Joseph Gouty lead Leilehua over Mililani saturday night in a OIA boys basketball matchup. Sylvia Lee | SL

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Sat, Jan 3, 2015 @ Leilehua

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Mililani

40

Leilehua

57

Final	1	2	3	4
Mililani (8-5, 15-10)	11	8	12	9	40
Leilehua (11-2, 18-11)	16	17	14	10	57

• Points
• Rebounds
• Assists

J. Gouty 17 pts  2 3pm  5/6 FTs

C. Ramirez 13 pts  3 3pm  4/4 FTs

K. Kauhi 9 tot

C. Gathers 10 tot

J. Gouty 5 ast

C. Ramirez 5 ast

WAHIAWA — Joseph Gouty scored 13 of his game-high 17 points in the first half as Leilehua handily defeated Mililani Saturday night, 57-40.

The Mules (1-0) used a swarming defense and controlled the paint against the Trojans (0-1) in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Western Division opener for both teams. The game was played before a crowd of about 200 at Leilehua's Paul T. Kobayashi Gymnasium.

Leilehua made its move in the second quarter, when it took advantage of a four-minute and 17-second scoreless stretch for Mililani, and outscored the visitors 17 to 8 in the period.

"We pushed tempo, we had some good shooting early on and we need every single one of these (wins), so it's good to have a good win against a good team, so we're happy where we're at, 1-0," Mules' coach Pat Wetzel said.

Wetzel pointed to the effort on the defensive side of the floor as the main factor in the victory.

"We gave up only 40 points against an good offensive team. That's where we really won the game," said Wetzel, who was worried about Mililani's height, namely 6-foot-8 Clarence Gathers. "Our boys played hard. They have a real big center in Clarence and I thought we did a real nice job of trying to neutralize him."

Gathers had a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) and was one of three Trojans to score in double figures. Chanse Ramirez hit three of his team's four 3-pointers and finished with a team-leading 13 points and Kalakaua Timoteo added 10 points for Mililani.

Leilehua used a combination of players against the Trojans' inside duo of Gathers and Timoteo. Forwards Koa Kauhi scored eight points and grabbed nine rebounds, Jayeson Baine had nine points with five assists, Anterrio Gainwell also scored eight points and center David Tibayan added four points, four boards, two assists and a steal.

"Leilehua was ready. Right now, we're not ready, but we still got nine more games," Mililani coach Ed Gonzales said.

The Trojans struggled against Leilehua's 1-3-1 zone. They turned it over 17 times, including 12 steals by the Mules. Seven different players recorded a steal for Leilehua. Gouty and Baine had three steals each.

"The top man (in the 1-3-1 zone) pressured the point and then one man goes back and forth and tries to put pressure on the big man," said Gouty, who also had a team-high five assists. "Our big men went back and put their hands up, boxed out, limited the transition of Mililani and we stopped them from making layups and forced them to take jump shots."

The Mules went on a 10-0 run during the Trojans' scoreless drought in the second quarter and held a 33-19 halftime lead. They led by as many as 20 with seven minutes to play on Tibayan's putback.

"We got inside touches and then we kicked it right out and we got some 3's, and I think anytime you get an inside touch against a zone defense and they kick it to the outside, we've got some shooters and they knocked them down," Wetzel said.

Leilehua held the advantage in total rebounds (29 to 23), offensive rebounds (14 to 8) and points in the paint (26 to 16).

"We've been practicing how to box out, so we just kept encouraging the bigs and telling them to box them out. 'Box them out and we win this game,' and they pushed it and they did it," said Gouty, who hit two first-half 3-pointers and was 5 of 6 at the free-throw line.

Mililani had its struggles offensively. It also had a three-minute scoreless stretch in the third quarter and did not score in the final 2:21 of the game.

"When we don't play as a team, then we start falling apart, (but) Leilehua made the shots and we just let it get away," Gonzales said. "We stopped playing as a team."

The Trojans played without forwards Kekoa Fields and Brandon Fears, as well as guard Micah Harrell. Timoteo received a technical foul in the second quarter and another in the fourth, which led to a consequent ejection. By league rules he is ineligible for the next immediate contest.

Both teams next play Wednesday. Mililani visits Waianae, while Leilehua hosts Kapolei.