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The last time they met, the young Kaiser Cougars had a little surprise for the Farrington Governors.
This time, the Govs brought a championship performance, going on an 18-6 run in the fourth quarter for a 56-43 win over the Cougars to capture the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II crown. The title is Governors’ first since 2015, when they won the D-I championship.
Senior Raefe McEnroe had 18 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two blocks for the Govs. Aeman Kurt Castro scored eight of his 10 points in the first half and Aaron Bagaoisan scored six crucial points during the key fourth-quarter run. Point guard Felcris Ahadain finished with eight points and four assists.
“We got revenge on a team that ended our streak and we won in dominating fashion,” said McEnroe, a 6-foot-3 senior, referring to a midseason seven-win run that ended on Kaiser’s home court.
A robust crowd at McKinley Student Council Gymnasium saw Farrington (15-9) earn the league’s seeded berth for the upcoming Snapple/HHSAA Division II State Championship. Both teams had already earned the OIA’s two berths into the D-II state tourney.
Farrington used some fullcourt pressure, but relied mainly on a 2-3 matchup zone. Kaiser shot 4-for-25 from 3-point range — 16-for-55 overall — and was limited to nine offensive boards. Farrington won that battle overall with a 33-26 edge on the glass.
The Governors shot 46 percent from the field (22-for-48), including an economical 6-for-10 from 3-point range.
When the teams met on Jan. 23, Farrington was on a hot streak with seven consecutive wins to open OIA East play, including wins over ranked foes Moanalua, Kalaheo, Kahuku and Kailua.
“In the second half, we told the guys we have to box out and get defensive rebounds,” Govs coach Steven Leopoldo said. “We made our adjustments at the half and they did what we asked, just like they’ve done since day one. It wasn’t easy especially against a team we lost to.”
It was a hearty effort by the Govs with their head coach back on the bench after missing several games as the school investigated a complaint made by a parent. The Govs were composed, aggressive and ready.
“We grew a lot. Coach Steven came back and lifted our spirits,” McEnroe said.
The game was just about dead even for three quarters. The Governors opened their biggest lead since the opening quarter, 39-33, on a straightaway 3 by McEnroe, and the run was on. Pono Roberts powered inside for a bucket, extending the lead to 45-37 with 2:39 left. After Bagaoisan hustled for a long pass from Ahadain for a layup, it was a 10-point game. Bagaoisan tipped in a miss by Roberts, and it was 49-37.
After Johnson Baptista hit a corner 3 and McEnroe hit the offensive glass for a putback on his own miss, Farrington had a commanding 54-39 lead with less than 2 minutes remaining.
Mario Drummer, a sophomore, led Kaiser (19-14 overall) with 14 points. Guard Kenji Toyama added eight points. Luke Stevens had three points and 11 boards.
AT MCKINLEY
Kaiser (19-14) 10 11 12 10 — 43
Farrington (15-9) 11 10 15 20 — 56
Kaiser: Koa Tom 2, Nicodemus Garcia 2, Dre Falls 5, Luke Stevens 3, Kenji Toyama 8, Mario Drummer 14, Hunter Dias 9.
Farrington: Johnsen Baptista 3, Felcris Ahadain 8, Modesto Bagaoisan 8, John Domingo 2, Aeman Kurt Castro 10, Raefe McEnroe 18, Pono Roberts 5, Christian Havea 2.
3-point goals: Kaiser 5 (Drummer 2, Toyama, Dias), Farrington 6 (Ahadain 2, McEnroe 2, Baptista, Castro).
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