LAHAINA — The Lahainaluna High School boys basketball team knew its best chance to pull off a win against Damien would be to run the floor and then run some more in their first-round game of the Snapple/HHSAA Division I State Championship.

It nearly worked before the Monarchs, the third-ranked team in the state by scoringlive.com, pulled out a 58-49 win to end the Lunas’ season at 10-5 in front of a raucous crowd in the Lahainaluna gym.

“Tough, you know, jetlag, coming over to Maui, different atmosphere,” Damien coach Alvin Stephenson said after his team improved to 9-7. “It’s a little warmer than we’re normally used to in the gym. And Lahainaluna, this is a tough place to play.

“We knew that coming in. Their crowd was great for them. I thought the kids responded well to their crowd. For us, this is one of our better games as far as ball movement.”

Damien came into the game with a distinct height advantage over the Maui Interscholastic League runners-up. Jake Holtz, a 6-foot-5 senior, scored 20 points for the Interscholastic League of Honolulu third-place team.

The game plan had the Lunas within three points with 2 minutes, 17 seconds to go after a pair of free throws by Matthew Rabino.

“Our game plan was just using our speed,” said Rabino, one of four seniors who saw their Lahainaluna basketball careers come to an end.

“To, like, push the press and break it and get to the rim and just score. Our coaches prepared us well. We were all prepared, but they just did a better job at finishing out the game.”

After Rabino’s late free throws, the Lunas’ crowd started chanting, “Defense, defense, defense,” but Lahainaluna did not score again. The Monarchs put the game away from the line, going 6 of 9 down the stretch as the Lunas were forced to foul.

“I’m glad I left everything out there,” said Rabino, who had 12 points. “I have no regrets out there.”

While Rabino plans to study mechanical engineering at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, where he is considering walking on to play football, the Lunas bring back a solid nucleus led by junior point guard Tre Rickard.

Rickard had 17 points, including a half-court buzzer-beater at the end of the first half that brought the Lunas within 40-31 at the break.

Another senior, Juztin Gaoiran, had 13 points for the Lunas. Football standout Joshua Tihada, also a senior, started the game for the Lunas and while he did not score, his defense was key to keeping the game close.

Malino Jacinto is the Lunas’ other senior — he finished with two points and was also key on the boards and defensively.

“The guys just relished the opportunity to host a game here in front of our home crowd,” first-year Lahainaluna coach Nick Webb said. “And, you know, we put in a pretty good game plan we thought. We were just going to push the tempo all game, go up and down with them.

“They have got to fly over here in the morning, they have all those tall guys — we haven’t seen length like that all year, but the boys put it all on the floor. So proud of this team.”

The Monarchs advance to face No. 2 seed Moanalua on Wednesday in the quarterfinals.

“It was a great test for us tonight against a team like Lahainaluna, they know they’re tough, like a lot of teams over on Oahu,” Stephenson said. “Things don’t get any easier for us now.”

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.

DAMIEN (58)

Hayden Bayudan 10, Jarvis Natividad 3, Kenneth Mitchell 8, Calvin Nakamura 0, Reginald Spencer 6, Micah Chung 0, Tino Atonio 7, Bryce Forbes 4, Jake Holtz 20.

LAHAINALUNA (49)

Tre Rickard 17, Juztin Gaoiran 13, Malino Jacinto 2, Josh Tihada 0, Matthew Rabino 12, Sam Kahaialii 2, T.J. Galoia 0, Sam Fifita 3.

Damien 23 17 8 10–58

Lahainaluna 19 12 8 10–49

*****

Boys Basketball State Championships

DIVISION I

Monday’s Results

First Round

Leilehua 82, Waiakea 53

Damien 58, Lahainaluna 49

Kahuku 56, Kaiser 37

Maryknoll 49 Kalaheo 41, OT

Wednesday’s Games

Quarterfinals

At McKinley

No. 4 Baldwin vs. Kahuku, 5 p.m.

No. 1 Kamehameha Kapalama vs. Leilehua, 7 p.m.

At Moanalua

No. 3 Kamehameha Hawaii vs. Maryknoll, 5 p.m.

No. 2 Moanalua vs. ­Damien, 7 p.m.

DIVISION II

Wednesday’s Games

Quarterfinals

At Kaimuki

No. 4 Roosevelt vs. Seabury Hall, 5 p.m.

No. 1 Hawaii Prep vs. University, 7 p.m.

At Kalani

No. 3 Kauai vs. Kohala, 5 p.m.

No. 2 Hanalani vs. McKinley, 7 p.m.