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After watching his team’s lead dwindle from 17 to five midway through the fourth quarter, Kalaheo boys basketball coach Alika Smith called on reserve guard Josh Ko to stop the bleeding.
The sharpshooter answered the call and drained two key baskets down the stretch as the Mustangs scored 10 straight points to cap a 52-37 victory over visiting Campbell in the quarterfinal round of the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red Conference playoffs Saturday night on Pete Smith Court.
Ko scored a game-high 19 points, drained three 3-pointers and converted two free-throw attempts late to ice the win. Following Campbell’s 13-0 run that brought the visiting squad to within five points of the lead, Ko banked in a runner after cutting through the lane to put the Mustangs ahead by seven. The guard added another shot in the paint to put Kalaheo up by 10 with 2:15 to play, and the home squad clinched the victory with five more free throws.
"We have one of the better penetrating offenses, so we kept driving and passing until we found the open man, and luckily for me, I had a lot of open looks," said Ko. "We were confident that we would pull away. If this was our team a year or two ago, we would have struggled. Since we’ve grown as a family and as a team, we took care of our business and got this win."
Fellow senior Kalei Zuttermeister added 13 points and hauled in a game-high six rebounds, while Kalaheo’s guard tandem of Derick Morgan and Kupa‘a Harrison added seven and five points, respectively.
With the win, Kalaheo advances to the semifinal round, where it will take on Farrington on Wednesday evening at McKinley in an OC 16 televised contest. The Mustangs, the East division’s top seed, improved to 34-4 overall and 12-0 in league play and guaranteed themselves one of the league’s six berths into the Hawaiian Airlines/HHSAA Boys Basketball State Championships, slated for Feb. 20-23.
"It’s very important, because the only way you can win (the state tournament) is if you’re in it," said Smith. "We’ve got one foot in there and we have bigger and better things ahead of us."
Last year, Kalaheo claimed the OIA White championship and Division II state title, but the Mustangs are looking to collect an upper-division league crown for the first time since 2004. Under the leadership of Smith’s father, Pete Smith, Kalaheo claimed 15 OIA boys basketball titles in a dominant run spanning from 1984 to 2004, which also included state titles in 1985, ’95 and 2001.
After falling behind 2-0 Saturday, the Mustangs sprinted back with a 14-0 run to finish the opening quarter. Zuttermeister, Shem Sukumaran and Ko each buried 3-pointers to buoy the Kalaheo scoring spree, and Kurt Vegas converted a buzzer-beating reverse layup to push the lead to 12.
Ko continued to connect from beyond the arc by burying two more treys in the second quarter while scoring 10 of his 13 first-half points in the second frame. The Mustangs relied on six 3-balls in the opening half as the home squad maintained its double-digit advantage.
However, Campbell benefited from 12 trips to the charity stripe in the period alone, and converted 11 of the free-throw opportunities. The Sabers used a 7-0 run midway through the second quarter to creep to within 10 points of the lead, and ended the half on a 13-7 run to narrow Kalaheo’s advantage to 31-20 at intermission.
"I was very disappointed with some of our effort in the first half. We weren’t moving our feet and got into foul trouble," Smith said. "It put a wrinkle in what we like to do on defense. We like to play man, but we had to jump into a zone, and their comeback was a result of that."
Campbell (7-5), the West’s fourth seed, fought back again after falling behind 42-24, and utilized eight straight points from Gilbert Dayanan — the Sabers’ top scorer with 17 — including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to pull within 10 points of the lead at the conclusion of the third quarter. The Sabers kept the momentum going in the fourth, and scored five consecutive points to narrow Kalaheo’s lead to 42-37, but could not complete the comeback.
"We can play. It’s just that sometimes, they get caught up in the hype," Campbell skipper Wyatt Tau said. "I’m just glad that they continued fighting. That’s why I love ’em. But I credit Kalaheo. They played good defense."
At Kalaheo
| Campbell | 2 | 18 | 12 | 5 | — | 37 |
| Kalaheo | 14 | 17 | 11 | 10 | — | 52 |
CAMPBELL— Brannon Cody Bantolina 2, Jomar Jett Gapusan 0, Joshua Michael Forte 2, Solomon Leaeno 12, Jayce Bantolina 4, Justin Tago’Sue 0, Gilbert Dayanan 17, Juan-Paulo Felizardo 0, Kainoa Perry 0.
KALAHEO— Josh Ko 19, Shem Sukumaran 5, Kalei Zuttermeister 13, Kurt Vegas 2, Kalani Green 0, Derick Morgan 7, Silila Tucker 1, Kupa‘a Harrison 5, Anthony Rowan 0.
3-point goals— Campbell 2 (Dayanan 2). Kalaheo 7 (Ko 3, Zuttermeister 3, Sukumaran).
OIA RED BOYS PLAYOFFS
Farrington 62, Pearl City 55
Tyler Liana scored 16 of his 19 points in the third quarter as the Governors pulled away from the Chargers.
Jacob McEnroe added 13 points for Farrington.
Sonny Glisson hit all four of his 3-pointers during Pearl City’s comeback attempt in the fourth quarter and finished with 16 points.
