The Sabers got it, 45-40, using a stingy 1-3-1 zone that allowed Milika Taufa, Lahainaluna's 5-foot-11 standout center, to get 18 points inside, but forced the Lunas to otherwise shoot outside or risk forcing passes inside.

"We knew what we had to do and we played as a team,'' Maui High's Ariel Gaoiran said to The Maui News. "We just knew we had to go hard. We knew it was kind of a must-win, but we wanted to win this game really badly.''

The Sabers (4-3) scored the game's last six points, all after Roxanne Padron hit two free throws with 36 seconds to play to give the Lunas (5-1) a 40-39 lead.

Maui High went in front for good — the lead changed hands eight times in the second half — when Jazmine Corpuz scored on an inbounds play with 11 seconds left.

As Lahainaluna was coming downcourt to try for a final shot trailing by one, Maui High's Chynna Ramelb stole the ball and drove for a layup. She missed, but Gaoiran followed with a rebound basket to make the score 43-40 with six seconds left.

The Lunas fumbled the ball out of bounds on their final possession, and Gaoiran, who had 13 of her team-high 15 points in the second half, sank a long jumper at the buzzer.

"That is a huge win for us,'' Maui High coach Gilbert Silva said. "We lost our last two games, one by three points against Baldwin, and one by two points against Kamehameha Maui. Both of those two teams played well against us, but it was heartbreaking. It hurts when you lose, but we came over here feeling positive.''

Early in the second half, the Sabers appeared to be in danger of falling out of the race in the 12-game regular season. In front 16-12 at halftime, the Lunas pushed the led to eight 2 1/2 minutes into the second half on a pair of free throws by Maiki Viela.

Maui High was still down eight when Gaoiran hit a 3-pointer with 4:17 to go in the third quarter, starting a 13-4 run that gave the Sabers a 31-30 lead going to the fourth quarter.

Neither team could take more than a three-point lead in the final eight minutes, and the game was tied at 36-36 with 3:27 to play when Taufa — the reigning MIL Player of the Year — scored inside.

Ramelb drove the lane to give the Sabers a 38-36 lead with 2:11 left and Gaoiran made one of two free throws to make the score 39-36 with 1:25 to go. Taufa scored her last basket with 1:01 left to bring the Lunas within one before Padron scored the Lunas' last two points at the line.

"They came out in that 1-3-1 zone and we recognized that right off the bat,'' Lahainaluna coach Todd Rickard said. "But our guards, their shots weren't falling, and that is what it is for – to prevent shooting from the outside. Milika still got hers, but we had some blown opportunities. Give credit to Maui High. They came to play and they did what they had to do. They had to win. We had to win, too, but they played a little bit more determined than we did.''

Rickard said his team's first league loss since last season, also to Maui High, could have a silver lining.

"We still control things, but hopefully this will wake us up,'' Rickard said. "It is something that we probably needed.''

MAUI HIGH (46)

Chynna Ramelb 2 1-5 5, Ariel Gaoiran 5 4-6 15, Amanda Black 3 0-0 7, Cheyla Vega 2 0-0 4, Shakiyla Heslip 3 0-2 6, Jazmine Corpuz 4 0-0 8, Anela Dela Cruz 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 5-13 45.

LAHAINALUNA (40)

Lovelee Tagudin 0 0-0 0, Maiki Viela 2 5-6 9, Lahela Akima 1 0-0 3, Roxanne Padron 1 1-2 3, Rachael Rickard 3 0-2 7, Mele Filikitonga 0 0-0 0, Milika Taufa 9 0-2 18. Totals 16 6-12 40.

Maui High 4 8 19 14–45

Lahainaluna 4 12 14 10–40

3-point field goals–Maui High 2 (Gaoiran, Black); Lahainaluna 2 (Akima, Rickard). Total fouls–Maui High 16, Lahainaluna 13. Fouled out–none.

MIL GIRLS STANDINGS

Division I

W L Pct GB

Lahainaluna 5 1 .833 –

Maui High 4 3 .571 1 1/2

Baldwin 3 2 .600 1 1/2

Kamehameha-Maui 2 4 .333 3

King Kekaulike 1 5 .167 4

Division II

W L Pct GB

Moloka'i 4 0 1.000 –

Seabury Hall 2 0 1.000 1

St. Anthony 3 3 .500 2

Lana'i 1 3 .250 3

Hana 1 3 .250 3

Ka'ahumanu Hou 0 2 .000 3

Yesterday's Result

Maui High 46, Lahainaluna 40

Today's Games

St. Anthony vs. Hana at War Memorial Gym, 5:30 p.m.

Ka'ahumanu Hou at Lana'i, 7 p.m.

Moloka'i at Seabury Hall, 7 p.m.

