LUCY PEMONI / LPEMONI@STARBULLETIN.COM Campbell's Ryan Hayes, left, battled Iolani's Vinny Nip for possession during last night's semifinal game.

Raiders run over Sabers

The Campbell Sabers gave three-time defending state champion Iolani their best shot for three quarters.

The fourth quarter belonged to the Raiders.

Kyle Pape poured in 35 points, including 11-of-11 accuracy at the foul line, to power Iolani past Campbell 65-46 last night in the semifinals of the Hawaiian Airlines Boys State Basketball Championship at Blaisdell Arena.

It was a tight game until the fourth quarter.

"I was a little surprised, but Campbell executed," said Pape, who made 10 of his 18 field-goal attempts.

Four of them were from 3-point range.

Iolani (28-2), the top seed and No. 1-ranked team in the state all season, will meet Kahuku in the championship game tonight at 8.

Fifth-ranked Campbell (21-5), runner-up from the Oahu Interscholastic Association, will meet Baldwin in the third-place game at 6 p.m.

"Iolani is a well-disciplined team," Campbell coach Sol Batoon said. "We broke their press, but that's not their whole game. They kept their composure and didn't panic."

Mark Sealy led Campbell with 22 points.

"We played hard, but they just beat us. That's how it is," the 6-foot-3 senior said.

The Sabers hit just four of their 17 3-point tries, but stayed close for three quarters by handling most of Iolani's pressure defense.

"We thought they wouldn't handle the pressure, but they were quicker than we expected," Iolani coach Mark Mugiishi said. "Our game plan was wrong. We wanted to bring more traps, but they beat us backdoor, got isolations."

Iolani trailed 27-26 at halftime, but defense and rebounding were the difference in the second half. Kawika Shoji led the Raiders under the glass with 10 rebounds.

"We boarded. That was our big goal tonight, and that's what kept us in the game," the 6-3 junior said. "Campbell is good. They're real athletic, big and strong."

Iolani made 27 of its 31 free-throw attempts, an 87 percent clip.

"Free throws are the biggest part of the game at states," said Pape, who shot 50 to 150 of them daily in the offseason.

The Sabers took care of the ball against Iolani's full-court pressure at the start, but still committed four turnovers in the first 4 minutes. Campbell used center Daniel Phillips on the high post as a safety valve against Iolani's swarming pressure. That freed Sealy to score seven points during a 9-0 run.

"We studied their defense and we realized we just had to pass the ball and don't dribble," Sealy said.

Campbell led 16-8 after Robert Morris hit a pull-up bank shot late in the first quarter. Sealy added a 3-pointer moments later for Campbell's biggest lead, 19-10, early in the second quarter.

Bailey picked up his third personal foul with 5:31 left in the second, and Iolani proceeded to go on an 11-3 run to tie the game. Pape caught fire, scoring 10 second-quarter points.

Bailey returned in the third quarter, but Sealy picked up his third foul and headed to the bench. Again, Iolani gained momentum.

Jon Takamura's reverse layup on a fast break gave Iolani a 37-35 lead midway through the third. Pape's 3-pointer from the left wing opened the lead to 46-41 late in the quarter.

Before the fourth quarter began, Campbell switched out of its man-to-man defense into a 1-2-2 zone, but Sealy got lost and Pape drilled a trey from the left wing. The 6-foot-1 senior scored five of Iolani's next six points as the Raiders took a 52-41 lead with 5:42 remaining.

Campbell, which went the entire third quarter without committing a turnover, had three in the first 3 minutes of the fourth. Iolani took advantage, using a patient motion offense to melt 2 minutes off the clock. By the time the Sabers got the ball back with 3 minutes left, they turned the ball over again.

Sealy scored on a turnaround jumper in the post with 2:28 left, ending a Sabers scoring drought of more than 7 minutes.

Iolani finished off the game with free throws. Shoji and Pape each sank four foul shots in a row as the Raiders took a 60-43 lead and cruised to the finish.

Campbell 1611145--46

Iolani10162019--65

CAMPBELL--Tristan Bailey 6, Ryan Hayes 3, Robert Morris 6, Tristan Sealy 0, Mark Sealy 22, Ikaika Shelton 3, James Bannister 0, Daniel Phillips 6.
IOLANI--Aaron Young 0, Vinny Nip 14, Barry Kang 2, Ryan Dung 0, Kyson Morikuni 0, Taylor Mounts 2, Kekai Kealoha 0, Kawika Shoji 8, Kyle Pape 35, Jon Takamura 2, Wes Eberlin 2, Blayne Yama 0, Wally Marciel 0, Kiran Kepo'o 0.
3-point goals: Campbell 4 (Sealy 3, Shelton), Iolani 6 (Pape 4, Nip 2).

HHSAA boys basketball

At Neal Blaisdell Arena
Seeds: 1. Iolani. 2. Kahuku. 3. Baldwin. 4. Konawaena.

Wednesday
Game 1: Campbell 63, Kamehameha-Maui 42
2: Punahou 65, Waiakea 53
3: Kalaheo 66, Kauai 53
4: Kamehameha-Oahu 69, Kaimuki 49

Thursday
5: Kauai 70, Kamehameha-Maui 35
6: Campbell 69, Konawaena 62
7: Kahuku 56, Kamehameha 47
8: Baldwin 56, Punahou 50
9: Iolani 64, Kalaheo 49

Yesterday
10: Waiakea 61, Kaimuki 48
11: Kalaheo 55, Konawaena 49
12: Punahou 63, Kamehameha 42
13: Iolani 65, Campbell 46
14: Kahuku 60, Baldwin 57

Today
15: Consolation, Waiakea vs. Kauai, 2:30 p.m.
16: Fifth place, Punahou vs. Kalaheo, 4 p.m.
17: Third place, losers of Campbell vs. Baldwin, 6 p.m.
18: Championship, Iolani vs. Kahuku, 8 p.m.