Moanalua’s emphasis on hounding Kapolei’s shooters helped extend Na Menehune’s pursuit of an OIA championship.

Moanalua held Kapolei to 10 points in the first half, weathered the Hurricanes’ comeback attempt in the second and advanced to the OIA Red boys basketball championship game with a 44-31 win Wednesday at McKinley.

The victory gave Moanalua (12-1) a shot at a third OIA Red crown in the past four years in Saturday’s title game. Kapolei (11-1), which was seeking its first OIA title, will play for third place on Friday.

Moanalua held Kapolei to 3-for-25 shooting in the first half and edged out to an 8-7 lead after the first quarter and 17-10 going into halftime.

Na Menehune senior guards Ola Brown and Kahanu Pu‘ulei-Auld spurred a 9-1 run to open the third quarter that gave Moanalua command of the game.

“Offense is going to come by defense,” Brown said. “If we play good defense we get steals and good opportunities downcourt and easy baskets.

“They made a good run toward the fourth quarter and we just had to keep up our intensity.”

Kapolei trailed by as many as 15 in the third quarter before closing to within six behind the 3-point shooting of guard Curtis Tavares. But Moanalua held off the Hurricanes by making 10 of 17 free throws in the fourth quarter.

“Defensively in the first half we just did such a great job. They’re very potent offensively and we made their shots harder,” Moanalua head coach Greg Tacon said.

Brown led Moanalua with 12 points, and Pu‘ulei-Auld and center Eliet Donley finished with 11 each.

Brown attended Academy of the Pacific last year and helped Na Menehune reach the OIA final in his lone season at Moanalua by contributing five points to Moanalua’s pivotal spurt to open the third quarter. Brown scored in transition while drawing a foul and completed the three-point play, then drove for a layup to extend the lead to 24-10.

Tavares answered for Kapolei with his first 3-pointer with 5:12 left in the third quarter. He drained another at the end of the period and a third with 5:51 remaining in the fourth to cut the deficit to 33-27.

Moanalua then spread the floor, forcing the Hurricanes to chase and foul, and stretched the lead from the free-throw line while making just one field goal in the fourth quarter.

“They’ve got great shooters and that’s going to happen,” Tacon said of Kapolei’s rally. “We got a couple possessions off some good defensive rebounds and we managed the clock really well at the end. We put ourselves in a position where they had to come get us and foul us.”

Tavares led Kapolei with 12 points, but the Hurricanes struggled from the field and the free-throw line, where they went 9-for-27.

“Everything we tried to do (Moanalua) had a counter for it defensively,” Kapolei coach Gary Ellison said.

“We got back in there a little bit, but just couldn’t pull it out. … They hit their free throws and we didn’t. That made a huge difference in the game.”

At McKinley

Moanalua    8    9    15    12    —    44

Kapolei    7    3    14    7    —    31

MOANALUA—Jon-Michael Sharsh 0, Ola Brown 12, Reyn Okimoto 0, Kahanu Pu‘ulei-Auld 11, Alijohn Bumanglag 0, Jamaal Willis 0, Antoine Hines 6, Zack Pu‘ulei-Loi-On 0, Justin Hudcovic 4, Wyatt Nunes 0, Eliet Donley 11, Alaziar Torres 0, Jordan Williams 0, Austin Failauga 0.

KAPOLEI—Dorien Antonio-Martos 0, Curtis Tavares 12, Ka‘eo Soares 0, Joshua Wills 5, Christopher Dillard 7, Zachary Reeves 1, Mason Alfaro 2, Elijah Gipson 4, Michael Kapoi 0.

3-point goals—Moanalua none. Kapolei 4 (Tavares 3, Wills).

Kalaheo 55, Farrington 49

A year after winning the OIA White title, the Mustangs earned a shot at the OIA Red championship after holding off the Governors in the second game of Wednesday’s semifinal doubleheader.

Kalaheo forward Kalei Zuttermeister hit three 3-pointers on his way to a game-high 22 points and guard Silila Tucker came up with a key block in the final minute that helped the Mustangs advance to the title game against Moanalua.

“These kids were resilient,” Kalaheo coach Alika Smith said. “When we went down three points (in the third quarter) we put together a couple baskets and an and-one. That’s a tribute to how much these guys trust each other.”

Jacob McEnroe led Farrington with 13 points and Isaiah Smith added 12.

At McKinley
Farrington    10    13    17    9    —    49
Kalaheo         15     8    16    16  —    55

FARRINGTON—Jacob McEnroe 13, Mark Dudalao 0, Isaiah Smith 12, Van Hugo 5, Marco Cudia 4, Tyler Liana 10, David Luafatasago 5.
KALAHEO—Joshua Ko 10, Shem Sukumaran 6, Kalei Zuttermeister 22, Derick Morgan 11, Silila Tucker 6, Kupaa Harrison 0, Anthony Rowan 0.
3-point goals—Farrington 2 (Smith, Hugo). Kalaheo 3 (Zuttermeister 3, Tucker).

Pearl City 46, Campbell 30

Tyson Hickcox scored 14 points as the Chargers eliminated the Sabers and secured a state-tournament berth. Pearl City hosts Mililani in the fifth-place game on Friday.

At Pearl City
Campbell      7      6     5    12    —    30
Pearl City    11    16    6    13    —    46

CAMPBELL—Brannon Cody Bantolina 0, Jomar Jett Gapusan 0, Alex Layi 0, Joshua Michael Forte 2, Jayce Bantolina 8, Justin Tago-Sue 3, Gilbert Dayanan 6, Melvin Bergado 2, Juan-Paulo Felizardo 2, Solomon Leaeno 7, Abiel Tito 0.
PEARL CITY—Isaac Amorin 8, Eric Dela Pena 5, Garrett Kanamu 0, Reymart Rosario 4, Tyson Hickcox 14, Zach Kaya 2, Sonny Glisson 10, Daicorri Briscoe 3, Bricen Shaser 0, Shandy Reyes 0, Tylor Canon 0, Bryson Galderia 0, P.Jay Solomon 0.  
3-point goals—Campbell 1 (Leaeno). Pearl City 3 (Glisson 2, Amorin).

Mililani 63, Kahuku 56

Noel Bueno and Elijah Gambol each scored 14 points as the Trojans held off the Red Raiders.

Peter Bueno added 13 points, making six of eight free throws in the fourth quarter to help Mililani earn a spot in the state tournament. Kawehena Johnson led Kahuku with 17 points.

At Mililani
Kahuku    16    10    12    18    —    56
Mililani      17    15    17    14    —    63

KAHUKU—Liko Carvalho 0, Wilton Cravens 0, Chance Maghanoy 2, Devailo Galeai 0, Kawehena Johnson 17, Huleia Naeole 0, Ashley Kaka 0, Will Cravens 12, Lasselle Thompson 11, Drayton Aki 0, Ku-j Tapusoa 2, Soli Afalava 5, Quayd AhYou 3, Clifford Ramseyer 0, Hirkley Latu 0, Lamone Williams 4, McKay Lewis 0.
MILILANI—Chedan Pascual 2, Jason Calabrese 3, Sylvester Panoncillo 4, Peter Bueno 13, Cody Sison 2, Elijah Gambol 14, Ian Namu 9, Riley Borges 2, Noel Bueno 14, Jeremy Rozmeski 0, Sean Fitzgerald 0.
3-point goals—Kahuku 5 (Johnshon 2, Will Cravens 2, Afalava). Mililani 5 (Gambol 3, N. Bueno, P. Bueno).

OIA WHITE

Junior varsity championship

Aiea 78, Kalani 59