Maryknoll's Maegen Martin puts up a shot over Kamehameha's Kiana Vierra. Jim Lebeau | Special to SL

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Wed, Dec 17, 2014 @ Maryknoll

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Kamehameha

39

Maryknoll

42

Final	1	2	3	4
Kamehameha (7-5, 12-6)	4	17	6	12	39
Maryknoll (11-1, 20-3)	12	10	12	8	42

M. Martin 15 pts  1 3pm  6/6 FTs

M. Maio 17 pts  5/7 FTs

Maryknoll's opening act of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I girls basketball season was a dramatic one.

Maegen Martin scored a team-high 15 points and Maryknoll held off Kamehameha 42-39 in the regular-season openers for both teams at Clarence T.C. Ching Gymnasium Wednesday night.

A crowd of about 200 spectators saw the Spartans, who are ranked third in the ScoringLive/OC16 Girls Basketball Power Rankings, lead big early on before having to fend off a pesky Warriors' squad that entered as the No. 8 team in the state.

"I think we did OK, (but) obviously we had lapses in the game," Maryknoll coach Chico Furtado said. "I thought we had some moments of brilliance where we looked like we took control of the game — we were up 17-6 early — and then we had some lapses defensively."

After Kaile Cambra's 3-pointer from the left corner gave the Spartans an 11-point lead just over a minute into the second quarter, Kamehameha used a 12-1 second-quarter run — capped by Mikiala Maio's baseline drive and layup — to tie it at 18.

The Warriors took a brief lead on a putback and a free throw by Maio to make it 21-19, but Lindsey Lee drained a 3-pointer from nearly the exact same spot Cambra hit hers to give the Spartans a 22-21 lead at the intermission.

"They go on that run and if we don't hit that 3 right before the half we're down at the half," said Furtado, whose team did not trail in the final two quarters.

Martin said Furtado stressed patience on the offensive end during his halftime speech.

"Basically he said that we're the better team and we have talent — and so do they — but we have more talent so all we had to do was settle down, hold the ball and just look for open shots and don't be sloppy," Martin said.

Alexis Delovio made the back end of two free throws midway through the fourth quarter to ignite an 9-2 run to close out the period.

Kamehameha made it a one-possession game late when Maio hit a baseline runner with just 32 seconds left to cut Maryknoll's lead to 40-37. Rhianne Omori stretched it back to a five-point lead after a couple of free throws, but Maio made it 42-39 with two of her own from the charity stripe.

The Warriors had a chance to tie it in the closing seconds, but a desperation 3-pointer by Breann Nueku was no good as the final buzzer sounded.

"The second half it was close all the way and we pull away at the end, but like I told our team, we need to make free throws," said Furtado, whose team shot 19 of 30 from the free-throw line. "When you're nursing a five-, six-, seven-point lead, they're going to put you on the line and you're going to win or lose that game on the line. We missed a few and we allowed them to stay in the game."

Maio led the Warriors (0-1) with a game-high 17 points. They will host No. 7 Iolani (1-0) at Noon Saturday.

The Spartans (1-0) return to Ching Gymnasium for a 1 p.m. game Saturday against Mid-Pacific (0-1).