Ashley Savusa had 27 points and nine rebounds as No. 7 Kaimuki topped No. 6 Pearl City 60-47 Thursday night at James Alegre Gymnasium, forcing a winner-take-all battle for the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red Conference crown.

Keana Paez added 15 points and eight boards, and Canny Aikau had nine points, including six in the final quarter to seal the victory.

The teams will meet for the title at 5 p.m. Saturday at Farrington’s Richard Kitamura Memorial Fieldhouse.

Kaimuki (21-5, 16-1 OIA) entered the game with one loss — to Pearl City — in the double-elimination tournament.

“The loss (to Pearl City) made us more determined. They outhustled us last time,” said guard Dejah Fa‘asoa, who had six points, six rebounds and four assists.

“The last time, we stood around and played lazy basketball,” coach Mona Fa‘asoa said, noting that her team double-teamed Pearl City shooters on the wing — a no-no that left other shooters wide open.

“We’re going to practice hard tomorrow,” she said.

Adrienne Jean Sylva had 14 points to pace Pearl City. Sabrina Angle had 10, as did Dani Magana, who also grabbed nine boards.

The last time Pearl City lost, at midseason to Mililani, the team recovered and improved.

“We’ve got to play more aggressively from the start,” coach Mike Morton said. “This was a big game. Our girls weren’t used to TV and this kind of crowd. Kaimuki’s used to it.”

Thursday night, the Bulldogs raced to a quick 8-0 lead, then extended it to 22-6 with a flurry of fastbreak baskets and hot shooting.

The Bulldogs shot 70 percent from the field (23-for-33), but committed 22 turnovers against the resilient Chargers.

By the time Pearl City (17-5, 12-2 OIA) settled down and matched Kaimuki’s intensity level, the Bulldogs spread the floor and point guard Aikau worked her magic. The 5-foot-4 junior used the wide lanes to her advantage, directing the attack against Pearl City’s tight man defense.

“It just happens,” Aikau said of the chemistry. “We practiced hard and we were ready.”

“Everyone’s cutting and the backdoor’s all open,” coach Fa‘asoa said. “We constantly cut to the basket today.”

The Chargers, who were unbeaten in the tourney until Thursday night, got hot in the second quarter, draining four treys, and still couldn’t get close. Kaimuki hit all three of its 3-point tries in the second quarter to take a 30-20 lead into intermission.

It took a fullcourt press and quick buckets by Magana and Tiari Walker to get within 38-31 late in the third quarter.

Kaimuki, which had six third-quarter turnovers, responded right there. Dejah Fa‘asoa scored in the post on a pass from Savusa, and then fed Savusa for a layup as Kaimuki pushed its lead to 44-31.

Despite 10 giveaways by the Bulldogs in the final quarter, Pearl City got no closer than 10 points. Savusa suffered a leg cramp in the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs were efficient, shooting 7-for-8 from the field. Krysta Yasui provided a spark with a steal and two assists to stave off the Chargers.

The Bulldogs’ spread offense was a key tactical move.

In the loss to Pearl City more than a week ago, the Chargers clogged the lane with help-side defenders and Kaimuki settled for long-range bombs. This time, Aikau found her teammates in the flow with backdoor cuts for easy layups.

Pearl City shot 28 percent against Kaimuki’s matchup zone (15-for-53) and committed 15 turnovers. The Chargers were 6-for-23 from 3-point range. Shawna Angle had five of her team’s eight steals.