Six-foot-7 forward Gabriel Vega of ‘Iolani has one large advantage over everyone else late in games.

He’s still 6-foot-7.

Vega took advantage of a worn-down Kaimuki team in the fourth quarter, scoring nine of his 18 points during a 4-minute span late in a 58-40 victory over the Bulldogs on Saturday in the opening round of the ‘Iolani Classic.

Tai Boyd’s 3-pointer gave Kaimuki a 38-35 lead early in the fourth when Vega got things rolling.

The senior, who will attend Stanford next year on a volleyball scholarship, converted two three-point plays and had nine points during a 23-2 run that helped the Raiders end the game.

"It’s good to have games like this where we come out and are challenged," said Vega, who added eight rebounds. "I’m glad we were able to play well in the fourth quarter, but ultimately we have a lot of work to do to get better."

Six-foot-3 Duke Pauli was the only other Raider in double figures with 10 points and six rebounds, but the pesky Bulldogs offset ‘Iolani’s height advantage with solid guard play.

Boyd finished with a team-high 16 points and Dio Taulung hit three 3-pointers for the Bulldogs, who went on a 7-0 run in the second half to take a three-point lead in the fourth quarter.

‘Iolani ramped up its defensive pressure, forcing Kaimuki into a few bad shots and turnovers that were the difference in the game.

"We just made a lot of mistakes," first-year Bulldogs coach Brandon Young said. "It’s preseason and we still are going through the process of the whole team aspect, but we’re getting there."

His team came out the aggressor early, leading by as many as six in a sloppy first quarter by the Raiders.

‘Iolani committed eight of its 17 turnovers in the first quarter and trailed by as many as nine in the first half.

Siaosi Halaapiapi, Kaimuki’s tallest player at 6-2, scored on a layup to give Kaimuki a 21-12 lead with 5 minutes remaining in the second quarter.

Drew Uchiyama answered with a 3-pointer for the Raiders and ‘Iolani closed on an 11-2 run to tie the game at 23-all heading into the break.

"Our defensive intensity picked up," Raiders coach Dean Shimamoto said. "Over the years that we’ve been really successful, it’s been our defense that has carried us and that’s what started (things) for us."

The lead changed hands five times in the third quarter, with ‘Iolani taking a four-point lead on consecutive baskets by Pauli.

Halaapiapi scored his third bucket just before the quarter ended and Boyd’s five points put Kaimuki up 38-35 before Vega and ‘Iolani took over.

"(Vega) gets more aggressive as the game goes on," Shimamoto said. "You see him grabbing more offensive boards, you see him getting in the lane more and yeah, I’d rather finish strong than start strong."

The win allows ‘Iolani to move into the winner’s bracket of the tournament, which resumes Monday after taking today off.

The Raiders will play Montrose Christian, ranked No. 4 in ESPN’s Fab 50, Monday night at 8.

"To play these nationally ranked teams gives you season-long lessons that we can reference as we hopefully go into the postseason," Shimamoto said. "It’s also good to test where we’re at because you can’t mimic what these teams bring in practice."