Rallying from a 22-point deficit in the third period, Punahou stormed past Saint Louis, 55-52, last night in a fast and furious Interscholastic League of Honolulu basketball game at McCabe Gym.

The defending ILH champion Buffanblu, ranked No. 2 in The Advertiser's statewide poll of coaches and media, improved to 2-1 in league play. Saint Louis, ranked No. 8, fell to 0-2.

But for one half last night, the Crusaders looked like they were on their way to a lopsided upset. After falling behind 5-0 in the first two minutes, Saint Louis scored 13 straight points before Punahou guard Dalton Hilliard finally broke the run with a steal and layup with 1:02 remaining in the first period.

Crusaders guard Micah McClinton ended the quarter by banking in a 24-foot shot at the buzzer to make it 20-9. Buffanblu forward Kameron Steinhoff opened the second period with two straight baskets, but Saint Louis answered with a 10-0 run capped by another 3-pointer by McClinton with 3:02 left.

McClinton finished the half with 17 points and the Crusaders up, 40-19.

"Give them credit, they were making all their shots and it rattled us," Punahou coach Dan Hale said. "We really needed to settle down."

Jamison Miller began the second half with a free throw to put Saint Louis up, 41-19. But Miller, a 6-foot-6 senior center, was sent to the bench with his fourth foul with 6:28 remaining in the third quarter and things started to unravel for the Crusaders at that point.

Steinhoff sank two free throws to begin a 12-0 run, as a 3-pointer by Hilliard closed it to 41-31 with 2:41 left in the period. Later, Henry Cassiday sank a jumper in the lane to cut the margin to 45-38 entering the fourth quarter.

"At halftime, I told our guys that (the Buffanblu) are gonna make a run," Crusaders coach Delbert Tengan said. "In the first half, they went up 5-0 but we settled down and attacked their zone just like how we practiced. In the second half, we had some good looks but they didn't go in, and the momentum shifted.

"They put enough (fullcourt) pressure on us and I think we played a little tentative with the lead."

Trevor Crabb scored on a putback to open the final period, and — after another steal — Steinhoff converted an alley-oop pass from Sean McFadden to cut it to 45-42 with 7:29 remaining.

Manti Te'o completed the comeback with a three-point play to tie it at 47-47 with 4:24 left. His putback gave Punahou a 51-50 lead with 1:45 remaining.

"(At halftime) Coach said we still got this game, we did it before," said Te'o, a 6-2 junior forward. "He said it was just a matter of heart, and he was asking us who the leaders were on this team. Everybody rose their hand."

Hilliard scored on a layup to push the lead to 53-50 with 46 seconds left, but Michael Tuiloma scored on a putback to close it to 53-52 with 16 ticks remaining. Free throws by Robbie Toma and Crabb made it 55-52 with 3.3 seconds left, but Saint Louis had one last chance with two free throws with 2.3 ticks remaining.

However, both missed. The Crusaders were 3 of 10 from the line in the fourth quarter.

PUNAHOU (2-1) 9 10 19 17 — 55

SAINT LOUIS (0-2) 20 20 5 7 — 52

PUNAHOU — Dalton Hilliard 10, Robert Toma 5, Matt Feldman 0, Sean McFadden 6, Shane Yoshiyama 2, Henry Cassiday 4, Kimo Makaula 0, Manti Te'o 6, Kameron Steinhoff 16, Trevor Crabb 6. Totals 23 8-14 55.

SAINT LOUIS — Lucas Gonsalves 6, Micah McClinton 18, Dean Viena 7, Kyle Gonzaga 0, Cole Shidaki 5, Marcus Umu 4, Michael Tuiloma 3, Jamison Miller 7, Moses Samia 2. Totals 18 10-17 52. 3-point goals: Punahou 1 (Hilliard). Saint Louis 6 (McClinton 3, Gonsalves 2, Viena).

'IOLANI 49, MID-PACIFIC 37

Taylor Mounts scored 17 points, Pablo Warner added 12, leading the host Raiders (3-0), who made just 16 of 27 free throws, past the Owls (0-2). Marcus Holyfield scored 13 points to lead Mid-Pacific.

MID-PACIFIC (0-2) 8 8 12 9 — 37

'IOLANI (3-0) 9 14 11 15 — 49

MID-PACIFIC — Jonathan Taniguchi 0, Shane Kurihara 0, Sampson Won 4, Ryan Kurihara 6, Jaime Rivera 6, Marcus Holyfield 13, Devon Takenaka 8, Cameron Roberts 0, Sililo Pale 0. Totals 14 4-7 37.

'IOLANI — Kela Marciel 4, Andrew Skalman 1, Nick Christman 0, Trevyn Tulonghari 2, Sheldon Lee 0, Lionel Fujioka 7, Berton Wong 0, Brandon Ball 0, Bricen McCartney 3, Pablo Warner 12, Kainoa Scheer 0, Taylor Mounts 17, Jarrett Arakawa 3. Totals 15 16-27 49. 3-point goals: Mid-Pacific 5 (R. Kurihara 2, Takenaka 2, Holyfield). 'Iolani 3 (Fujioka, McCartney, Warner).

Reported by Stu Matsunami

MARYKNOLL 61, DAMIEN 57

Richard Herring scored 20 points and Garrick Chock added 10, helping the visiting Spartans (2-1) hold off the Monarchs (0-3).

Kaiokolii Lima scored 19 points and Anthony Tuitele 12 for Damien.

