In nearly five decades of high school girls basketball, the Kailua Surfriders had never reached the promised land.

On Wednesday, a child led them there. Freshman Myah Galdeira scored 12 points as Kailua outlasted Kalaheo, 31-24, to capture the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II girls basketball championship.

Kailua’s first league title in roundball came with a youth brigade.

“I’m glad that we got the opportunity to experience this. I’m really glad it happened with us here,” said Galdeira, who started playing hoops with twin sister Miyah at age 4 in Waimanalo.

Miyah Galdeira had seven points and seven rebounds, and Saige Martinez tallied eight points. Laia Ribas had a team-high 11 rebounds for the Surfriders, who will enter the state tourney with a 7-6 overall record.

“I am honestly relieved. Going into this game, it’s easy to get comfortable with where we were in the regular season, but that 2013 game was on my mind this whole time,” Kailua coach Mandy Llamedo said, referring to a 59-51 loss to Kalaheo in the title game that year. “To have second chance at it, the privilege of working with these girls, it’s been an honor. They’re really fun, really energetic.”

Tyra Arends hustled for 11 points and 12 rebounds to spark Kalaheo (7-7 overall). Jaelyn Jackson worked the boards hard and finished with six points and 13 caroms.

“We work hard at practice. We’ve come a long way,” Myah Galdeira said. “Our communication on and off the court, now we know how each other plays.”

Kalaheo lost at home to Kailua, 46-27, back on Jan. 25. The Lady Mustangs led 8-6 at the end of the first quarter, but Myah Galdeira began to warm up in the second. Kailua led 17-12 at intermission.

Kalaheo managed to tie the game at 17, and then at 19 on a post basket by Arends.

Kailua then went on a pivotal 8-0 run. Miyah Galdeira hit her lone 3-pointer from the left wing and Myah Galdeira drove for a bucket to open the fourth quarter. After Myah Galdeira hit one of two free throws with 5:16 remaining, the Surfriders had their biggest lead, 27-19.

Kalaheo made a final push, scoring on a layup by Jackson out of a timeout. After Arends hustled to bank in a 10-footer, the Mustangs were within 27-23 with 2:21 left.

However, Jackson fouled out while applying fullcourt pressure moments later. Kailua got a layup by Ribas to stretch the lead to 29-23 with 1:20 remaining.

Arends hustled for an offensive board and was fouled, making one of her two foul shots with 1:05 to go, but that was the last of Kalaheo’s points.

Myah Galdeira added a breakaway layup just before the final buzzer for the final margin of victory.

Kalaheo was seeking its seventh OIA title. The Mustangs won two championships under Lee Cashman in 1977 and ’78, then five in a row under Chico Furtado (1998-2002). With Neil Bowers as coach, Kalaheo won a D-II league title in ’13.