Campbell's Gilbert Dayanan puts up a shot in the paint against Leilehua. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Campbell's Lamart Dudley goes up for a shot against Leilehua. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Leilehua's Torenzo Vereen drives to the basket against Campbell. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Campbell's Alex Layi puts up a shot in the paint against Leilehua. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Wed, Feb 19, 2014 @ McKinley

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Leilehua

35

Campbell

46

Final	1	2	3	4
Leilehua (8-6, 14-13)	2	13	8	12	35
Campbell (11-2, 19-12)	11	10	13	12	46

• Points
• Rebounds
• Assists

G. Dayanan 15 pts  1 3pm  8/8 FTs

J. Gouty 14 pts  2 3pm  6/11 FTs

G. Dayanan 9 tot  5 off  4 def

T. Vereen 10 tot  5 off  5 def

G. Dayanan 2 ast

K. Aleviado 2 ast

Gilbert Dayanan scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Campbell beat Leilehua, 46-35, in the opening round of the Hawaiian Airlines Division I state boys' basketball tournament Wednesday at the Student Council Gymnasium at McKinley.

The Sabers' third win against the Mules this season was Campbell's first state tournament victory in the championship bracket since 2006, when it beat Saint Louis, 64-63, in the opening round. Campbell had lost four tournament openers since. The Sabers (12-2) will play fourth-seeded Konawaena in Thursday's 5 p.m. quarterfinal at McKinley.

Wednesday's meeting was unlike the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red quarterfinal, when Dayanan raced about two-thirds the length of the court with a buzzer-beating layup in a 41-40 win on Feb. 6. It was Leilehua's third loss of the season to Campbell, which also won the regular-season match. Leilehua (13-5) will play Kalaheo in a consolation semifinal 3 p.m. Thursday at McKinley.

"They didn't worry about (this being the) third time, fourth time or first time," Campbell coach Wyatt Tau said. "They just wanted to play somebody. That's the greatest thing about these guys. We opened the season with Leilehua, we opened the (OIA tournament) with Leilehua, then we opened the state with Leilehua."

The Sabers did not play the Wildcats in preseason, but both were in the Kalaheo tournament in December.

"They're good," Tau said of Konawaena. "Those kids can play."

The Sabers led from wire-to-wire. The closest the Mules pulled to the Sabers was four points, the latest with 7:43 in the third quarter when Koa Kauhi's free throws pulled Leilehua to 21-17.

The teams were nearly identical statistically, as far as rebounds (36 for Leilehua, 35 for Campbell), fouls (20 for Campbell, 19 for Leilehua), steals (8 each) and turnovers (17 for Leilehua, 15 for Campbell). The difference was scoring. Campbell was 14 of 46 from the field to Leilehua's 10 of 46. Campbell was 17 of 22 from the free-throw line, while Leilehua was 13 of 23.

Dayanan scored nearly half his output in the first quarter with seven points to help the Sabers jump out in front, 11-2. His first score of the game was off an offensive rebound. He also had a 3-pointer.

The Mules did not make their first field goal of the game until 55 seconds into the second quarter on a putback by Torenzo Vereen, who had a game-high 10 rebounds, half of them on offense.

Dayanan, who scored only two points in the second quarter, had a hand on two scores for the Sabers. He had an assist on Lamart Dudley basket and later came up with a steal that led to a basket by Jayce Bantolina. The Sabers took a 21-15 lead into the half.

Dudley scored five of his eight points in the third quarter, converting a three-point play and also on a putback. The Sabers entered the fourth period with a 34-23 lead.

The Sabers kept that 11-point margin on the strength of 10-of-13 shooting from the free-throw line in the final period.

Joseph Gouty led the Mules with 14 points, including two 3-pointers.