PEARL CITY - Kapili Amamalin and Taylor Babbitt each scored 15 points and Mililani rallied to a 46-36 win against Pearl City to take sole possession of first in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red West Saturday at the Chargers' gym.

The loss denied the Chargers (8-1) from clinching the top seed for their division. The Trojans (9-0) face Leilehua (7-1) Wednesday to close the regular season. The Mules, who were idle Saturday, must beat Campbell Monday so Wednesday's contest with Mililani will give them a shot to force a possible three-way tie for first and coin toss to determine seeding. Leilehua's only loss is to Pearl City. The top two seeds draw opening-round byes for the 12-team OIA Red tournament.

"This was a huge boost for the girls," Mililani coach Pat Basilio said. "They've been losing some stiff competition from preseason until the start of regular season. These last two games that we played - Kapolei and Pearl City - those were true tests. They've been passing their tests, so far."

The game, played before about 300, was closer than the outcome suggests. The teams were tied at 10 after the first quarter. Though Pearl City led 21-12 at one juncture of the second quarter, Mililani's 10-2 run in the closing two minutes of the first half pulled the Trojans to 23-22 at the break. The game was tied at 29 entering the fourth quarter. Mililani opened the fourth with a driving layup by Babbitt and never looked back. The Chargers pulled to 37-36 with 1:56 left, but the Trojans finished with a 9-0 run on 9-of-12 shooting from the free throw line to make it look like a runaway.

Although Amamalin and Babbitt accounted for the offensive barrage, it was the defense that kept the Trojans within striking range.

"The turning point for us was when we started shutting down their outside shots," Basilio said. "When they couldn't get their set shots from the 3-point line, they started trying to attack a little bit and were getting kind of out of synch. Our defensive pressure on the ball, that was key for us."

The Chargers opened the second quarter with an 11-2 run with the aid of 3-pointers by Adrienne Jean Sylva and Sabrina Angle. But the Trojans adjusted and a 10-2 run to end the half pulled them to 23-22 at the half.

The third quarter was dominated by both defenses, but Pearl City's only field goal was 3-pointer by Tiari Walker. The Trojans outscored the Chargers, 7-6, but that tied the game at 29 to end the third period.

Babbitt and Amamalin used dribble drives to the hoop for the Trojans' first two scores to open the fourth. Mililani's only other field goal in the period came when Babbitt put back her own missed shot. The rest of the Trojans' scoring came on 11 of 16 free throws.

It was tough loss for the Chargers, who would have clinched tie-breakers against Mililani and Leilehua with a win to secure the top seed. They still need to beat Aiea to secure at least the second seed. So most of his post-game speech to his players was not to dwell on this loss.

"We went up there and we talked positive," Morton said. "We just have to shake this off. It was a big game. We just have to take the experience in (with the) big crowd, everybody here. So we'll just take it as positive. It was a close game all the way. Mililani just wanted it more, so we'll come back and work hard We'll be ready."

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