Punahou's Jared Lum tries to get loose against Saint Louis. He scored 10 points in the Buffanblu's win. Steve Erler | SL

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Thu, Feb 4, 2016 @ Saint Louis

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Punahou

70

Saint Louis

66

Final	1	2	3	4
Punahou (9-6, 27-9)	15	17	14	24	70
Saint Louis (7-6, 21-8)	17	13	18	18	66

N. Purcell 20 pts  2 3pm  4/6 FTs

A. Troske 20 pts  6/8 FTs

KAIMUKI – Can't get enough Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I boys' basketball?

Well, the season just got extended when No. 4 Punahou beat No. 3 Saint Louis, 70-66, Thursday night at the Walter Wong Court at McCabe Gym.

The back-and-forth thriller created the first four-way tie for first at the end of regular-season play since 1956. A draw will be held Friday to determine first-tier matchups to be played Saturday. The winners will play Monday for the regular-season title. The playoffs will be at neutral sites.

"It's crazy," Punahou coach Darren Matsuda said. "Theoretically, you could play five or six games next week and then you got states if you make the states. It's just crazy. Whoever survives out of the ILH this year…I mean all of the teams are great; all of the coaches are really good. It's just a shame only two of us go to states."

After the playoffs settle the regular-season champion, the teams get at it again in the single-elimination tournament.

"It was a great game," Saint Louis coach Allan Silva said. "If we could have made a few shots, it would've been different."

The Crusaders, who were 6-1 a little over a week ago, saw a two-game lead dissipate from a three-game losing streak. Punahou's win, as well as Kamehameha's (vs. Mid-Pacific) and Iolani's (vs. Maryknoll), also on Thursday, puts all four teams at 6-4 and tied for first. With Maryknoll and MPI tied for fifth with 3-7 records, this is the most competitive season in ILH history. Four losses are the most by first-place teams and three wins are the most by last-place teams. Moreover the three-game margin between first and last place is the smallest ever.

But that's been the season's story.

A Saint Louis win would have clinched the regular-season title, which comes with one of the league's two state berths and home-court advantage in the single-elimination tournament that determines the league's second berth. The upcoming playoffs will determine the seeding for the tournament.

Matsuda said he did not add pressure to his players despite being in a situation where Iolani and Kamehameha were counting on the Buffanblu.

"For us, were just going to do our best," Matsuda said. "We tell the kids, we just want your best ever and everybody plays as a team and whatever happens, happens. This is a real young team and we just want to go play."

The Buffanblu and Crusaders engaged in a game that epitomized the ILH season. Saint Louis took a 17-15 lead after the first quarter. The game tied three times in the second before the Buffanblu got a mini 4-0 run to take a 32-28 lead, only to see Jaymason Nunuha score off a steal just before the buzzer to pull the Crusaders to 32-30 at the half.

A frenetic third period saw the teams go back-and-forth in a fast pace and ending with a reverse layup by Noa Purcell to give Saint Louis a 48-46 lead.

Punahou opened the fourth with a 5-0 run to take a 51-48 lead. But the teams were relentless and continued to up and down until Punahou increased its lead to 57-54 after Troske made two free throws with 4:20 left. But 10 seconds later, Tristan Nichols, who double-doubled with 16 points and 12 rebounds, drew his fourth foul.

"He was out for almost two minutes," Silva said. "We brought him back at the end, but Punahou had the momentum."

The Buffanblu were able to maintain their lead, though saw Saint Louis pull to within 64-62 at 1:30 when Purcell scored off a steal, only to come out with some kind of leg injury on the play. But Punahou sealed it later on Cole Arceneaux's dribble drive and Lum's score off a steal to make it 68-62. It was Lum's second score off a steal in the game.

Troske led the Buffanblu with 20 points, 10 in each half. Lum followed with 10 points with four steals.

"Troske's been injured most of the year and he's still not a hundred percent, but the last few games, he's really come on," Matsuda said.

Purcell led all with 20 points, scoring off a steal and two offensive rebounds. Nichols and Jaymason Nunuha each had 16 points. Nichols had a double-double by halftime, as he finished with 12 rebounds, scoring off four of them.

"If we could replay it again, we have to stop the drives," Silva said. "We got hurt on the drive tonight. We were good in practice, but Punahou did a great job."

For all teams, the season is far from over. All have a chance at a state berth when the ILH tournament starts next week.

"We have to regroup," Silva said. "We've had a great season, but now we have to finish it off."

The last time the ILH had a four-way tie for first was 1956, when Farrington, Saint Louis, Roosevelt and Punahou finished with 7-2 records. At the time, the ILH played a round-robin involving the top four teams with the team finishing with the best overall record crowned the league champion.