Shairone Thompson scored 20 points and Kawehena Johnson added 15 as No. 6 Kahuku escaped with a 73-63 win over No. 8 Mililani last night.

The win kept Kahuku (24-5 overall) unbeaten in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red Conference double-elimination tournament. Mililani (15-15) lost its first playoff game and will play Moanalua on Tuesday in an elimination matchup.

"We were up big, but didn’t take it for granted. The kids just kind of let their guards down," Kahuku coach Darren Johnson said. "But I’m proud of them. They knew how to finish. They finished it right."

The win means Kahuku can rest up until its next game on Thursday.

"Now we can get some of our injured guys back," Johnson said, noting that forward Tigi Hill stayed home with the flu.

A crowd of about 1,200 at McKinley Student Council Gym was treated to an up-tempo battle. Kahuku led by as many as 28 points in the third quarter, riding the offensive prowess of Thompson in the post and point guard Galeai "Mua" Malufau’s efficiency on the perimeter.

The lead nearly evaporated, however, as Mililani took advantage of a softening Kahuku defense. With Johnson on the bench (four fouls), Mililani rolled. Hassan Richardson scored seven points in the quarter and Alex Baumgarner hit two 3-pointers during the run. After Kaimihoku Wilson scored on a dish from Richardson, the Trojans were within 62-57 with 4:59 to play.

"When they made that run, I was mad," Thompson said. "It was horrible the way we played. We could play better. I give Mililani credit, making those shots."

Seven of Mililani’s nine 3-pointers came in the second half, but after the run, the Trojans went scoreless for the next 3 minutes. Thompson scored inside, and Johnson, the smallest player on the court, drove into the paint for a couple of baskets. Kahuku led 68-57 with 2 minutes to go, and Mililani got no closer than seven the rest of the way.

"We didn’t play well in the first half. We knew what Kahuku would do, but we didn’t execute," Mililani coach Ed Gonzales said. "Kahuku is sound and they’re relentless on the boards."

Thompson, a 6-foot-5 senior, had 10 rebounds and four blocks, and K.J. Uluave added nine points and 11 boards.

Malufau finished with 14 points and five assists, including a few to Johnson, who nailed three 3-pointers.

Baumgarner led Mililani with 15 points, all on treys, and Richardson tallied 13 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks.

"We didn’t give up. The second half, we played Mililani basketball," Gonzales said. "There’s times when things aren’t going well, you have to have faith in your team and the system."

Malufau was the eye of the storm.

"Mililani’s a scrappy team. We just had to play smart, take our time," he said.

Farrington 49, McKinley 48

Ryan Reyes soared to block the potential game-winning layup by Rio Kwon with 2 seconds left to preserve victory for the Governors.

Reyes (11 points) and Lancelot Williams (10) led a balanced attack, making up for the struggles of J.P. Saycon, who fouled out early in the fourth quarter and finished with just four points.

"Defense, that’s my thing," said Reyes, a 6-foot-2 senior. "I seen (Kwon) going up. I was trying to time his shot all game."

Kwon finished with a game-high 18 points. Alex Ironside tallied 15, but fouled out in the final minutes and the Tigers missed his ballhandling against Farrington’s pressure.

Farrington (22-4 overall) remains unbeaten in the OIA White double-elimination tourney. McKinley (18-9 overall) suffered its first loss and will host Kalaheo on Tuesday in an elimination game.

Reyes’ block came on a hustle play as Kwon went full speed and lifted over a Farrington defender on the left side of the paint. Reyes’ block was redemption; he drew a technical foul earlier in the fourth quarter that allowed McKinley to take a 39-38 lead.

The Tigers gained momentum and went up 48-42 after Ironside scored seven points in a row.

Farrington rallied, using fullcourt pressure to rattle the Tigers. Ironside fouled out with 1:39 left after fouling Jeffery Madarang, who hit two foul shots to give the Govs a 49-48 lead.

Farrington, the higher seed, was considered the home team for the game.

"We got lucky," Govs coach Allan Silva said. "We played hard and when we were down, we fought back."

No. 10 Radford 47, Kaimuki 43

T.J. Reid had 12 points, five rebounds and five assists as the Rams nailed down the OIA’s fifth seed in the state tournament with a victory over the Bulldogs.

Nashon George added nine points and seven rebounds for Radford. Tevin Nishiyama had a game-high 20 points, sinking four 3-pointers.

Both teams struggled from the free-throw line, Kaimuki hitting only 11 of 25, including four of 10 in the fourth quarter. Radford was 10-for-25 from the line, 7-for-13 in the fourth.

Moanalua 75, Roosevelt 44

Senior guard Wesley Armbrust hit four 3-pointers and scored 32 points as Na Menehune dominated the host Rough Riders.

Dexter Williams added 18 for Moanalua. Kaipo Pale had a team-high 23 points for Roosevelt, which already had sewn up the No. 4 OIA seed in the state tournament.

OIA WHITE PLAYOFFS
Kalaheo 45, Waipahu 28

Joshua Ko scored 11 points and Quincy Mason added 10 as the Mustangs defeated the Marauders in the Oahu Interscholastic Association White playoff semifinal.