Reymart Rosario added 15 points for the Chargers, who will host Campbell in an elimination game Wednesday at 6 p.m.
At Pearl City
| Farrington | 10 | 10 | 23 | 19 | — | 62 |
| Pearl City | 8 | 11 | 8 | 28 | — | 55 |
FARRINGTON—Jacob McEnroe 13, Mark Dudalao 0, Isaiah Smith 8, Van Hugo 0, Darell Jose 0, Marco Cudia 14, Michael Alob 0, Francis Fepuleai 0, Tyler Liana 19, David Luafatasago 6, Enele Scanlan 0, Eirene Tua 0, Mason Semisi 2, John Castillo 0.
PEARL CITY—Isaac Amorin 8, Eric Dela Pena 0, Garrett Kanamu 0, Reymart Rosario 15, Tyson Hickcox 2, Zach Kaya 6, Sonny Glisson 16, Daicorri Briscoe 8, Bricen Shaser 0, Shandy Reyes 0, Joshua Cudi 0, Tylor Canon 0, Bryson Galderia 0, P.Jay Solomon 0.
3-point goals—Farrington 1 (Cudia). Pearl City 8 (Glisson 4, Rosario 3, Briscoe).
Kapolei 48, Kahuku 44
Senior guard Curtis Tavares scored 14 points to help rally the Hurricanes past the Red Raiders.
Kapolei, the top seed in the West, plays East second seed Moanalua at 5 p.m. on Wednesday at McKinley.
Lasselle Thompson had a game-high 16 points for Kahuku, which led 38-37 after a 19-10 third quarter. The Red Raiders face Mililani on Wednesday in a 6 p.m. elimination game at the Trojans’ gym.
At Kapolei
| Kahuku | 7 | 12 | 19 | 6 | — | 44 |
| Kapolei | 14 | 13 | 10 | 11 | — | 48 |
KAHUKU—Chance Maghanoy 0, Kawehena Johnson 13, Will Cravens 2, Lasselle Thompson 16, Ku-j Tapusoa 5, Soli Afalava 0, Quayd AhYou 0, Hirkley Latu 2, Lamone Williams 6.
KAPOLEI—Elia McKeague 3, Curtis Tavares 14, Ka‘eo Soares 0, Joshua Wills 7, Christopher Dillard 9, Zachary Reeves 8, Mason Alfaro 0, Elijah Gipson 3, Michael Kapoi 4.
3-point goals—Kahuku 2 (Johnson). Kapolei 4 (Tavares 2, Wills, McKeague).
Moanalua 52, Mililani 44
Eliet Donley scored 17 points and Kahanu Pu‘ulei-Auld 12 to power Na Menehune over the Trojans.
Sylvester Panoncillo and Noel Bueno had 12 points each for Mililani.
At Moanalua
| Mililani | 6 | 11 | 19 | 8 | — | 44 |
| Moanalua | 11 | 19 | 10 | 12 | — | 52 |
MILILANI—Chedan Pascual 0, Jason Calabrese 6, Sylvester Panoncillo 12, Peter Bueno 2, Cody Sison 0, Elijah Gambol 11, Ian Namu 1, Riley Borges 0, Jacob Low 0, Noel Bueno 12, Jeremy Rozmeski 0, Sean Fitzgerald 0.
MOANALUA—Jon-Michael Sharsh 0, Ola Brown 9, Reyn Okimoto 0, Elo Badua 0, Kahanu Pu‘ulei-Auld 12, Alijohn Bumanglag 0, Jamaal Willis 3, Antoine Hines 0, Zack Pu‘ulei-Loi-On 0, Justin Hudcovic 9, Wyatt Nunes 0, Eliet Donley 17, Alaziar Torres 0, Jordan Williams 0, Aaron Stuart 2, Austin Failauga 0.
3-point goals—Mililani 4 (Gambol 2, Calabrese, N. Bueno). Moanalua 3 (Pu‘ulei-Auld, Willis, Donley).
JV playoff game—Moanalua 53, Leilehua 43
OIA WHITE BOYS PLAYOFFS
Kailua 51, Kaiser 47, 3OT
Kekoa Ford scored five of his 13 points in the third overtime as the Surfriders survived the scrappy Cougars.
Kailua will play Waianae at McKinley on Saturday at 5 p.m. for the OIA White title.
Kaiser’s Chance Kalaugher hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer at the end of the first overtime, and teammate Melvin Kahunanui hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer at the end of the second overtime to extend the game.
At Kailua
| Kaiser | 12 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 5 | — | 47 |
| Kailua | 5 | 7 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 9 | — | 51 |
KAISER—Clayton Sai , Joshua Simao , Nic Tom 3, Melvin Kahunanui 13, Micah Okamoto , Brysen Chun-Ming , Makena Kaneaiakala 4, Jensen Momoki 0, Trevin Kahunanui 7, Tarius Hill 9, Taylor Damaschi , Chance Kalaugher 11, Leimana Chong-Gum 0, Joshua Pokraka , Christian Kastrinakis .
