MID-PAC STUNS TOP-RANKED PUNAHOU, 66-48
ILH Boys Basketball
Published: 01/26/2008
By Bob Hogue
Digital Sports Hawaii
Senior Correspondent
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In an upset with potentially epic ramifications in the ILH boys basketball race, the Mid-Pacific Owls shocked the #1-ranked Punahou Buffanblue, 66-48 Saturday afternoon at Hemmeter Fieldhouse. The Owls made an astonishing 75-percent of their field goal attempts, including hitting over 80-percent of their shots in the first half.
Junior forward Marcus Holyfield led the Owls with 34 points in their winning effort.
"We kept waiting for a game like this," said an emotional Owls Head Coach Kevin O'Connell afterwards. "We've been struggling to finish and we just had to believe in ourselves. It was especially gratifying coming against Punahou and at their place!
The Owls came out on fire in the first half, bolting to a 22-14 first quarter lead. In that first period, Mid-Pacific missed only two outside shots and Holyfield and Kevin Takenaka hit key three-pointers during the run.
In the second quarter, Punahou battled back behind senior forward Kameron Steinhoff, who scored 10 of his team-high 17 points in the first half. Steinhoff's driving layup made it a four-point game midway through the period, but then Holyfield countered with seven straight points to push the Owls lead to double digits. Holyfield, whose father is the first cousin of former Heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield, had 18 points in the first half.
"The whole team played together, it wasn't just one person," said Holyfield. "We're all a threat out there."
To underscore that statement, Samson Won banked in a half-court three-point shot at the buzzer to give the Owls a 13-point lead, 41-28, at intermission. Mid-Pac hit an amazing 17 of 21 field goals in that first half, or over 80-percent.
That 13-point margin was as close as the Buffanblue would get the rest of the way. The Owls continued to shoot extremely well, hitting on 4 of 6 field goals in the third quarter, and 7 of 10 in the fourth period. Holyfield also hit 8 of 10 free throws in the last stanza to put the game on ice.
"Our season has been tough, but coach kept telling us 'keep believing' and we did," Holyfield said. "We pray before every game, and I really believe God helped us out there."
The Owls victory sends shockwaves through the ILH boys basketball race. Now, Punahou, Iolani, and Kamehameha all have two conference losses. The first two teams earn automatic berths into the state tournament, while the third possible berth will be decided by a tournament between all the remaining teams.
With this upset victory, Mid-Pacific is definitely in that hunt for the third playoff spot.
"We sat down yesterday and I reminded the kids that we can do this. We can't be first or second, but we can definitely have a shot at that third spot. That's our goal right now. We just have to believe!"
With one giant upset victory, the Mid-Pacific Owls made believers out of everyone in the ILH.
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