Maryknoll's Justice Sueing puts up a shot against Saint Louis. Sueing had a team-high 19 points in the win for the Spartans. Brien Ing | SL

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Sat, Jan 24, 2015 @ Saint Louis

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Maryknoll

51

Saint Louis

47

Final	1	2	3	4
Maryknoll (6-6, 12-10)	10	10	7	24	51
Saint Louis (5-6, 15-9)	7	15	11	14	47

J. Nunuha III 19 pts  13/15 FTs

J. Sueing 19 pts  1 3pm  6/9 FTs

Maryknoll's kiddie corp is making an impression in Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I boys' basketball.

Sophomore Justice Sueing and freshman Brian Washington combined for 32 points to lead the Spartans over No. 4 Saint Louis, 51-47, Saturday night at McCabe Gym.

The Spartans (2-4) pulled to within a game of the Crusaders (3-3) in the second half of the league's double round-robin regular season.

"I think it was an overall great effort by everybody," Maryknoll coach Kelly Grant said.

Sueing and Washington did the most of their scoring in the second half. Sueing scored 10 and Washington seven.

"We needed this one," Sueing said. "We needed to keep the momentum going. With this win, we'll be able to continue on. We'll be ready for the next game."

Saint Louis coach Keith Spencer liked what he saw in the two young players.

"Sueing is their leader of the team," Spencer said. "He's their top scorer and he knows that. What he did was take his team on his shoulders and said, 'Hey, follow me.' He willed his team to victory tonight. And Washington just complemented him tonight."

Washington was particularly dominant on the boards, pulling down all nine of his rebounds in the second half.

"I know our point of emphasis was to keep (Saint Louis post Jayce) Smalley off the boards because he killed us last time," Grant said.

Smalley and Lance Sataraka, Saint Louis' other post, scored two and three points, respectively, and combined for 11 of the team's 18 rebounds.

"It came down to who was going to make the plays at the end," Spencer said. "I told the kids going into the game that it was going to be a tough game. We couldn't come here, especially at our house, and be complacent.

"We played a pretty good first half. The last three games, we haven't been finishing games."

While Crusaders' point guard Jimmy Nunuha led his team with 19 points, the bulk coming from 13-of-15 free-throw shooting. He forced his way to the basket, drawing fouls most of the game.

The teams' free-throw shooting changed at the half. Saint Louis was 8 of 10 in the first half to Maryknoll's 5 of 9. In the second half, Maryknoll was 10 of 14 to Saint Louis' 10 of 18.

The game was close in the first half with Saint Louis taking a 22-20 lead into the break. Lance Sataraka, whose short turn around jumper with 39 seconds left snapped a 20-all game just before the half.

Saint Louis widened its lead to 33-27 in the third quarter, but Maryknoll took control in the fourth.

The Crusaders added to their lead when Nunuha made one of two free throw attempts with 5:57 on the clock before the Spartans used an 8-0 run to take a 35-34 lead in less than a minute. But Nunuha tied the game at 35 with 4:34 when he made one of two free throws.

Then Calvin Koo drained a 3-pointer from the right wing to put the Spartans ahead, 38-35, for good with 4:23. But it was his first 3-pointer that pulled Maryknoll to 34-30 that made Saint Louis switch from zone to man-to-man.

"That was a real big shot for us," Grant said. "We were able to break down their defense a little bit and get (Washington) a couple shots close to the basket."

Maryknoll opened its lead to 40-35 before Ihaka Johnson converted a three-point play to pull Saint Louis to within two at 3:13.

A dribble drive by Hayako Kamata increased Maryknoll's lead to 42-38 with three minutes left. But Colten Nascimento's third 3-pointer of the game pulled Saint Louis to within 1 with a chance to tie it when he was fouled on the ensuing free throw with 1:46. Maryknoll continued to open its lead before Johnson's dribble drive with eight seconds pulled Saint Louis to 50-47, the last opportunity the Crusaders had at a one-possession game. But Michael Miske made one of two free throws with seven seconds to seal the game.