Punahou holds off Lahainaluna in bounce-back win

Punahou's Mel Lum dribbles through Lahainaluna defenders. CJ Caraang | SL

KAKAAKO — Mel Lum hit a pair of first-half 3-pointers and finished with a team-high 10 points to help Punahou hold off Lahainaluna 48-44 in the McKinley Black and Gold Classic Thursday night.

The Buffanblu rebounded from a 15-point loss to Konawaena in the first day of the 10-team tournament to even their record at 1-1, while the Lunas, who lost by 14 to Iolani Wednesday, fell to 0-2 in the preseason.

Lum was a perfect 4-of-4 shooting on field goals and was the lone Punahou player to score in double figures. Heaven Hense-Dorroh and Tara Kaneshiro added six points apiece, Shania Moananu and Laynee Torres-Kahapea added five each and the pair of Caitlyn Andrade-Tomimoto and Taylor Hange each chipped in four.

Punahou trailed 14-9 after the opening quarter, but outscored Lahainaluna 23-8 in the second stanza to take a 10-point lead into the halftime break.

The Lunas cut the Buffanblu lead to 36-35 after three quarters and took the lead early in the fourth, but Lum scored both of her second-half field goals in the final quarter to help her team deny the perennial-MIL powerhouse.

"That's it and that's the biggest thing that we're talking now is finishing — that's what it's all about — and how to create that finish at the end, so it was a great way to finish for the kids and a great team win for us," Punahou coach Gary Pacarro said.

Pacarro said that while he and his coaching staff are still tinkering with the lineup, it was important for his players to put forth a strong showing after Wednesday's lopsided loss.

"It was more about the bounce back for one, that's the first one, but we're still trying to figure out our match-ups, knowing that there's some games that we're gonna have to maybe not play as many of our bigs as we have and go smaller, like we did tonight," said Pacarro, who played 13 of the 15 available bodies he had Thursday.

"Lahainaluna, they're fast, great ball-handling team and credit to them, man, this was a great game — but for us, this was a chance for us to kind of refocus, that was the biggest thing," Pacarro said.

Aira Baguyo came off the bench to score 10 points, including three 3-pointers, to lead the Lunas. Kiera Kaniho added eight points in the loss.

The Black and Gold Classic continues Friday and concludes Saturday at McKinley's Student Council Gymnasium.

Reach Kalani Takase at [email protected].