tengan said. "It's not very often a Saint Louis team has depth at the big guy position and we felt we had four guys to wear down their low-post guys."

Maui, the Maui Interscholastic League champion, made just 8 of 19 free-throw attempts. Five of the misses were on the front end of one-and-ones.

"We haven't been a great free-throw shooting team all season," Maui coach Bill Naylor said. "Nobody makes all their free throws, not even the best guys.

Consolation

Waimea 54, Kaimuki 53: Jordan Dizon scored 21 points and Desmond Rodrigues added 11 points and six assists as Waimea (9-1) of the Kaua'i Interscholastic Federation held off Kaimuki (11-4) of the O'ahu Interscholastic Association.

The Bulldogs' Jimmy Miyasaka attempted a potential game-tying 3-pointer from the left wing with less than six seconds to play, and brother Richy Miyasaka got the rebound. Instead of throwing it to a teammate beyond the 3-point line, Miyasaka hit a short shot with two seconds remaining. Waimea, the KIF champion, just let the final seconds tick away to pick up the victory.

Kalaheo 62, Baldwin 42: Sam Wilhoite scored 25 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the field as Kalaheo (12-4) of the OIA beat Baldwin (11-6) of the MIL.

The Mustangs, the No. 4 seed, held the Bears to 10-of-38 shooting.

Leilehua 44, Kea'au 41: Zacarias Rivera scored four of his 11 points in the final minute as Leilehua (13-3) of the OIA edged Kea'au (13-2) of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation.