Punahou's Zayne Chong goes up for a layup in the third quarter against Maryknoll. Greg Yamamoto | SL

×

_18010551_PunMary_3414.jpg - Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase this image
4x5 5x7 8x10 image download

MAKIKI — Top-ranked Punahou overcame a slow start but finished strong to beat No. 4 Maryknoll, 47-42, to open Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I play at Tony Sellitto Center Court at Clarence T.C. Ching Gymnasium Thursday night.

The Buffanblu (1-0 ILH D1) have not lost since Dec. 7 as they extended their win streak to 17-0 against Hawaii teams that dates back to the preseason.

Zayne Chong led all scorers with 17 points and finished 8 of 8 from the free throw line, highlighted by a 6-for-6 performance in the final period of play.

As a team the Buffanblu shot 18 of 28 (64.3 percent) from the charity stripe and was 11 of 14 (78.6 percent) from the line in the fourth quarter to put away Maryknoll down the stretch.

"We have been working on our free throws," said Punahou coach Darren Matsuda. "We didn't shoot well in the first two or three quarters. It's about focusing, concentration and repetition. I'm glad it worked out in the end."

The Spartans (0-1 league) took the early advantage and created separation off of Peyton Grant's 3-pointer and Jaylen Cain's bucket in transition to take a 17-6 lead after the first quarter.

"It's about staying in the moment and we expected them to come out and hit us with a big wave and we couldn't hit anything and it was a double whammy for us. We talked about the game is a marathon, not a sprint. Things will probably go our way at some point," said Matsuda, on the first quarter.

Maryknoll led 21-11 after Marcus Tobin's basket, but Punahou chipped away at the Spartans' lead and closed the quarter on a 10-2 run to trail by two, 23-21, at halftime.

"I think it was about staying the course," said Matsuda. "This is their gym and we knew they would come out energetic and execute well. In warmups they didn't miss any shots, they looked good and focused. That's what you expect when you go to an opponent's gym."

While the Buffanblu was able to keep the energy going throughout the contest, Maryknoll coach Kelly Grant said his team did the opposite.

"They moved the ball better while we were holding the ball and we were trying to attack while not making passes," said Grant. "We always try to get the ball to the weak side. If you stand there and go one-on-one, it's easy to defend. Too much standing around, we need to get the ball moving."

Kaulana Makaula hit a pair of free throws to tie the game at 23, but Maryknoll's Makoto Kamata (nine points, eight rebounds) made a 3-pointer to reclaim the lead, 26-23. Chong made a layup and Tamatoa Falatea sank his second 3-pointer of the game to give the Buffanblu their first lead since the opening minutes of the first quarter, 28-26. Niko Robben's putback off a missed 3-pointer tied the game at 28, but Chong answered with a 3-pointer of his own to give Punahou a 31-28 lead going into the fourth.

"We had trouble with on-ball screens at the 3-point line," said Grant. "There were a couple times where we went under the screen where we were supposed to go over. We were right there, we know we're playing against a seasoned team."

The Spartans responded after Cain (nine points, six rebounds) made a pair of free throws and Jordyn Perez hit a 3-pointer to help Maryknoll reclaim the lead, 33-31. There were two ties until Cole Mausolf made a 3-pointer from the right wing and Chong knocked down two attempts from the free throw line to give the Buffanblu a four-point cushion, 40-36.

Cain, who finished 7 of 10 from the free throw line, got the Spartans within two, 40-38 with 1:24 remaining, but Maryknoll could get no closer as Punahou shot 7 of 8 from the free throw line in the final minute to close it out.

Punahou goes to Mid-Pacific on Saturday, Jan. 6, while Maryknoll looks to rebound as it travels to Saint Louis on the same night.