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Spartans put on show

Eight-time defending MIL D-II champs down Hana in front of packed house

Seabury Hall’s Isaiah Payne goes up for a layup in front of Hana’s Keoki Hoopai-Waikoloa (left) and Nahinu Lind in the second quarter of the Spartans’ 65-19 win Friday at Erdman Athletic Center. - The Maui News / CHRIS SUGIDONO photo

OLINDA — This one wasn’t close for very long, but the Seabury Hall boys basketball team got to play a home game in front of a rare packed house in the Erdman Athletic Center on Friday night.

As the school celebrated senior night for all of its winter sports, the Spartans boys basketball players ate up the atmosphere in a 65-19 win over Hana in a Maui Interscholastic League Division II matchup.

“I mean, we never get crowds like this, so to have a crowd like this we want to just impress everybody,” Spartans senior point guard Isaiah Payne said after he scored 12 points. “Just do what we do best and just put on a show. Hana has a great team and they are young, but we play every team the same. You come into our league we’re going to play the exact same.”

Payne has been a starter on teams that have advanced to the Division II state title game and final four in the last two seasons.

His jumper gave Seabury Hall (5-0) a 6-2 lead with 5 minutes, 47 seconds left in the first quarter. His pass to 6-foot-4 junior Conner Jenkins led to a layup that pushed the lead to 20-4 at the end of the first quarter.

Seabury Hall’s Kama Konohia looks to pass in front of Hana’s Nahinu Lind in the second quarter Friday. - The Maui News / CHRIS SUGIDONO photo

“We’re definitely getting there,” Payne said. “We’re not there yet. Hopefully we’re going to peak at the right time. It’s looking good. It’s looking like we’re going to get there.”

Payne will choose between track and basketball as he considers his college destination. He has a scholarship offer from Brown University for track and he is talking to Sacramento State and Grayson University for basketball.

“Probably the best offer — I want my parents to pay as little as possible,” Payne said. “I just care about them and making sure that they retire.”

Jenkins had 14 points to lead 11 players who scored for the Spartans, who are seeking their ninth straight MIL Division II title. Kama Konohia added 11.

“That was great, you know, we don’t get a lot of crowd support for our games,” Seabury Hall coach Scott Prather said. “So it was great to have a few hundred people in the crowd for us. Right now we’re a work in progress. We lost a lot of really valuable seniors from last year’s team, but the boys have bought in — they are working really hard.”

The Spartans’ Conner Jenkins shoots in the second quarter. - The Maui News / CHRIS SUGIDONO photo

Senior Yosef Moeai led the Dragons (0-5) with six points. His father, Fou Moeai, is the Hana head coach.

“We know who they are — they have been this great for how many years, how many times have they won our league?” Fou Moeai said. “That’s what I told my boys — we know who they are, we have to find out who we are. I feel like we put out a really great effort today.”

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com

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HANA (19)

Carson Whitwell 0, Chayton Keegan 5, Yosef Moeai 6, Kaleb Estrella-Pu 0, Keoki Hoopai-Waikoloa 5, Kaua Medeiros-Lind 0, Shayden Hoopai-Waikoloa 0, Owali Moeai 0, Nahinu Lind 3, Elijah Keegan 0, Huaka Park 0, Blade Hoopai 0, Cyrus Cook 0.

SEABURY HALL (65)

Isaiah Payne 12, J.D. Pells 2, Gabriel Medallada 2, Rolando Berdal 2, Noah Payne 2, Conner Jenkins 14, Kama Konohia 11, Brayden Hasegawa 4, Carl Molinaro 0, Kai Preseault 4, Caden Granum 7, Joaquin Donez 5.

Hana 4 2 8 5–19

Seabury Hall 20 20 15 10–65

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MIL STANDINGS

BOYS

DIVISION I

W L Pct GB

x-Lahainaluna 8 0 1.000 —

Maui High 5 4 .556 3 1⁄2

Kamehameha Maui 4 5 .444 4 1⁄2

King Kekaulike 3 6 .333 5 1⁄2

Baldwin 2 7 .222 6 1⁄2

DIVISION II

W L Pct GB

Lanai 5 0 1.000 —

Seabury Hall 5 0 1.000 —

St. Anthony 3 2 .600 2

Haleakala Waldorf 1 4 .200 4

Molokai 1 4 .200 4

Hana 0 5 .000 4

x-clinched regular-season championship

Friday’s Results

Seabury Hall 65, Hana 19

Lanai 60, St. Anthony 27

Molokai 57, Haleakala Waldorf 44

Today’s Games

Hana at Seabury Hall, 10 a.m.

St. Anthony at Lanai, 11 a.m.

Haleakala Waldorf vs. Molokai at Seabury Hall, noon

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