Thirteen years is a long time to wait for just about anything, but Elroy Dumlao is just thankful.

The Leilehua coach basked in the glow of another victory after No. 9 Leilehua escaped with a 57-51 win on Saturday night against Kaimuki. The win — the Mules’ 12th in a row — at Waipahu High School gym vaulted Leilehua (22-3) into the OIA Red Conference final.

The Mules had already qualified for the state tourney on Wednesday with a quarterfinal win over Kahuku, but now they are in position to win their first league crown in girls basketball.

"It was a long winter; 13 years ago was the last time we went to states," Dumlao said. "I’m just proud of the girls. They did all the offseason training, traveled to Las Vegas to compete, played in leagues. Under the spotlight now, they were prepared for it."

The Mules will meet rival Mililani on Thursday for the title at Waipahu’s gym.

Leilehua’s balanced attack did in the spunky Bulldogs. Senior Carissa McBride, a 6-foot-1 post, created havoc inside and out with her shooting (8-for-11) in the post and some deft passing. She finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists, dishing often to Jerrilyn Maluyo, a sophomore who sank four treys in the first half to help Leilehua take a 24-12 lead midway through the second quarter.

"We have that chemistry," said Maluyo, who finished with 11 points. "I was surprised a little. I had a bad warm-up, just horrible."

Elyshia Bowden hustled for eight points, a team-high 10 rebounds and two blocks as the Mules had a 31-24 edge on the glass. Guard Tiffany Reyher added seven points and six assists.

Princess Lauvao scored 24 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and had two steals to lead Kaimuki (8-6 OIA). Point guard Canny Aikau had nine points, six assists and five boards, and Ally Pologa finished with 10 points.

Leilehua’s 1-2-2 zone kept Kaimuki off target from the arc. The Bulldogs were 5-for-26 from deep.

Coach Mona Fa‘asoa kept her Bulldogs in a half-court zone, saving their legs for the second half. The tactic worked. With a full-court press swarming the Mules, they committed eight of their 21 turnovers in the third quarter.

Aikau found Valerie Wilson for a layup as the Bulldogs pulled within 37-35 before the end of the third quarter. Kaimuki tied it on a putback by Lauvao to start the fourth quarter, capping a 15-4 run. After a low-post bucket by Bowden, Wilson scored again on a feed from Aikau to tie it at 39 with 6:56 left.

That was as far as Kaimuki got.

The Mules scored the next six points, including a baseline jumper by Reyher off a miraculous leaping save of a loose ball beyond the baseline by Bowden, and the Bulldogs never recovered.

Kaimuki’s four-game win streak came to an end. After finishing fourth in the OIA East during the regular season, the Bulldogs (8-5) knocked out Kapolei and then upset Roosevelt in the quarterfinals. Their Cinderella run isn’t done just yet. The win over Roosevelt qualified Kaimuki for the state tourney, though the Bulldogs took the loss hard.

"It’s disappointing. We worked so hard," Aikau said, looking ahead to the third-place game against Waianae on Wednesday at the ‘Dogs’ gym.

At Waipahu

KAIMUKI—Nikki Vongprachanh 2, Valerie Wilson 6, Canny Aikau 9, Seplynn Aikau 0, Ally Pologa 10, Julia Soares 0, Alexa Miller 0, Princess Lauvao 24.

LEILEHUA—Krizzle Calip 4, Jerrilyn Maluyo 14, Carissa McBride 18, Briana Crawley 4, Tiffany Reyher 7, Elyshia Bowden 8, Tyanna Abbott 0, Azah Quach 2.

3-point goals—Kaimuki 5 (Lauvao 3, Paloga 2), Leilehua 5 (Maluyo 4, Reyher).

No. 3 Mililani 76, Waianae 39

Kira Arruda, a 5-foot-10 senior, poured in 29 points, and Nayla Long had 18 for the Trojans (16-1 overall), who are in the league final for the first time that coach Patrick Basilio can remember in his 13 years as a JV, then varsity coach.

"They just get it, this bunch. These seniors, their mind-set coming out to start the season. We ran them more than ever before in the offseason and preseason," Basilio said.

Waianae (8-5 overall) had already clinched a state-tourney berth. Raywyne Atiga led the Seariders with 14 points.

At Waipahu

WAIANAE—Lokelani Keli‘i 0, Cayshia Alapai 1, Ku‘ulei Bailey 0, Alavoni Tukunga 2, Raegina Atiga 8, Berlin Johnson 10, Leilani Atuatasi 1, Jayrusha Martin 1, Makanamakai Kealoha 2, Raywyne Atiga 14.

MILILANI—Jerika Dacuycuy 0, Kaylee Torres 8, Megan Madeira 0, Reiko Naniole 3, Kapili Amamalin 8, Alex Ancheta 0, Jamie Yuki 2, Mikaela Limper 2, Kira Arruda 29, Zyriana Davies 1, Mika Gallardo 2, Summer Bolibol 3, Nayla Long 18, Shantell Appleby 0.

3-point goals—Waianae none. Mililani 5 (Arruda 4, Torres).