Dominique Mose-Smith scored five of his 15 points in overtime as Farrington outlasted Kalani, 68-55, to capture the OIA Division II boys basketball championship on Wednesday night.
Mose-Smith scored Farrington’s first five points during an 11-0 blitz to begin OT. The 6-foot-4 senior finished with 15 rebounds and blocked three shots. He had just three points by halftime after picking up early fouls and sitting major minutes. The Governors rallied from a 26-10 halftime deficit on a steamy, sultry night in James Alegre Gymnasium.
“Our coaching staff told me to get big. If I didn’t do that for my team, we would’ve been down the whole game,” said Mose-Smith, who shot 7-for-9 from the free-throw line. “My point guard did good. He dished the ball and got me points. He got me layups. I feel accomplished. All this work I put in has come into place.”
Gerald Gallardo led the Governors with 17 points and Everest Rodriguez tallied 13, including 9-for-12 at the foul line. Chansen Smith, a recent call-up from the JV squad, added 11 points.
Josh Schutter led Kalani (9-10 overall) with 16 points on 3-for-19 shooting from the field. Cole Hata added 13 and Joaquin Manaligod added 11. Kai Bogle-Dupuis chipped in six points and nine boards.
“The thing that’s been killing us all year is what we do out of halftime,” Kalani coach Jaron Yamaguchi said. “We had a 16-point lead, not taking care of the ball, rushing some shots that we didn’t really need to take. Congrats to Farrington. They played a heck of a game.”
The Governors (5-10 overall) could draw a first-round bye in the Heide & Cook/HHSAA D-II State Championships, which tips off on Monday. Kalani will begin play on Monday as the OIA’s second representative.
When the teams met during the regular season on Dec. 28, Kalani edged Farrington, 39-38.
“It’s a different environment, a championship game, and you know, kids from Kalihi, they don’t get into these kinds of situations,” Farrington coach Steven Leopoldo said. “I told them at halftime, bite down and take it one possession at a time.”
The Governors stayed close and got within 40-39 on a straightaway 3 from Kama Tisaloha Perez with 1:54 remaining. After Mose-Smith scored on the low post, Farrington led 41-40 with 43 seconds left.
Schutter sank two foul shots to boost Kalani back ahead, 42-41 with 28.4 seconds left, but Govs center Dominique Mose-Smith returned the favor, swishing two charity shots with 12.9 seconds to go.
Both teams had opportunities to win the game in the final minute of regulation. Down 43-42, Manaligod went to the foul line with 4.6 seconds left, missed the first and made the second shot to tie the game.
Farrington inbounded immediately after Manaligod’s free throw. Rodriguez’s 30-foot prayer at the buzzer did not draw iron, and the game went into overtime.
Mose-Smith scored inside on a three-point play, and on the next possession sank two foul shots to open Farrington’s lead to 48-43.
Rodriquez hit two free throws, and after Smith took an offensive foul, Mose-Smith scored on another layup for a seven-point lead.
Angel Blaze Ped’s layup gave the Govs a 54-45 lead, and the Falcons never got closer. The lead grew to 66-51.
The Falcons handled Farrington’s relentless fullcourt press for three quarters, but wore down in the fourth.
“I’m so proud of our boys tonight. We have to work on some technical things and I have to do a better job coaching,” Yamaguchi said. “A lot of rookie coaching mistakes tonight. The responsibility falls more on me than them.”
It is the seventh boys hoops league title in Farrington history, the third in D-II. Kalani won OIA D-II crowns in 2017 and ’18.
