Saint Francis tops Damien, 52-42, to clinch state berth


Saint Francis defeated Damien, 52-42, to win the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division II boys basketball title for the third consecutive time.

The Saints maintained a double digit lead over the Monarchs throughout the entire second half despite Damien’s attempt to come back in the last quarter.

The Monarchs’ rally in the fourth was headed by a trio of three-pointers by Kobe Ikari, but the Saints converted enough free throws (13-of-27 in the fourth) to preserve the win.

Matthew Nuumanaia led all scorers with 15 points and Ranan Mamiya added 13 for the Saints, while Jaylen Layco and Kobe Ikari had 13 and 11 points respectively for the Monarchs. Ikari had a game-high three 3-pointers.

With the win, Saint Francis locks up a seeded berth into the HHSAA Division II tournament.