AOP, Punahou cruise in tourney openers


Mattia Raebel scored a game-high 14 points, including four three-pointers against Kamehameha-Maui. Brien Ing | SL
KALIHI - Led by 14 points from Mattia Raebel, Academy of the Pacific topped Kamehameha-Maui, 54-35, Thursday in a first-round game of the Noh Foods of Hawaii AOP Hoop Classic at Farrington's Richard Kitamura Memorial Fieldhouse.

The Dolphins (1-0), who made a run to the semifinals of last year's Division I state tournament, advanced to Friday's semifinal round, where they will play Moanalua at 8 p.m. The Warriors will play Kamehameha II in a consolation game at 3:30 p.m.

Raebel, a 6-foot-5 junior forward, made four 3-pointers, including three in the first half.

AOP led by as many as 23 after a Keomalu Akiona basket 15 seconds in the fourth quarter made the score 47-24. Wilson Macleod had eight points and Drew Viena added six for the Dolphins.

Erin Lindsey led Kamehameha-Maui with seven points.

The Dolphins held a 28-14 lead at halftime.

In the late quarterfinal, Punahou breezed past Roosevelt, 75-28, to move into Friday's semifinal round.

The Buffanblu (1-0) were led by Nick Velasquez's game-high 18 points and led throughout against the Rough Riders (0-1).

Punahou opened the game on a 23-0 run and were never threatened.

Micah Ma'a had nine points and Malik Johnson added eight for the Buffanblu, who will play Farrington at 6:30 p.m. Friday.

William Kan had eight points to lead Roosevelt, which meets Mililani in a 5 p.m. consolation game.

In other quarterfinals:

FARRINGTON 55, MILILANI 41: Mikey Kleman scored a game-high 17 points as the Govs (3-1) ran past the Trojans (0-1), who were led by DeShawn Duncan-Benson's 10 points.

MOANALUA 52, KAMEHAMEHA II 42: Na Menehune (3-1) got 14 points from Dillon Turk and 10 more from Kahanu Puulei-Auld, holding off the Warriors (0-1) in a quarterfinal game to advance to Friday's semifinal round.