KAILUA—Cason Kalei 0, Dayson Davids , Kalani Johnson , Willie Kailimai 0, Eric Lavoie , Kawika Lewis 0 , Matthew Bishop 0, Delywn Richards Jr. , Noah Auld 9, Christian Kamu Scheer 0, Mason Youart 14, Kekoa Ford 13, Kirk Ronolo Jr. 15, Marcus Malepeai 0, Russell Foster 0.
3-point goals—Kaiser 3 (Kahunanui 2, Kalaugher). Kailua 3 (Youart 2, Ford).
Waianae 50, Kalani 41
Bronson Brown Kaopua scored 15 points and Justin Kila added 10 as the Seariders earned a spot in the state tournament by making the OIA final.
At Waianae
| Kalani | 7 | 9 | 8 | 17 | — | 41 |
| Waianae | 9 | 11 | 10 | 20 | — | 50 |
KALANI—Shane Ra 0, Dallas Asuncion 0, Trevor Yamashita 0, Alex Tungpalan 5, Cory Mitchell 8, Ryan Kuboyama 0, Shiraz Dole 0, Matthew Haili 8, Brandon Roberts 13, Michael Pimental 5, Colby Aoki 0, Brandon Hill 2.
WAIANAE—Justin Kila 10, Tyger Rohr 5, Jamal Lopez 7, Makana Piilani 3, Cleg Borge 0, Joe Garcia 8, Franklin Galiza 0, Mahvan Tau 0, Natano Namalauti 0, Austin Thomas 2, Jonathan Dannog 0, Bronson Brown Kaopua 15, Wayne Silva 0.
3-point goals—Kalani 4 (Roberts 2, Tungpalan, Mitchell). Waianae 1 (Piilani).
ILH DIVISION II BOYS PLAYOFFS
Damien 59, Christian Academy 40
Alex Fant scored 24 points, including 12 in second quarter, to lead the Monarchs past the Patriots.
Damien advances to play Island Pacific in the semifinals Tuesday.
At Damien
| Christian Academy | 11 | 6 | 17 | 6 | — | 40 |
| Damien | 13 | 18 | 12 | 16 | — | 59 |
CHRISTIAN ACADEMY—Matthew Urcia 13, Shaun Bonilla 10, Xavier Matthews 7, Jarrin-James Ralar 0, Ethan Reyes 5, Ryan Helsham 2, Joshua Luna 3.
DAMIEN—Noah Ferreira 4, Kobe Ikari 4, Aaron Miyahira 0, Jaylen Layco 12, Linden Quintal 0, Nick Arakaki 0, Kapiina King 4, Marcus Mafi 6, Ashton Obrero 5, Alex Fant 24, Dobie Ching 0, James Roy 0.
3-point goals—Christian Academy 2 (Urcia, Bonilla). Damien 2 (Fant 2).
Island Pacific 62, Le Jardin 60, OT
Jason Brenner poured in 30 points, including three 3-pointers, as the Navigators eliminated the Bulldogs.
At Le Jardin
| Island Pacific | 15 | 16 | 10 | 18 | 3 | — | 62 |
| Le Jardin | 11 | 14 | 19 | 15 | 1 | — | 60 |
ISLAND PACIFIC—Josiah Gabriel 0, Jason Brenner 30, John Black 0, Kennedy Wilson 0, Harvey Alexander 10, Michael Brenner 0, Brett Arakawa 2, Ian Schumaker 18, Dalton Wood 0, Andrew McCarthy 0, Eric Longanecker 0, Brian Arde 0.
LE JARDIN—Jeremy Yurow 0, Mitchell Hashimoto 0, Michael Gabrelcik 7, Alex Tatum 3, Tristan Watts 0, Stig Regan 0, Corey Grip 0, Juliun Perkins 24, Nicholas Vinsonhaler 10, Dillan Van Ness 8, Jacob Blaskowski 8, Johnson Le 0.
3-point goals—Island Pacific 3 (J. Brenner 3). Le Jardin 2 (Visonhaler, Van Ness).
University 90, Hawaii Baptist 68
The Junior ‘Bows jumped out to a 21-12 lead after one quarter en route to routing the Eagles.
Ryan Kaleikini dropped 30 points and Chris Meyer added 17 for University, which advances to a Tuesday semifinal.
BJ Hosaka drained four 3-pointers and finished with 23 points for Hawaii Baptist.
At Klum Gym
| Hawaii Baptist | 12 | 11 | 24 | 21 | — | 68 |
| University | 21 | 16 | 25 | 28 | — | 90 |
HAWAII BAPTIST—Bryson Hirokawa 3, Joshua Kishaba 8, BJ Hosaka 23, Danton Tominaga 6, Chris Caballes 14, Michael Dang 4, Matthew Kishaba 4, Jordan Kauwe 3, Brett Miller 0, David Efhan 3.
UNIVERSITY—Chris Meyer 17, Eric Leung 9, Anthony Canencia 11, Colin Lee 0, Josh Akamine 2, Anson Canencia 2, R.J. Realubit 12, Ryan Kaleikini 30, Matt Lee 0, Sean Mahiko 7.
3-point goals—Hawaii Baptist 5 (Hosaka 4, Hirokawa). University 3 (Kaleikini 2, Leung).