Campbell's Michael Merchant heads to the basket for a layup attempt as Mililani's Elijah Butler defends. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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012814__bkkMiliCamp_0783.jpg - Greg Yamamoto | SL

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'EWA BEACH - On senior night, junior Michael Merchant scored a game-high 24 points, seven in overtime, to lead Campbell over Mililani, 79-72, in an O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red West nail-biter at the Sabers' gym.

The Sabers (8-0), 10th in the ScoringLive/OC 16 Power Rankings, remain the only undefeated team in the OIA. They are a win away from clinching their first Red West title since 2009, when the Sabers shared it with Mililani. Campbell will visit Pearl City on Thursday.

The Trojans (6-2) could have pulled into a tie for first with a victory. They still have another crucial game Thursday when they host Wai'anae (6-2).

"It was a tough loss, but Campbell, they earned it," Mililani coach Edward Gonzales said. "They made the shots, they executed. Down the stretch, they made the free throws. We didn't make free throws."

Mililani was 20 of 31 from the free-throw line.

The lead changed six times in the thrilling fourth quarter before an enthusiastic crowd of about 350. Most of the hometown crowd was there to celebrate Campbell's six seniors. It was basically the same group of players who won the OIA JV championship as sophomores.

But the overtime belonged to the junior Merchant, who also had a hot start with three 3-pointers in the first half.

"He understands what to do," Campbell coach Wyatt Tau said of Merchant, a 5-foot-9 guard. "He understands basketball, smart, very athletic."

Mililani took a 68-66 lead with 30 seconds left in regulation on Elijah Bulter's putback. But Campbell's Isaac Hurd, one of the six seniors, tied the game with two free throws with 17 seconds left. Butler tried for a desperation, off-balanced 3-pointer that fell short at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.

Merchant scored the first two baskets of the OT on driving layups to give the Sabers a 72-68 lead.

"The coaches believe in me, my teammates believe in me every time I shoot the ball," Merchant said. "They gave a job to take it to the hole."

Ian Namu scored off a steal to pull the Trojans to 72-70. But senior Gilbert Dayanan made both his double-bonus free throws with 1:27 left to make it 74-70 and later added a driving layup to make it 76-70.

Merchant scored on another layup to make it 78-70 and with eight seconds left, made one of two free throws to increase the Sabers lead to 79-70. Butler made a buzzer shot for Mililani to make it 79-72.

The Trojans took a 19-17 lead after the first period, but the Sabers opened the second period with a 10-2 on the strength on 3-pointers by Jomar Jett Gapusan and Merchang. Alex Layi added 2 3-pointers that gave the Sabers a 33-22 lead. The Trojans would pull to with 35-32 after Butler converted a three-point play, but Lamart Dudley followed with a putback before the half ended to give Campbell a 37-32.

Mililani chipped away in the third quarter and tie the game at 51 with eight seconds left in the quarter on a basket by Noel Bueno.

The Trojans built three-point leads twice in the fourth quarter, the last at 1:08. But Dayanan's 3-pointer with 46 seconds tied the game at 66. It was the 10th 3-pointer by Campbell.

Butler scored off an offensive rebound with 30 seconds to put Mililani ahead, 68-66. But Hurd tied it at 68 after making two free throws with 17 seconds left.

Ian Namu led the Trojans with 18 points, 10 in the second half and two in OT.

Besides Merchant, Layi had three 3-pointers for Campbell. Dayanan had two, while Hurd and Gapusan had one each.