Kalaheo’s 3-point shooting performance in the first half of Thursday’s state tournament game was impressive.
The Mustangs’ effort on the defensive end was even more remarkable.
Kalaheo held Mililani to seven points in the first half and hit eight 3-pointers in a 56-32 win over the Trojans in the quarterfinals of the Hawaiian Airlines/HHSAA Division I Boys Basketball Championship at Moanalua.
Mustangs guard Josh Ko drained three 3-pointers in the first half and led Kalaheo with 14 points, while Derick Morgan contributed 13 and five Mustangs hit shots from 3-point range.
Defensively, the Mustangs limited Mililani to one field goal in the first half, a night after the Trojans scored 51 before halftime en route to an 84-68 opening-round victory over Kamehameha-Hawaii.
"That’s what we emphasized going in," Kalaheo coach Alika Smith said. "A team that scores 80-something points can put the ball in the basket. So that was our main focus and everything else fell into place."
The Mustangs got enough of their long-range shots to fall to open a 30-7 halftime lead and moved on to face Punahou in a semifinal game at 5 p.m. today at Blaisdell Arena.
The matchup will feature both of last year’s state champions. Punahou is the reigning Division I champion, while Kalaheo won the Division II title a year ago.
"Same preparation, same mind-set," Smith said of playing in the Division I tournament this season. "You’ve got four of your better teams that have been there all year and it makes for an exciting semifinals."
The Mustangs had a bye in the first round and watched Mililani’s win over Kamehameha-Hawaii on Wednesday. They limited the Trojans’ opportunities in transition and broke away in the second quarter when they hit four 3-pointers.
Kalaheo didn’t allow a Mililani bucket until the 2-minute mark of the first quarter, and Ko stretched the lead early in the second quarter when he drained a 3-pointer while getting fouled. After completing the four-point play, he added another 3-pointer moments later and Shem Sukumaran also connected from long range to give the Mustangs a 21-4 lead.
"We pretty much live and die by the 3s," Ko said. "It’s just fun when it’s going in, but not so fun when it’s not. It was fun tonight."
Mililani was led by Peter Bueno’s 10 points; Riley Borges added nine. The Trojans face King Kekaulike at 3 p.m. today in the fifth-place bracket.
At Moanalua
MILILANI (11-5) 4 3 14 11 — 32
KALAHEO (15-0) 11 19 10 16 — 56
MILILANI—Chedan Pascual 0, Jeremy Rozmeski 0, Jason Calabrese 2, Sylvester Panoncillo 3, Peter Bueno 10, Cody Sison 2, Elijah Gambol 3, Ian Namu 0, Riley Borges 9, Noel Bueno 3, Sean Fitzgerald 0.
KALAHEO—Joshua Ko 14, Shemuel Sukumaran 7, Alexander Macleod 2, Kalei Zuttermeister 9, Kurt Vegas 0, Robert Medeiros‐Green 2, Derick Morgan 13, Silila Tucker 3, Kenneth McFadden 4, Kupaaikalani Harrison 2, Anthony Rowan 0, Michael Leong 0, Elija Eriksson 0, Kekai Smith 0, Kawehe Kohatsu 0.
3-point goals—Mililani 2 (Gambol, P. Bueno). Kalaheo 8 (Ko 3, Zuttermeister 2, Morgan 1, Tucker 1, Sukumaran 1).
DIVISION I CONSOLATION
Farrington 57, Kamehameha-Hawaii 56
At Moanalua
Farrington (11-6) 14 6 23 14 — 57
KS-Hawaii (10-7) 16 19 5 16 — 56
FARRINGTON—Jacob McEnroe 13, Mark Duldulao 0, Isaiah Smith 11, Van Hugo 0, Marco Rey Cudia 6, Lee Jensen Mahiai 0, Tyler Liana 8, David Luafatasaga 5, Eirene Tua 0, Mason Semisi 14.
KAMEHAMEHA-HAWAII—Kekaulike Alameda 0, Shaun Kagawa 11, Micah Carter 2, Micah Kanehailua 0, Bayley‐Allen Manliguis 8, Faaolaina Teofilo 0, Ilikai Calip 12, Pukana Vincent 4, Blaine‐Allen Manliguis 15, Hanale Lee Loy 4, Arden Costales 0.
3-point goals—Farrington 1 (McEnroe). Kamehameha-Hawaii 4 (Calip 2, Blaine-Allen Manliguis 2).