KAMEHAMEHA-MAUI BOYS 72, KING KEKAULIKE 53

Four players scored in double figures for the Kamehameha Schools Maui boys basketball team in a 72-53 victory over King Kekaulike in a Maui Interscholastic League game last night at the Warriors' gym.

Kaeia Medeiros had 18 points for Kamehameha (5-1), which scored 30 points in the second quarter and led 43-23 at halftime. Kekoa Turbeville and Erwin DeCoite each had 15 points, and Terani Richmond added 10.

Chris Curtis scored 12 points for Na Ali'i (1-5), and Max Ross added 11.

LAHAINALUNA BOYS 55, MAUI HIGH 41

At Lahainaluna, Dillon Soldwisch scored 14 points for the Lunas.

Nutti Pousima scored 13 points for Lahainaluna (5-1).

The Sabers (0-7) got 15 points from Kapono Kong.

Maui High was limited to seven points in the second quarter, then outscored Lahainaluna 24-23 in the second half.

KAMEHAMEHA-MAUI 72, KING KEKAULIKE 53

KING KEKAULIKE (53)

Erik Manner 0 0-0 0, Jay-Ar Agapay 0 1-2 1, Josh Engoring 0 4-4 4, Jesse Gong 1 0-0 3, Jared Ornong 2 0-1 4, Matthew Russel 2 0-0 4, Chris Curtis 4 3-3 12, Keoni Cadman 3 2-2 8, Garrett Gunter 2 0-0 4, Reilly McCall 0 0-0 0, Komo Thomas 1 0-0 2, Bradley Norman 0 0-0 0, Roland Eharts 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 14-17 53.

KAMEHAMEHA-MAUI (72)

Joshua Kong 0 2-2 2, Kaleo DeMello 1 2-6 4, Jeff Oka 0 0-0 0, Kawika Kong 0 1-2 1, Kekoa Turbeville 5 4-4 15, Lindsey Kalaiwaa 1 0-0 2, Terani Richmond 5 01 10 Kalae Camarillo 0 0-0 0, Evan Garces 1 3-3 5, Kaeia Medeiros 8 2-3 18, Erwin DeCoite 5 5-56 15, Kamalu Kaina 0 0-0 0. Totals 26 19-27 72.

King Kekaulike 7 16 12 18–53

KS-Maui 13 30 12 55–72

3-Point Goals–King Kekaulike 3 (Fong, Ross, Curtis), Kamehameha Maui 1 (Turbeville). Total fouls–King Kekaulike–24, Kamehameha Maui 19. Fouled out–J. Kong.

LAHAINALUNA BOYS 55, MAUI HIGH 41

MAUI HIGH (41)

Kapono Kong 5 4-6 15, Darius Quedding 2 0-0 5, Charles Gusman 1 0-0 2, Jacob Phillips 0 1-2 1, Matt Brown 3 2-6 9, James Vega 4 0-0 10. Totals 15 7-14 41.

LAHAINALUNA (55)

Tyson Mizuno 2 0-1 4, Paul Salvador 2 1-2 5, Dexter Recites 0 2-2 2, Ty Carter 2 0-0 5, Dillon Soldwisch 7 0-4 14, Nutti Pousima 4 5-7 13, Jayson Manning 1 2-3 4, Jake Manning 4 0-2 8. Totals 22 10-21 55.

Maui High 10 7 11 13–41

Lahainauna 17 15 11 12–55

3-Point Goals–Maui High 2 (Vega 2, Kong, Quedding), Lahainauna (Carter). Total fouls–Maui High 19, Lahainaluna 16. Fouled out–Gusman.

JUNIOR VARSITY RESULTS

Kamehameha-Maui boys 51, King Kekaulike 39

Seabury Hall Boys 38, Baldwin 27

Baldwin girls 30, Seabury Hall 7

MIL BOYS STANDINGS

Division I

W L Pct GB

Lahainaluna 5 1 .833 –

Kamehameha-Maui 5 1 .833 –

Baldwin 4 1 .800 1/2

King Kekaulike 1 5 .167 4

Maui High 0 7 .000 5 1/2

Division II

W L Pct GB

Moloka'i 4 0 1.000 –

Lana'i 4 0 1.000 –

Seabury Hall 2 0 1.000 1

St. Anthony 1 5 .167 4

Ka'ahumanu Hou 0 2 .000 3

Hana 0 4 .000 4

Thursday's Results

Kamehameha-Maui 72, King Kekaulike 53

Lahainaluna 55, Maui High 41

Today's Games

Lana'i at Ka'ahumanu Hou, 7 p.m.

Seabury Hall at Moloka'i, 7 p.m.

St. Anthony vs. Hana at War Memorial Gym, 7:30 p.m.