HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Baldwin gives Punahou a bear of a time in defeat
Miah Ostrowski scored 21 points and Spencer McLachlin corralled 13 rebounds as top-ranked Punahou pulled way from No. 9 Baldwin 68-59 last night in the quarterfinals of the Merv Lopes Holiday Classic.
"I told them before the game, you won't find a team that plays harder and executes as well," Punahou coach Dan Hale said. "We had to be patient. We didn't shoot well, and some nights it won't go in the basket, but defense will always be there."
Ostrowski, a senior guard, shot 7-for-14 from the field, including four 3-pointers. McLachlin, a 6-foot-7 senior center, scored 17 points on a tidy 8-for-12 shooting night. He dominated the glass, pulling in 13 boards, including five on the offensive end. Operating from the high and low post most of the night, he also stepped out and hit a 3-pointer.
Punahou (10-1) also got 12 points from 6-4 Kameron Steinhoff, who shot 5-for-7 from the field. Kimo Makaula, a 6-2 sophomore, added 13 points off the bench.
The Bears, who came into the tournament with a 4-1 mark against local high schools, threatened to upset the Buffanblu. They shot 61 percent from the field (24-for-39) and held their own on the boards. Punahou had a 19-18 edge in rebounds, but Baldwin committed 16 turnovers against the Buffanblu's swarming halfcourt traps. Punahou had only five turnovers.
Chase Nakamura, a rangy swingman, kept the Bears close.
"He's tough, very quick and he's precise in what he does," Hale said. "He's deceptive and has real long arms."
Nakamura, a 6-3 junior, led Baldwin (5-7) with 24 points on 10-for-15 shooting. John Salmo added 10 points and five rebounds.
"They played a damn good game against a damn good team," Baldwin coach Wayne Gushiken said of his young Bears. "They should hold their heads up."
The two teams exchanged the lead a few times in the first half. Baldwin's zone defense gave Punahou some early woes.
"That zone is only three days old," Gushiken said of the 1-2-2.
However, Punahou adjusted, and Ostrowski's 21-footer from the right wing at the buzzer gave the Buffanblu a narrow cushion at halftime, 38-34.
From that point on, the Buffanblu shredded Baldwin's defense with precision. Ostrowski hit a mid-range jumper, fed Makaula for a 10-foot bank shot, and drained a trey from the left corner as Punahou went on a 15-6 run late in the third quarter.
Baldwin got within nine, but Ostrowski fed Makaula for a reverse layup with 3 seconds left in the third for a 59-48 lead.
After Michael Marrs' layup, the Bears pulled within 66-59 with 2:03 remaining, but they got no closer. Punahou ran out the rest of the time as Baldwin opted not to foul and force the Buffanblu to shoot bonus free throws.
"They go inside and out, and they have a lot of good shooters," Gushiken said of Punahou. "They must've shot 65 percent in the first half."
Baldwin was the first local team to put a serious scare into the Buffanblu since Kalaheo knocked them off four weeks ago.
"This was good for our young guys," center Jordan Helle said. "That's the best we've played all year."
No. 2 Iolani 68, Thompson 47
Ryan Dung's 15 points, including three treys, led a balanced Raiders offense. Case Miyahira added 13 and Liloa Nobriga tallied 11 points and six rebounds for Iolani (9-4), ranked No. 2 in the Star-Bulletin Top 10.
Tristan Sealy, who scored 41 points in Thompson's opening-round loss to Hilo, finished with 24 against Iolani. The Sharks fell to 1-6.
No. 3 Kalaheo 58, Castle 41
Cheynne Lishman poured in 27 points, including 5-for-9 from the 3-point arc, as the Mustangs overwhelmed the Knights. Lishman's rainbow treys over Castle's 2-3 zone gave Kalaheo plenty of support in the second half.
Deaux Burns added 12 points and teamed with Tyler Caswell (nine points, seven rebounds) to help Kalaheo (9-3) control the boards 31-10.
Scott Keiter-Charles, using a flurry of spin moves and drives, led Castle with 13 points.
Montrose Christian (Md.) 80, Kamehameha-Hawaii 33
The visitors from Rockville, Maryland went on a 15-3 run midway through the first quarter to cement their dominance. Troy Brewer, a 6-5 senior, swished a pair of treys during the run as Montrose seized a 19-7 lead.
The Mustangs, powered by 6-8 sophomore Isaiah Armwood and 6-6 sophomore Terrell Vinson, led the battle on the boards, 39-9. They raced up and down the floor en route to a 47-18 halftime lead. Adrian Bowie finished with a game-high 16 points and Brewer added 13.
El Toro (Calif.) 62, Hilo 16
The Chargers from Lake Forest jolted the Vikings with a 17-0 run to start the game. They led 36-6 at intermission.
Drew Hillman led El Toro with 11 points. Nicholas Acosta had six points to lead Hilo.
El Toro (12-1), which eliminated five-time state champion Iolani in the opening round, will battle Kalaheo.
Leilehua 43, No. 10 Mililani 40
Art Laurel scored 11 points, and Josh Brooks and Dustin Pau'u added 10 each as the Mules outlasted their division rivals.
Brandon Dela Cruz and Curtis Murakami led the Trojans with seven points each. Jonathan Keen's 3-point shot, which would have tied the game, rimmed out with 2 seconds left.
Timpview (Utah) 66, Nanakuli 17
Chris Nash scored 12 points as 12 Thunderbirds registered in the scoring column. Timpview led 18-4 after one quarter and cruised to victory. Timpview, from Provo, is ranked No. 3 in Utah.
Lui Teo led the Golden Hawks with six points.
Keaau 73, Waialua 43
Kekai Cazimero, a 5-10 senior point guard, pumped in 25 points as the Cougars tamed the Bulldogs. Keaau (5-4) also got 12 points and 10 rebounds from Micah Young, and 11 points and eight boards from David Howell.
Edwin Rubio paced Waialua with 11 points. Brian Graziano added 10.