Kaiser 41, Kailua 35

Chance Kalaugher scored 18 points to spark the Cougars in a comeback win.

“We needed to change the tempo. The first half, we sat in a zone and we wanted to come out and push it a little bit,” Kaiser coach Branden Kawazoe said. “It’s a grind. We were never comfortable. We just wanted to win every possession.”

Kawazoe’s team will face his alma mater, Waiakea, in the quarterfinal round tonight.

Junior forward Christian Mejia led the Surfriders with 14 points and freshman guard Everett Torres-Kahapea added 11.

Kailua led 14-10 at intermission, but Kaiser’s Keoua Mahiko opened the second half with a 3-pointer. The Surfriders answered with inside buckets as the game more physical in the paint.

After Kailua’s 6-foot-4 jumping jack, Christian Mejia, was whistled for two quick fouls, he left with 4:03 left in the third quarter. Kailua led 18-14.

Kalaugher then hit a 15-foot bank shot on an inbounds pass, and after Michael Miske came up with a steal, Jalen Pinks swished a rainbow 3 from the corner to give Kaiser a 19-18 lead with four minutes left in the third.

After Kailua regained the lead, Mahiko came up with a steal and fed Kalaugher near midcourt, he passed to to Miske for a layup and a 21-20 lead.

After Kalaugher leaped for a rim-level rebound on another missed Kailua 3-point try, he was rewarded at the other end. Trailing the fastbreak, he caught and released a 3-point bomb from the top, and after Mahiko stole a pass and scored at the rim, Kaiser had a 26-20 lead with 1:14 to go in the third.

Pinks opened the fourth quarter with a corner 3 in transition to open the lead to 32-23. Mejia returned to the game after Kaiser had gone on an 18-5 run. He hit two foul shots and Zach Marrotte sank two more to bring the Surfriders within 32-27.

Freshman Everett Torres-Kahapea swished a mid-range jumper and a 23-foot trey from the top to cut the lead to 34-32.

Kamu Scheer muscled his way inside for a layup and a four-point lead with 2:12 left. Kalaugher made one of two foul shots with 1:35 to go for a 37-32 lead.

Kalaugher added another free throw for a six-point lead with 21.4 seconds remaining. Kailua got no closer than four the rest of the way.