Iolani needs late rally to push past Maryknoll

Brian Bautista | SL

Iolani continued its undefeated march through ILH Division play, posting a 51-42 win over upset-minded Maryknoll to improve to 7-0 in league contests.

Jovi Wahinekapu Lefotu poured in 20 points and hit on four of five free throws and Abby Tanaka hit four threes and made all four of her free throws attempts for 18 more for Iolani, who made 9 of 13 attempts overall from the charity stripe.

A close first quarter turned into an exchange of scoring spurts, as Iolani outscored Maryknoll in the second quarter 14-8 to lead by eight at the intermission but saw that margin evaporate to just one after an 11-4 spurt by the home team in the third.

Kiani Hoolulu pushed the Spartans into the lead at the 7:05 mark in the fourth with a three ball from the left corner to the a 35-33 lead and Maryknoll padded the margin to as large as four on a pair of free throws made by Ciera Tugade-Agasiva with 6:37 left in regulation.

Unfazed, Iolani rallied, getting a corner three from Tanaka to trim the margin to 37-36 at the 5:49 mark and tied the game on Callie Pieper's point blank shot from the right block with 4:34 to go, and took the lead back for good as Pieper was fouled on the attempt and made the free throw that followed.

The Spartans closed to 44-42 with 53 seconds left in the contest, but the Raiders scored the final seven points of the game, sparked by Tanaka's layup then rebound on the missed free throw that led to an extra two attempts at the line that ultimately extended the margin to 48-42 at the 47.9 second mark.

Tanaka got two more free throws at the 23.4 mark to make the lead 50-42, before Wahinekapu Lefotu closed things out with a final two free throws.