The Spartans celebrate after knocking off top-ranked Punahou. Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 1 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 2 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 3 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 4 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 5 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 6 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 7 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 8 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 9 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 10 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 11 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 12 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 13 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 14 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 15 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 16 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 17 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 18 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 19 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 20 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 21 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 22 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 23 of 24

Greg Yamamoto | SL

Purchase image 24 of 24

Thu, Jan 18, 2018 @ Punahou

---

Maryknoll

49

Punahou

48

Final	1	2	3	4
Maryknoll (11-2, 28-6)	14	14	19	2	49
Punahou (10-3, 30-4)	21	10	9	8	48

Z. Chong 13 pts  1 3pm  2/2 FTs

M. Tobin 12 pts  0/3 FTs

MAKIKI — No. 4 Maryknoll got its revenge Thursday night and handed top-ranked Punahou its first loss in the process.

Marcus Tobin scored 12 points and Makoto Kamata added 10 to lead the Spartans to a 49-48 win over the previously-unbeaten Buffanblu in an Interscholastic League of Honolulu boys basketball game before a crowd of about 300 fans at Hemmeter Fieldhouse.

Maryknoll (5-1) overcame a nine-point deficit to notch their fifth consecutive win and pulled even with Punahou (5-1) atop the league's Division I standings.

The game played out in stark contrast to the previous meeting, which resulted in a 47-41 win for the Buffanblu at the Spartans' T.C. Ching Gymnasium on Jan. 4. In that game, the Spartans held an 11-point lead after one quarter, but were outscored by the visitors 41-25 over the final three stanzas.

Thursday night, however, it was Punahou that seized a seven-point lead after the opening quarter.

The Buffanblu stretched their lead to 31-23 after a pair of Zayne Chong free throws with 1:06 left in the second quarter. However, the Spartans swung the pendulum back in their favor with a couple of Jordyn Perez steals in the final 45 seconds of the half.

Perez stole the ball from Punahou guard Cole Arceneaux before finding Kamata for a 3-pointer on the left wing. He then stole the ensuing entry pass and laid it in just before the end of the quarter to cut the Buffanblu lead to 31-28 at halftime.

"That was huge. That gave us some confidence going into the half," Maryknoll coach Kelly Grant said.

That momentum carried into the second half for the Spartans, who opened the third quarter with an 8-0 run that was capped by a Tobin bucket off an assist from Isiah Gelacio.

After Chong hit a 3-pointer to cut the Maryknoll lead to 39-36, Kamata answered with a 3-ball from the left wing. Peyton Grant then converted a three-point play and Kamata drove the baseline for a layup to give the Spartans their largest lead at 47-36.

Maryknoll outscored Punahou in the third quarter, 19-9, and held a 47-40 lead going into the fourth.

However, the Buffanblu used an 8-0 run that was capped by a Duke Clemens' bucket to take a 48-47 lead with 5:58 left to play.

"Punahou made a run at the end of the third, start of the fourth and I just told them to relax and play our game and we'll be fine," Grant said.

Maryknoll reclaimed the lead for good on its ensuing possession after a drive and layup by Kamata.

Punahou called for a timeout with 41.2 seconds left and had multiple looks at the basket in the closing seconds, but Cole Arceneaux's 3-pointer as time expired bounced off the front of the rim.

The Spartans managed just two points in the final quarter, but held the Buffanblu scoreless for almost six minutes to end the game.

Maryknoll played without 6-foot-3 sophomore forward Ethan Rudometkin, who missed his second consecutive game due to injury.

"I thought we did a pretty good job of blocking out. We didn't have Ethan too, so to limit their second-chance points was huge," Grant said. "We played solid defense, and contested shots and things went our way."

Grant's squad was less than stellar at the free-throw line (3 of 12), but it committed just eight total fouls on defense. Consequently, Punahou attempted only three free throws for the game.

"We thought of ourselves as underdogs," Kamata said. "We lost to (Division-II) Saint Francis in the preseason, so we've been hungry to prove ourselves since then."

Tobin scored six points in each half. Kamata, who hit two of his team's four 3-pointers, scored seven points after halftime.

Chong scored 13 points and Clemens added 10 to lead the Buffanblu.

Both teams continue ILH play with home games Saturday. Punahou will take on Mid-Pacific (2-4) at 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Maryknoll will host Saint Louis (0-6) at 7 p.m.