It’s not always easy to come off the bench. Especially as a senior.

But Honokaa coach Daphne Honma saw the value in having guard Shemika Frazier in that role. Not just playing the part but embracing it.

"I told her to look at James Harden and how valuable he was as the sixth man for OKC," Honma said, referencing the former Oklahoma City NBA player. "It took a while for her to understand, but she did."

It definitely showed Friday night as top-seeded Honokaa blew past No. 4 Molokai 54-21 in a Hawaiian Airlines/HHSAA Girls Basketball State Championship Division II semifinal at Kaimuki High Gym.

Frazier had a game-high 15 points with five steals in helping the Dragons (15-3) earn their second consecutive title game.

Honokaa will see a familiar foe the second straight year as well in BIIF rival Kamehameha-Hawaii. The two-time defending state champion Warriors (14-8) used an 18-8 third quarter and stellar free-throw shooting down the stretch to pull away from second-seeded Hawaii Baptist, 55-44.

Honokaa and Kamehameha-Hawaii meet at 7 tonight at Blaisdell Arena. The Dragons are 3-0 against the Warriors this season.

The Eagles (13-4), in their first final-four appearance, take on the Farmers (4-2) in the third-place game at 1 p.m.

The Dragons used quickness and patience in running away from the Farmers, finishing with 18 steals. Junior guard Shayla Ignacio added 13 points, including two 3-pointers, and Honokaa was perfect from the line (6-for-6).

"I think there was a  little rust Thursday, some jitters," Honma said of the 61-49 quarterfinal win over Kalani. "But they understand what they’re here for.

"Our goal was not to just run — we wanted to work on our halfcourt game, do what gave us the best shot at scoring."

Honokaa opened with a patient perimeter offense, moving the ball efficiently around the 3-point arc against Molokai’s sagging zone. The Dragons jumped out to a 9-0 lead some three minutes before the Farmers closed to 9-3.

Then it was all but over as Honokaa closed out the quarter on an 11-0 run, with Frazier hitting a 3-pointer and scoring a fast-break lay-up within a 23-second span.

Frazier opened the second quarter in a similar fashion, with two baskets in the opening 38 seconds. Honokaa, enjoying a 32-10 halftime lead, expanded it to 37-12 in the opening minutes of the third as Ignacio hit a jumper and a 3-pointer.

Frazier again scored to open the fourth and Ignacio added her last trey to make it 48-16. Molokai didn’t score again until after Honma pulled her starters with 5:17 left, scoring all five of its points in the final 3:23.

Sophomore guard Hepuakea Falealii and senior forward Ilana Meyer led the Farmers with five points each.

"Honokaa is a very good team," Molokai coach Lee DeRouin said. "They really beat us in transition, got a lot of points off turnovers.

"You can tell they play year-round and that’s the kind of program we need to build on Molokai.

MOLOKAI–Taylor Keliihoomalu 0, Tiara English 4, Hepuakea Falealii 5, Ilana Meyer 5, Lehiwa Pedro 3, Precious Rawlins 0, Jamaica Bumatay 0, Tier Bishaw Marquez 0, Kristine Aquino 0, Kori-Lee Derouin 2, Rebecka Adolpho 2, Edel Mae Alvarez 0, Kelcyn Balbas 0.

HONOKAA–Kalya Requelman 0, Hunter Liftee 6, Shayla Ignacio 13, Chancis Fernandez 4, Eliyah Fernandez 2, Jaycie Carvalho 0, Maluhia Awai 0, Kieran Gillins 0, Apreal Ansagay 2, Sereena Bird 8, Jasmine Castro 2, Shemika Frazier 15, Taylor Souza 0, Markell Marquez 2.

3-point goals–Molokai none. Honokaa 4 (Ignacio 3, Frazier).

Kamehameha-Hawaii 55, Hawaii Baptist 44

Honokaa coach Daphne Honma said she didn’t care who her team would play in the final, "although maybe HBA since we see Kamehameha so much."

It didn’t happen, thanks in part to Kamehameha-Hawaii’s 9-for-10 free-throw shooting in the final 2:22. Senior Casey Poe finished with a team-high 20 points and junior Raina Arima 16 points and 11 rebounds. Makamae Gabriel added 13 points.

Asked which team would have more pressure going into today’s championship, Warriors coach Garrett Arima said it might be Honokaa.

"They’re 3-0 against us and they’re playing with a lot of confidence," Arima said. "We’re glad to be there. We finally made adjustments on HBA’s perimeter shooters and we started playing our inside game."

The Warriors also took advantage of the huge disparity in fouls and ensuing free throws. KSH, called for eight fouls, was 19-for-36 from the line; HBA, whistled for 23, was 5-for-10.

Junior guard Riley Wada led the Eagles with 21 points, including two 3-pointers. Sophomore guard Stephanie Dang added 10 but missed all three of her 3-point attempts.

HBA, which had relied on its outside shooting to gain its first state semifinal, was 5-for-16 from 3-point range. KSH finished 0-for-3.

The Eagles saw their 19-18 halftime lead disappear in the opening minutes of the third when the Warriors went on a 7-0 run to take control.

After KSH extended the margin to 44-35, Riana Arima, the coach’s daughter, began an extended stint at the foul line. She hit her first five, missing her sixth, and put the Warriors up 49-41.

The Eagles kept the pro-HBA crowd in it by hitting a couple of 3-pointers, the last by Dang with 30 seconds left. But it proved too little, too late.

KAMEHAMEHA-HAWAII–Casey Poe 20, Kiera Kua-Ramirez 0, Caitlin Poe 6, Riana Arima 16, Makamae Gabriel 13, Tiana Ramelb 0.

HAWAII BAPTIST–Stephanie Dang 10, Sara Utsugi 0, Rylie Wada 21, Kaily Lum 0, Jenee Brown 4, Kiara Chun 0, Jennifer Gonsalves 0, Ashley Benn 2, Elise Vasper 0, Keisha Ching 0, Dominique Hart 7.

3-point goals–Kamehameha-Hawaii none. Hawaii Baptist 5 (Dang 2, Wada 2, Brown).

FIFTH-PLACE SEMIFINALS

Kalani 68, kapaa 45

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Farrington 77, Castle 48

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SEVENTH PLACE

University 54, Le Jardin 42

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