Maui hits free throws late to stave off 2nd half Radford rally

Brien Ing | SL

Maui High started out hot and finished the game cool in a 48-42 win over Radford in the opening round of the Heide & Cook/HHSAA Division I girls basketball championships.

Five three pointers in the opening quarter was the fast start the Sabers needed, and five of six free thows made down the stretch was just enough to ice any comeback notion by the Rams.

Jordyn Luna had 15 points, five rebounds and three assists, and Jacy Anne Dela Cruz added 13 points and two more assists to lead the way for the Sabers in the victory. The pair also shot all of the free throws in the waning moments of the game to seal the deal.

"Its a good confidence booster for both us to be hitting our shots, and for us to be able to seal this game (at the free throw line) it was really good for us," said Luna.

The Sabers were on fire from the three point line in the opening quarter, hitting five of nine attempts from long range to race out to a 20-12 advantage, two each from Luna and Kiana Manuel and the other a Dela Cruz hit from the arc.

"We had a shoot around right after school and we were hitting shots," said Dela Cruz. "Being back in the home gym really helped."

"The game is always easier for us when we're able to knock down our shots especially early in the game, it gets us going," Luna added.

Radford kept pace in the second and made its move in the third, outscoring the home team 15-7 to cut the lead to a single point. Jirah Villanueva scored all eight of her points in the quarter alone, including two from distance to get the Rams back in it.

Losing starting guard Lyndee Sabas and Manuel, the Sabers' primary post player, for much of the second half definitely made life more difficult for Maui after the intermission. The Rams also opted to face guard Luna in an attempt to try and neutralize her as a threat in offensive sets.

"I think our bench players stepped up when Lyndee and Kiana took those hits," said Dela Cruz. "Overall Jordyn really stepped it up she was getting face guarded and still was able to handle it, get to the basket and get some free throws to get the lead higher."

In crunch time, Luna and Dela Cruz did what needed to get done, particularly at the free throw line. As a team, the Sabers made just 2 of 8 free throws in the first three quarters of play, but Luna and Dela Cruz collectively knocked down 5 of 6 in the fourth quarter to effectively ice the contest.

"I feel like we knew it was prime time and to turn it on," said Dela Cruz. "In the beginning we were kind of missing it but we practice it so much we just went back to our fundamentals."

Radford's Julissa Bollinger had 18 points and 10 rebounds in the loss, both of them game highs.