Keala Quinlan scored 15 points and No. 2 Roosevelt turned on the defensive pressure in a pivotal third quarter to outlast Radford 46-35 to capture the OIA Division I girls basketball championship on Thursday night. 

A boisterous crowd of about 800 watched at McKinley Student Council Gymnasium. 

"This was special for us, coming back this year with our core," Rough Riders coach Hinano Higa said. "Radford came out banging from the opening tip. It wasn’t an easy game." 

Senior guard Starr Rivera added 11 points, as did junior Ashley Kiko. Sharice Kawakami added seven points and two big 3-pointers in the third quarter. 

Quinlan, a 6-foot-1 junior, added five rebounds and three blocked shots. She’s been a big part of Roosevelt’s consistent, second-half bursts. 

"I guess in the first half, we see how the other teams play, and then we adjust. Tonight, we pinched in on the bigs in the second half," Quinlan said of the help defense from her guards.

Roosevelt (14-0) overcame the heroic effort of center Jasmine Moody, who scored 19 points and hauled in 13 rebounds for Radford (11-3). 

"We went up against their 6-2 and 6-3 girls with our 5-4 girls," Higa said, drenched from a post-game dousing by her players. 

"I’ll get them tomorrow," she said. "We’ve got three days of practice (before the state tournament). 

Roosevelt won a lot of games this season with Speed Racer, fast-and-furious basketball. 

They won the title with sheer effort and tough defense.  Rivera hit a runner in the paint over the outstretched arms of Moody as the buzzer sounded, giving Roosevelt a 20-18 lead entering halftime. 

Then Kawakami swished a trey from the left wing to start the second half, and Kiko drove on the fastbreak for another bucket to give the Rough Riders a 25-18 lead. 

Radford got 3-pointers from Tanisha Elbourne and Puni Seei to get within two points, but Roosevelt went on a 10-4 run. Kawakami sank a corner 3, Rivera sank a 10-foot runner and Quinlan stepped out of the post to rain in a corner 3. After Kaohi Kapiko blocked a shot by Moody and raced upcourt to score on a tough bank runner, Roosevelt led 35-27 late in the quarter. 

Radford got no closer than eight the rest of the way. Roosevelt shot 7-for-12 from the foul line in the final quarter. 

"I’m extremely proud of our team. It’s not about how Radford started the season, but how they finish," Rams coach Charles Chong said. "When we play under control and play our game, we can play with the best teams in the state. Even though we lost, I think they have more confidence." 

Radford got seven points from Elbourne and six rebounds from Kennedy Johnson. 

"We tried to disrupt what Roosevelt does, and we held them to 20 points in the first half," Chong noted. "Not a lot of teams have done that. Jasmine is showing leadership. Our forwards have come a long way." 

Radford shot 11-for-24 from the charity stripe. Roosevelt was 7-for-11. 

RADFORD–Brigina Terry 0, Puni Seei 3, Tanisha Elbourne 7, Michelle Vasquez 1, Sofia Harris 2, Jazmyn Peralta 3, Jasmine Moody 19, Kennedy Johnson 0, Shaelie Burgess 0, Cassidy Wright 0. 

ROOSEVELT–Sharice Kawakami 7, Kaonohi Quinlan 0, Starr Rivera 11, Kaohi Kapiko 2, Ashley Kiko 11, Keala Quinlan 15, Alliya Gabriel 0. 

3-point goals–Radford 2 (Elbourne, Peralta), Roosevelt 5 (Kawakami 2, Quinlan 2, Rivera). 

oia division I third place

Nanakuli 42, Kailua 41

The Surfriders rallied back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter but fell short by one point in its loss to the Golden Hawks.

Tianna Hanohano finished with 12 points to help Nanakuli secure third place in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I playoffs.

Patria Vaimaona had 20 points to lead Kailua.

KAILUA–Delcie Williams 9, Puanani Dela Cruz 1, Kainani Peters 0, Nyla Salas-Baker 3, Tara Takata 6, Kailee De Soto 0, Christine Antonio 0, Tiani Lastimosa 2,  Patria Vaimaona 20. 

NANAKULI–Alana Nuuanu 5, Angelica Chun Fook 2, Jade Marfil 9, Jahnna Kahele-Madali 0, Ciera O’Brien 10, Tianna Hanohano 12, Cruzita Enos 2, Nanea Ewaliko-Kauhane 0, Trisdyn Kalaau 0, Raynette Meyers-Kahalehoe 2.

3-point goals–Kailua 1 (Takata). Nanakuli 1 (Nuuanu).

OIA DIVISION I FIFTH PLACE

Leilehua 39, Mililani 32

Jerri Maluyo scored 15 points to lift the Mules past the Trojans and to finish fifth in the OIA Division I playoffs.

LEILEHUA–Jerri Maluyo 15, Keahi-Lele Roy 7, Regina Manumu’a 0, Tywanna Abbott 12, Saramansina Docktor 2, Nora Fenton 0, Jazmina Lafitaga 3.

MILILANI–Marisa Matsuo 0, Hope Carter 4, Kayla Torres 8, Taysia Canon 0, Megan Shimabukuro 3, Jamie Yuki 7, Taylor Walker 0, Summer Bolibol 8, Velisa Meleisea 2. 

3-point goals–Leilehua 2 (Maluyo 2). Mililani 4 (Yuki 2, Shimabukuro, Torres).