Buffanblu bounced

Punahou loses in the final of its holiday classic after Spencer McLachlin loses his footing

David Singleton swished a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Salesian (Calif.) a 68-66 overtime win over Punahou for the championship of the Punahou Holiday Classic.

All-Tournament Tristan Sealy, Campbell; Kealoha Kramer, Kamehameha-Hawaii; Matt Heyd, Baldwin; Gary Satterwhite, Radford; Okesene Ale Jr., Kahuku; Kael Kristof, Mercer Island (Wash.); Kanoa Mokiao, Kamehameha; Kendell McCree, Salesian (Calif.); Spencer McLachlin, Punahou; Miah Ostrowski, Punahou.

Salesian, a favorite to win the Bay Shore Athletic League, was in dire straits at the very end. Trailing 66-64 with 3.3 seconds left in overtime, Kendell McCree swished his first foul shot, but missed the second. Punahou's Spencer McLachlin rebounded, but apparently lost his footing and traveled.

The 6-foot-7 forward-center wasn't sure what happened.

"I was watching the ref, waiting for time to run out," he said. Then McLachlin was on the ground.

"He got pushed. I was right there," said Punahou guard Miah Ostrowski, who scored 16 of his game-high 24 points after intermission. "I can't believe it."

That gave Salesian the ball back under the basket with 1.1 seconds left, setting up Singleton's epic shot.

The inbounds passer, Drew Gipson, looked inside for McCree and the other post, Cameron Mitchell, before opting for Singleton. The senior swingman swished a rainbow shot from 22 feet out.

"They blocked the middle, so I had to give it to him," Gipson said.

Coach Bill Mellis had no doubt about Singleton's confidence.

"He's a gutsy player. He's a fourth-year varsity guy and he totally wants to shoot it," Mellis said.

"Nobody stepped out. I knew it was going in," said Singleton, a 6-1 senior. He finished with 14 points, making just four of his 12 field-goal attempts. He made the money ball, so to speak, after Punahou had made a multitude of clutch shots to push the Chiefs to the edge.

Gipson, a poised junior point guard, led his team with 15 points and six assists. McCree finished with a hard-earned 12 points on 5-for-15 shooting against Punahou's tall frontcourt. The 6-4 senior also had a team-high nine boards.

"It was wild. I'm proud of our kids, I'm proud of Salesian's team," Punahou coach Greg Tacon said. "All we're worried about now is Damien next Friday."

McLachlin finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Danny Cho hit three treys and finished with nine points.

The Buffanblu trailed 60-57 and had the ball with 21 seconds left in regulation. Ostrowski, trying to work a pick-and-fade with McLachlin, found no open space and fed the ball to Cho in the corner. The senior guard pump-faked before hitting a trey to tie the game at 60 with 7 seconds left in regulation. Singleton's 3-point try at the buzzer was partially blocked.

The Chiefs seized momentum in overtime, scoring on a pair of foul shots by Gipson and a hustling follow shot by Mitchell for a 64-60 lead.

However, Cho was wide open and drained a trey from the right corner. Another Salesian turnover gave Ostrowski a chance to tie the game with a free throw, which he did.

Ostrowski then hit a 16-foot fadeaway jumper from the baseline to give Punahou a 66-64 lead with 49 seconds remaining.

After another Salesian turnover, Trenton Zane missed two foul shots with 14 seconds left, giving the Chiefs new life. Salesian worked the ball to McCree, who drove the baseline and got the call in a collision with Punahou forward Kameron Steinhoff, setting up the final 3.3 seconds.

Kamehameha 42, Mercer Island (Wash.) 23

Guard Rykin Enos scored 14 points and forward Jacob Ho added 12 as the Warriors stifled the Islanders in the third-place game. Enos and Ho each hit a pair of 3-pointers.

Trevor Fulp led Mercer Island with six points. The Islanders attempted only nine free throws and made three.

Kamehameha-Hawaii 58, Kahuku 53

Reece Alnas and Kealoha Kramer scored 12 points apiece as the Big Island Warriors outlasted the Red Raiders for fifth place. Alnas, a speedy guard, hit a couple of 3-pointers.

Mea Wong added 10 points for KS-Hawaii, which won three of its four games in the tournament. The Warriors made six of their 10 attempts from the free-throw line.

Mana Silva scored just five points, but four were on drives to the bucket during a crucial fourth-quarter run that gave the Warriors a five-point lead.

Okesene Ale Jr. led Kahuku with 15 points, including a pair of treys. Devin Unga added 12 points. The Red Raiders shot 73 percent from the line (11 of 15).

CONSOLATION

Radford 51, Baldwin 49

Gary Satterwhite and Michael Sooto scored 12 points apiece as the scrappy Rams edged the Bears for seventh place. Satterwhite, a 6-2 junior, and Sooto made two treys apiece.

Justin Lord added eight points for Radford, which won three of its four games in the tourney.

Sophomore Chase Nakamura led Baldwin with 14 points. John Salmo added 12 and Nick Wagner tallied 10. The Bears played without leading scorer Matt Heyd, who injured his ankle Wednesday. It was the third time the 6-foot senior injured his ankle this season.

Radford shot 54 percent from the free-throw line (seven of 13). Baldwin was 6-for-10.

Damien 56, Punahou II 49

Matt Gochenouer exploded for 27 points, sinking all nine of his free-throw attempts, as the Monarchs fought off the Division II Buffanblu. Aminis Thompson chipped in with eight points.

Matt Galarneau led Punahou II with 12 points, including two 3-pointers.

Damien made 16 of 28 from the foul line (57 percent). Punahou II made 17 of 27 tries (63 percent).

Moanalua 62, Campbell 52

Wayne West poured in 33 points, including six 3-pointers, as the Menehunes outlasted the Sabers. West, a 6-2 senior guard, made nine of his 10 free-throw attempts. Bao Jun Lei added nine points.

Tristan Sealy led Campbell with 17 points.

In all, Moanalua made 12 of 19 tries from the foul line (63 percent). Moanalua attempted just 11 free throws, making seven (64 percent).

Kalaheo 69, Mililani 55

Mana Guerreiro, Marvin Judd and Cheynne Lishman scored 15 points each as the Mustangs rallied past the Trojans. Lishman drained three of his team's five 3-pointers, helping Kalaheo rally from an 18-12 deficit.

Kalaheo shot 22-for-33 from the foul line (67 percent).

A.J. Clark led Mililani with 11 points. Brandon Dela Cruz, returning from an ankle injury, added nine. The Trojans made 11 of 19 tries from the charity stripe (58 percent).

Maryknoll 50, Farrington 29

Tyler Tsukazaki pumped in 21 points and Garrick Chock added 11 as the Spartans seized control early and won easily.

Cody Higa led the Governors with nine points.