Maryknoll's Brian Washington scored a team-high 14 points in a win over Iolani. Steve Erler | SL

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01201614_1_19_16_iol_mknoll_steve_erler_38.jpg - Steve Erler | SL

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MAKIKI – No. 7 Maryknoll rallied from an eight-point, third quarter deficit to stun nemesis and No. 2 Iolani, 44-41, Tuesday night in a thrilling finish at the Clarence T.C. Ching Gymnasium.

The Raiders (3-2), second in the Hawaiian Electric Boys' Power Rankings, missed two 3-point tries in the closing seconds, the latter coming at the buzzer, as the Spartans (2-3) tightened an already close race in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I boys' race. If host Punahou (1-3) beats Saint Louis (3-1) Wednesday night, there will be only one game separating the top three teams from the next three.

It was big win on different levels for the Spartans. They celebrated senior night for Michael Mercado-Smith and Hayato Kamata.

"I'm pleased," Maryknoll coach Kelly Grant said. "There's nothing better than getting a victory on senior night for the boys. They really worked hard."

The win also was a long-time coming.

"We lost to them every game last year out of three, so it felt really good to beat them," Maryknoll center Brian Washington said. "We've been thinking about them because they knocked us out last year, so we wanted to get them."

The Raiders took a 26-21 lead into the third period when they turned over the ball seven times, allowing the Spartans to take a 33-31 lead into the fourth period. The turnovers continued into early in the fourth when the Spartans opened their lead to 40-33 with 5:12 left. The Raiders would pull to within 42-41 with 11 seconds left after Hugh Hogland made one of two free-throw shots. A half-second later, Hayata Kamato was fouled during the inbounds pass and made both ends of his one-and-one with 10.5 seconds.

Iolani brought the ball down court and called time with 6.8 seconds. When play resumed, Zach Gelacio inbounded the ball to Robby Mann near the right wing. He passed the ball to Gelacio at the top of the key, but he missed his 3-point try. The ball bounced off the rim and bounced to Hogland at the right wing, where his 3-pointer missed as the buzzer sounded.

The 6-foot-6 Washington played a pivotal role in the win. He led the Spartans with 14 points – seven in each half – all inside against Iolani's 6-9 Hogland. Washington also pulled down seven rebounds, scoring off two of them.

While Washington was Mr. Inside, Michael Mercado-Smith was Mr. Outside, scoring eight of his 10 points on jumpers from outside the paint.

"It starts with Brian," Grant said. "He's been working so hard at the free-throw line. He's been a staple for us the whole season. And Michael, what can you say? He sparked us on our wins. He's been sparking us by pulling up and hit shots."

Maryknoll, which labored with free-throw shooting during its 0-3 start, converted 7 of 10.

It was tale of two halves for Iolani. Mann led all scorers with 17 points, but 14 came in the first half. Hogland had 11, eight in the first half.

"Sloppy, not focused," Iolani coach Dean Shimamoto said. "We played a game without heart. We played a game where we didn't scrap for every point, every possession. In a game like this, it matters. In every ILH game, every possession matters. We didn't cherish them enough."

The Raiders took control early in the game, only to see the Spartans tie the game at 13 at the end of the first quarter. But Mann took over for the Raiders, accounting for seven of the Raiders' 13 second-quarter points that gave them a 26-21 lead at the break.

But that first-half effort did not show up for the second half for the Raiders, allowing Maryknoll its second consecutive win after a 0-3 start.

"It gives us confidence," Grant said. "I've been telling them the last couple weeks we have to match up with Iolani. Iolani's the team to beat. They're top the team in our league, even if it's not record-wise, they're on the top. They've been the one that's been consistent on the top and playing well."