For a half, the second-seeded Kamehameha seemed to be too mighty for the BIIF runner-up Hilo Vikings.

Down 34-15 late in the third quarter, Hilo embarked on a remarkable comeback, cutting the lead to 52-49 before the Warriors regained control for a tough 58-50 win.

Guard Tiare Kanoa scored 15 points and had four steals to lead Kamehameha (18-0). Post Lilia Maio added 14 points and nine rebounds, and Tori-Jean Cambra had 10 points. Cambra was 8-for-8 from the foul line, including four in a row in the final 22.6 seconds to seal the win.

"Hilo never gave up. We knew we couldn’t let up," Kamehameha assistant coach Edgar Palafox said. "Hilo never gave up."

Junior guard Aliyah Pana led the Vikings (17-3) with 17 points. Her sister, Alexis, added 14 as they sparked a rally that got the crowd at Blaisdell Arena excited.

"I knew Kamehameha was always aggressive on defense, but I told the girls, if we keep pushing the ball, we could wear them down," said coach Ben Pana, father of Aliyah and Alexis.

Hilo’s 34-18 run, capped by Alexis Pana’s 3-point shot with less than 4 minutes to play, brought the Vikings within 52-49.

"They changed to more of a pass and cut offense. They’d kick it out (to 3-point shooters)," Palafox said.

Just when Kamehameha’s man-to-man defense seemed to be overwhelmed by Hilo’s slashers, the Warriors gathered themselves and finished strong. They spread the floor into a four-corners set and burned minutes off the clock.

A layup by Shalyn Guthier, one of six freshmen on Hilo’s roster, cut the lead to 54-50 with 1:19 left. However, Hilo still had three fouls to give and let Kamehameha burn off a huge chunk of time. By the time Ryder went to the free-throw line, there was just 22.6 ticks left, and she iced the game with four foul shots.

The Warriors had already rested their starters significant minutes in the first half while building a 34-17 halftime lead.

"Their coach (Darold Imanaka) used his bench a lot," Pana noted.

It was a good finish for the Vikings, a team with no seniors.

"They were in awe a little bit, playing for the first time in an arena like this," Pana added. "During the (earlier) Konawaena game, I could see they were awestruck, being in a place they’ve seen on TV."

Now Kamehameha is in position to win its first state title in girls basketball since 2002. The Warriors have not played Konawaena all season.

"We should match up pretty good, but they’ve been there," Palafox said. "We just have to keep our team focused for the whole game."

Ryder, a scrappy, quick guard, is one of the top defensive players in the tournament.

‘"We’ve got to come hard tomorrow. We can’t have a slow start," she said.

With Konawaena in the Division I final, and Kamehameha-Hawaii and Honokaa in the D-II final, three of the four finalists are from Hawaii island.

"It’s a testament to the Big Island," HHSAA executive director Christopher Chun said.