MARYKNOLL (2-1) 15 15 15 16 — 61

DAMIEN (0-3) 16 15 7 19 — 57

MARYKNOLL — Kent Kawahara 0, Brian Saxton 0, Tyler Terai 9, Scott Kamimura 0, Garrick Chock 10, Christian Bueno-Kanei 7, Javen Correia 7, Dillon Keaney 0, Shelby Nakakura 0, Rian Huizingh 0, Micah Kalepa 6, Richard Herring 20, Jordan Napoleon 3, Ross Lum 2. Totals 23 13-18 61.

DAMIEN — Nikko Romuar 4, Drey Dutro 7, Tim Smith 2, Anthony Tuitele 12, Kaiokoili Lima 19, Nick Cerny 0, Aminis Thompson 8, Austin Dawson 5, Michael Memea 0. Totals 21 10-23 57. 3-point goals: Maryknoll 2 (Chock, Herring). Damien 5 (Dutro 2, Tuitele 2, Lima).

Reported by Donnie Martin

ILH BOYS I-AA

'IOLANI 40, SAINT LOUIS 33

Leading scorers—'Iol: Matt Koyama 11, Chase Hu 9. SL: Brandon McKee 7.

ILH GIRLS DIVISION I

HANALANI 62, LUTHERAN 35

P.J. Mineya scored 15 points, Tyler Simao added 13 and the Royals (2-0) used a 20-7 second quarter for a 37-17 lead in beating the Lions (0-2) in Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division II play.

LUTHERAN (0-4) 10 7 6 12 — 35

HANALANI (2-0) 17 20 16 9 — 62

LUTHERAN — Joshua Perry-Kruse 4, Ronald Nipp 3, Michael Abang 9, Kyton Keliiaa 7, Shaun Takahashi 2, David Cho 4, Ryson Vander 4, Bronson Hagihara 2. Totals 14 7-12 35.

HANALANI — Andrew Kutaka 8, Darin Kamealoha 9, P.J. Mineya 15, Matt Simbre 4, Matt Guerrero 2, Brysen Honda 4, Brandon Kido 1, Jamal Mentor 0, Andrew Rattanassay 2, Harrison Hoe 0, Tyler Simao 13, Joshua Thomas 2, John Cunningham 2. Totals 29 2-12 62.

3-point goals: Hanalani 2 (Kamealoha, Mineya).

Reported by Rob Araki

'IOLANI 47, KAMEHAMEHA 34

Chanel Hirata hit six of her team's 10 3-pointers en route to 19 points, Jamie Smith added 15 points and the host Raiders (4-1) shut out the Warriors in the second quarter to take a 30-5 lead at intermission in an Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I game.

Hirata made five treys in the first half for 15 points and Smith scored 10 before halftime.

KAMEHAMEHA (2-3) 5 0 13 16 — 34

'IOLANI (4-1) 14 16 4 13 — 47

KAMEHAMEHA — Pualei Furtado 7, Pomaikai Kalakau 0, Shaleese Javillo 8, Lindsey Wong 7, Tiana Abbley 0, Rhani Kaneaiakala 4, Kirsten-Marie Liana 0, Kylle Roy 5, Casey Lum 3. Totals 13 6-9 34.

'IOLANI — Tami Konishi 0, Kylie Ahlo 5, Lahela Usui 0, Lori Yamashita 0, Chanel Hirata 19, Dayna Jandoc 5, Jamie Smith 15, Raechele Takara 0, Shauni Watanabe 1, Hailey Maeda 2. Totals 17 3-5 47. 3-point goals: Kamehameha 2 (Furtado, Wong). 'Iolani 10 (Hirata 6, Smith 2, Ahlo, Jandoc).

Reported by Stu Matsunami

PUNAHOU 60, SACRED HEARTS 36

Shawna-Lei Kuehu scored 16 points, sister Shaena-Lyn Kuehu added 12, and the visiting Buffanblu (6-0) rolled to a 22-11 first-quarter lead to beat the Lancers (0-5).

Raecha-Ann Kauahikaua scored 11 to lead Sacred Hearts.

PUNAHOU (6-0) 22 8 16 4 — 60

SACRED HEARTS (0-5) 9 11 3 13 — 36

PUNAHOU — Rebecca Lau 5, Brittnie Lau 2, Julianne Nomura 3, Dara Tompkison 4, Anna Merrifield 5, Shawna-Lei Kuehu 16, Ashley Satterwhite 2, Shaena-Lyn Kuehu 12, Janet Li 1, Jenny Ching 5, Julia Brand 0, Kysa Ludviksen 1, Tressa Torres 4. Totals 19 22-44 60.

SACRED HEARTS — Rayna Munos 4, Rondlyn Timbraza 0, Kamri Lin 4, Morgan Donohue 0, Ashley Ordenstein 1, Maya Clark 3, Lindsey Bareng 3, Raecha-Ann Kauahikaua 11, Charnelle Pires 3, Kuhina Luis 7, Naihe Paikai 0, Noel Soma 0. Totals 11 12-21 36. 3-point goals: Sacred Hearts 2 (Clark, Pires).

Reported by Sacred Hearts Athletics

ILH GIRLS I-AA

'IOLANI 54, KAMEHAMEHA 46

Leading scorers—'Iol: Sanoe Keli'inoi 12, Kyndall Moi-Simeona 12. KS: Jessica Sasaki 17, Allison Nojima 12, Kimi Hashiba 11.

Read Wes Nakama's blog on prep sports at http://blogs.honoluluadvertiser.com

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.