Mater Dei, Raiders advance in 'Iolani tourney


Defending California Interscholastic Federation boys basketball champion Mater Dei (Santa Ana) will play the Hawai'i Raiders all-star select team at 5 p.m. Saturday in the semifinals of the 'Iolani Summer League Tournament. Lanakila, a club team featuring players from Farrington and McKinley, will face host 'Iolani in the other semifinal at 4 p.m.

The title game will follow at 7. All three championship bracket games will be played in 'Iolani's lower gym.

Mater Dei is reportedly missing one of its top players, who is back in California playing with a club team. The Monarchs held off Punahou, 49-41, in last night's quarterfinals.

The Buffanblu, who are missing top returnees Nick Velasquez (club ball on Kaua'i), Jordan Tanuvasa (foot injury), Kupono Fey and Micah Ma'a (volleyball), led 6-4 in the game's opening minutes but Mater Dei then went on a 10-0 run to take the lead for good. Punahou closed it to 20-16 early in the second half but the Monarchs responded with a 15-6 run that made it 35-22 midway through the second half.

After Danny Andrews drained a 3-pointer to close it to 41-36 with 2:28 remaining, Mater Dei scored six straight points to push the lead to 11 and effectively seal the victory.

Andrews, a junior forward, and Dayson Watanabe, a sophomore guard, each scored 10 points to lead the Buffanblu.

Elijah Brown, son of Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike Brown, led the Monarchs with 16 points and Christopher Nealey added 10 points.

In another quarterfinal, Kalaheo senior Josh Ko scored a game-high 14 points to lead the Hawai'i Raiders to a 52-32 victory over Kamehameha.

Here is Saturday's schedule:

2 p.m. -- Academy of the Pacific vs. Mater Dei 2 (upper gym), Maryknoll vs. Moanalua (lower gym)

3 p.m. -- Punahou vs. Mater Dei 3 (upper gym), Kamehameha vs. Saint Louis (lower gym)

4 p.m. -- Semifinal: 'Iolani vs. Lanakila (lower gym)

5 p.m. -- Semifinal: Hawai'i Raiders vs. Mater Dei 1 (lower gym), AOP-Mater Dei 2 winner vs. Punahou-Mater Dei 3 winner (upper gym)

6 p.m. -- Consolation final: Maryknoll-Moanalua winner vs. Kamehameha-Saint Louis winner (lower gym), Maryknoll-Moanalua loser vs. Kamehameha-Saint Louis loser (upper gym)

7 p.m. -- Championship: 'Iolani-Lanakila winner vs. Hawai'i Raiders-Mater Dei 1 winner (lower gym), Third place: 'Iolani-Lanakila loser vs. Hawai'i Raiders-Mater Dei 1 loser (upper gym)

Admission will be charged

SATURDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Mater Dei defeated Lanakila for the championship