KAHULUI, Maui — A rivalry has arrived in Maui Interscholastic League Division II boys basketball.

In the last two days, Moloka'i High School has catapulted to the top of the mountain in what has become a close relationship with Seabury Hall. The Farmers got to the summit with a 51-46 win over Seabury Hall on Saturday afternoon at the Maui High gym in the MIL D-II championship playoff game.

It was the fifth game of the season between the two, third in five days, and second in 20 hours.

Seabury Hall won the first MIL D-II crown, and Moloka'i has claimed the next two, both times coming from second place in the regular season to win the MIL tournament and then a championship playoff game.

In the three-year history of the state boys Division II basketball tournament, the Farmers (12-3) and Spartans (10-4) have filled five of the MIL's six spots. Both will be at the third D-II state tournament March 4-7 on O'ahu.

Moloka'i coach Lee DeRouin said his team stayed together, with seven games in the last nine days, all on Maui, in three different gyms — all a bus ride away from there resting place at Kamehameha-Maui.

''I'm speechless right now, so proud of my team to come over here and spend the whole week, plus last week over here,'' DeRouin said to The Maui News. ''It is a tribute to what a team (can do) when you get that team concept. Every guy was helping each other the whole trip, whether it was getting the balls, cleaning the bathroom, or cleaning the bus.''

The Spartans won the teams' first three matchups this season, including a 49-37 decision Tuesday at Lahainaluna for the regular-season title in a playoff game. The Farmers won the last two, including 55-52 on Friday night at Maui High in the MIL tournament final.

''It feels pretty good, second year in a row,'' Moloka'i's Scottie Rapanot said after scoring a team-high 17 points for the second game in a row. ''Coach told me back in the regular season, 'It all comes down to the MIL tournament' and we found out who is the real champions. That Seabury team is tough. They have speed and they are just tough, but we outran them and we outrebounded them.''

Rebounds were large in each of the last two games — Moloka'i took 11 more shots than Seabury on Friday, and on Saturday, the Farmers shot a better percentage than the Spartans, with an advantage on the offensive glass.

''Rebounds were real important,'' Rapanot said. ''We had to stay above them the whole time. If not, they would have been scoring, we wouldn't have been scoring, and they would have won, probably.''

Moloka'i hit 21 of 44 shots from the field (47.7 percent) in the championship game, while Seabury Hall was 19-for-49 (38.8 percent).

Garrett Wiseman came off the bench to ignite Seabury in the second quarter, scoring 11 points, as the Spartans drew to within 30-29 at halftime after trailing 9-0 3 1/2 minutes into the game and 15-10 at the end of the first quarter. Wiseman hit two 3-pointers in the first quarter, including Seabury Hall's first points with 4:01 to go.

He had 17 points at halftime, but hit only two more 3-pointers in the second half to finish with 23. He totaled five 3-point field goals.

''That guy, I don't know, I'm speechless,'' Rapanot said of Wiseman. ''He can really shoot the basketball.''

Kawaiola Kalipi provided 11 points for the Farmers, who had eight players score. The Spartans, who were without injured starter Dylan King, had only four players score, including Phelan Pagano, who had 12 points.

Seabury used seven players, while Moloka'i used nine.

The Farmers were in front 43-37 going to the fourth quarter, but Wiseman hit a 3-pointer to bring the Spartans within 43-42 with 7:09 to play. The lead wasn't more than three for either team the rest of the game until Joseph Akaka made a pair of free throws for Moloka'i with two seconds to go. Seabury Hall missed three 3-point tries in the final minute that would have tied the game.

DeRouin said assistant coach Lester Delos Reyes was an inspiration to the Farmers.

''Coach Lester, he served in Iraq and he knows what it means to stay together for the whole week, he knows what it means, the highs and the lows,'' DeRouin said. ''He has been a big emotional support for us, our boys. He had (National) Guard duty today and he came here in his uniform.''

First-year Seabury Hall coach Scott Prather saw the league title slip from his team's grasp with two chances to nail it down in the last two days.

''It was a good little rivalry this year, great games every game,'' Prather said.

Now, the secret is turning it into success on Oahu. The MIL has gone 1-8 in the first two D-II state tournaments.

''You know, I really don't know what to say about state, I know there are some good teams over there,'' Prather said. ''That is as good as it's going to get here, so I'm sure it is going to do something for both teams.''

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