1 week ago
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Mission Uperesa-Thomas scored 24 points and Chris Du added 21 as afternoon at Maryknoll Community Center.
Maryknoll improved to 2-0 in ILH boys basketball action (13-7 overall ), playing perhaps its best game of the season. Center Ghesiah Faleafine-Auwae was a crucial part of the offensive attack, scoring 11 points and dishing six assists while grabbing 11 rebounds. Du’s emergence as an efficient 6-foot-5, high-percentage mid-range shooter and offensive rebounder has helped immensely.
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“Chris is such a good pull-up shooter. Once he puts it on the floor, if he’s not going downhill, he gets into trouble. Today, he went downhill. That’s why he was successful, ” Maryknoll coach Kelly Grant said.
With Uperesa-Thomas slashing to the rim on drives and cuts, and Du swishing mid-range jumpers and hustling on the offensive glass, Maryknoll showed major progress since those early days of preseason. Back then, Uperesa-Thomas and Faleafine-Auwae had just completed football season. On Saturday, Uperesa-Thomas shot 10-for-16 from the field, snatching six rebounds and dishing three assists. Du shot 8-for-11 from the field and 4-for-5 from the foul line, adding nine rebounds.
Keanu Lee chipped in nine points.
“When we were starting off, I couldn’t dribble that well. I couldn’t shoot. I can pass the ball better and find the open man now, ” Faleafine-Auwae said. “It’s easier. It’s coming to all of us now to work as a team. If I can draw attention and kick it out, it’s even better. Our guys cut hard. It’s such an easier shot and moves the defense. Coach Kelly really emphasizes us cutting to the basket.”
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This was the ILH opener for Kamehameha (12-7 overall ), which had just returned from the Surf’N Slam tournament in San Diego. Justice Slade led the Warriors with 16 points, while Shyne Salvador added 11. Maryknoll mixed man-to-man and matchup zone defenses to slow down the Warriors’ uptempo attack. Salvador, who scored 40 points in an 80-75 loss to Seattle Prep, shot 4-for-12 from the field while being covered mostly by Uperesa-Thomas.
“We didn’t play our game. We didn’t run our offense. We were ready for that 2-3 zone, but our guys didn’t execute our game plan, ” Kamehameha coach Ron Durant said.
Maryknoll returned at mid-week from the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic, where it had wins over Norte Vista (Calif.) and Franklin (Seattle ), and losses to Spanish Springs (Nev.) and Cathedral Catholic (San Diego ).
Du scored 12 points in the first quarter as Maryknoll raced to a 25-18 lead. In the third quarter, Faleafine-Auwae banked in a 3 and Lee splashed a straightaway trey as the Spartans opened the lead to 39-23.
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Slade got hot from the perimeter to help Kamehameha close the gap to 40-31 before the half.
In the third quarter, Logan Souza scored inside twice during an 8-3 run that brought the Warriors within 43-37. The lead was still six points when Faleafine-Auwae sat down with his third foul and 6 :08 left in the third quarter. Reserve center Tyler Hashimoto provided a spark as Maryknoll opened the lead to 51-39.
The run carried over into the final quarter. After Lee scored off a steal, the lead was 64-46 and the visitors got no closer.
Maryknoll hosts Punahou on Tuesday. Kamehameha entertains No. 1 Saint Louis, also on Tuesday.
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