Kevin Durant, regarded by some as the nation's best high school basketball player, scored 16 points in the first quarter last night to lead Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.) to an 88-45 victory over defending state runner-up Kahuku.

The Mustangs, ranked No. 1 in USA Today's latest Super 25 rankings, improved to 4-0 and will play four-time defending state champion Iolani (4-1) in tonight's quarterfinals of the 22nd Annual Iolani Prep Classic.

Tipoff is at 8 at Iolani Gym.

Last night Durant, a 6-foot-10 forward, showed the sellout crowd of 1,050 his ball-handling skills, ability to run the floor and even swished a 3-pointer in the second half for good measure. He also scored on three first-period dunks, including a spectacular alley-oop slam to put Montrose Christian up 21-9 with 1 minute remaining. He finished with 21 points.

"We did our best, but what can you say when you're playing guys who are 6-8, 6-9, 6-10?" said Kahuku's All-State guard Junior Ale, who led the Red Raiders with 13 points. "I played in Las Vegas last summer (with Team Hawai'i) against some good Mainland players, but not NBA-type guys like Kevin Durant. That's what he is."

The Mustangs led 25-9 after one quarter, 46-22 at the half and 65-35 after three periods. Adrian Bowie added 15 points for Montrose Christian.

"We needed to play smarter, but the tempo was so quick," Ale said. "There was not much dribbling (by the Mustangs) — it was just one or two dribbles, and then dunk. They're a well-rounded team."

Despite the large margin, Kahuku had several productive possessions and did a decent job of rebounding and setting picks considering the size disadvantage.

"They're very physical and I thought they played well," Montrose Christian coach Stu Vetter said. "They were unselfish with the ball and they made us work with their zone defense."

Ale, a 6-1 guard, picked up three fouls in the game's first 5:34 and took a while to get untracked offensively. But he scored seven points in the second period and had Vetter's attention.

"He's a nice player and we were aware of his talent," Vetter said. "He has good form on his shot, so we knew he was a shooter and we put one of our best defenders (Bowie) on him."

Ale said he appreciated the chance to play against what is arguably the nation's best team and player.

"It's a wonderful opportunity," he said.

Red Raiders coach Nathan James agreed, noting this is only Kahuku's third Classic appearance, and first since 1996.

"You want the opportunity to play the best teams, not just locally but also in the country," James said. "Especially for the limited time we've had together, we need to get our football players into basketball shape and bond as a team, so this is a great experience. We showed flashes of execution tonight, so once we have more time together I think we'll be fine."

In other games: