While many eyes last Monday afternoon were on University of North Carolina basketball recruit Reggie Bullock, 'Iolani senior Kainoa Chu quietly doubled the scoring output of the highly touted Kinston (N.C.) star guard, pouring in a game-high 32 points as the Raiders fell short of a major upset, 54-51, in the consolation bracket of the 'Iolani Prep Classic.

Chu, a 6-foot guard, drained six 3-pointers and helped the Raiders come within one basket of forcing overtime with the Vikings, who were ranked No. 33 in ESPN Rise's Fab 50. Kinston returns four starters from a team that finished 27-4 and was ranked No. 3 in North Carolina last season.

'Iolani led 37-24 early in the second half and took a 51-50 lead on Chu's 3-pointer from the left wing with 1:41 remaining in the game. But the Vikings answered with Josh Benoit's short banker 10 seconds later and then Benoit sank two free throws with 39 seconds left to put Kinston up, 54-51.

The Raiders had two chances to tie it in the closing seconds, but two 3-point attempts glanced off the rim.

Despite the loss, 'Iolani coach Dean Shimamoto said it was a breakthrough performance for Chu.

"It shows him what he's capable of," Shimamoto said. "He's still learning how to be a scorer, our No. 1 option, and he did it all in the flow of our offense. He was not selfish."

Chu said he was surprised at his scoring output.

"I was just being patient and taking what they gave me, I didn't rush any shots," he said. "In warmups, I felt good, I felt relaxed. And the team set me up, they got me open for opportunities to shoot."

Shimamoto said Chu's offseason preparation has helped him take advantage of those opportunities.

"He worked really hard from the summer until now, not just on his shooting but also on his agility, conditioning and weight work," Shimamoto said. "It's helped him get off screens and get balanced when he squares up to shoot. You can see all that work paying off now."

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