Iolani's Robbie Mann puts up a shot in the paint against Maryknoll. Mann contributed 12 points and 7 rebounds in the victory. Greg Yamamoto | SL

×

021815_IoM6949.jpg - Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase this image
4x5 5x7 8x10 image download

Zach Gelacio scored a game-high 21 points to lead three scorers in double figures as Iolani fended off Maryknoll, 58-51, in a semifinal game of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I single-elimination tournament at the Raiders' lower gym Wednesday night.

With the win the fourth-ranked Raiders improved to 8-3 and locked up the ILH's second and final berth into next week's New City Nissan/Hawaii High School Athletic Association State Championships. They will meet top-seeded Punahou — which defeated Kamehameha, 62-35, in the other semifinal — in the 6:30 p.m. tournament final Friday at the Buffanblu's Hemmeter Fieldhouse.

"You see what kind of games you have in the ILH, so to be able to make it out of here as one of the top two teams is huge —I think that's a special thing — so I'm really proud of our guys," Iolani coach Dean Shimamoto said. "They just kept fighting and fighting, so I'm happy for them."

The Raiders held eight-point leads in both halves and as late as the 5:25 mark of the fourth quarter, but the Spartans fought back to within a point at 46-45 with 2:09 left to play on a pair of Saige Pulu free throws to cap an 11-4 run.

However, Iolani extended it back to a five-point lead after knocking down four free throws on one possession as a result of a personal foul and ensuing technical foul on Maryknoll.

The Spartans went to the free-throw line on their next three possessions and made all six from the charity stripe to creep back to 52-51 with 40 seconds remaining.

The Raiders returned the favor — namely Gelacio — who sank six of his team's final eight free throws down the stretch to seal it.

"We preach free throws," said Gelacio, who was 16 of 18 from the free-throw line. "Last year it helped us win the state championship. This year it helps in close games and we hope it helps us again on the road close games."

As a team, Iolani was 28-of-38 shooting on free throws. All but two of those attempts came after halftime.

"We looked before the game and we were in the lead for the Taco Bell Challenge and we won it last year and we wanted to win it again," Shimamoto laughed. "We knew it was going to come down to that in a game like this, so we wanted to shoot free throws well and our guys came through."

Maryknoll had a chance to tie it with about 15 seconds left on a Justice Sueing 3-pointer, but it was no good and Erik Yamada came down with the ever-important rebound for Iolani.

"I think we knew coming into this game that it was going to be really intense and both teams were going to come out firing right really hard, so we knew from the start that we wanted to focus on keeping our cool throughout the game," said Yamada, who finished with 14 points.

Iolani dominated Maryknoll in both rebounding (27 to 16) and second-chance points (12 to 0). Robby Mann grabbed a game-high seven rebounds — including four on the offensive glass — and added 12 points for the Raiders, who were in the bonus by the 3:33 mark in the third quarter and the double bonus just 49 seconds into the fourth.

In all, the Spartans were whistled for 25 fouls to 17 for Iolani.

Sueing finished with a game-high 19 points and Brian Washington added 12 for sixth-ranked Maryknoll, which ends its season at 6-6.

Iolani has won all three meetings against Maryknoll this season, including a 62-56 decision just eight days ago in the final game of the regular season.

Punahou had already punched its ticket to states by winning the ILH regular season. A win Friday gives Punahou the overall ILH title, a seeded state-tournament berth and a first-round bye. If Iolani wins Friday, the teams will face off in a winner-take-all playoff 6 p.m. Saturday at Punahou.