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Kaimuki pulls away in fourth, beats Keaau


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POSTED: Thursday, March 05, 2009

It must be nice to have an airborne unit to go with a potent power attack down low.

               

     

 

BOYS STATE TOURNAMENT FIRST-ROUND RESULTS

       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

             

             

               

             

             

               

               

             

             

               

               

             

             

               

               

             

             

               

               

             

             

               

             

             

               

               

             

             

               

               

             

             

               

               

             

             

               

               

             

             

               

             

             

               

               

             

             

               

               

             

             

               

               

             

             

               

               

             

         

       

DIVISION I
Kaimuki76
Keaau60
Kalaheo62
Radford36

 

               

DIVISION I
'Iolani60
Lahainaluna50
Punahou51
Campbell

32
               

 

               

DIVISION II
Pahoa48
University45
Kapaa66
Word of Life

58
               

 

               

DIVISION II
Roosevelt52
Hanalani37
Kailua77
Seabury Hall53

       

 

       

       

Gabriel Stietzel and Ryan Kakitani kept Kaimuki close with long-range bombs, and the Bulldogs blew open a tight game in the final quarter for a 76-60 win over Keaau in the opening round of the Hawaiian Airlines/HHSAA Boys Basketball Division I State Championships.

Stietzel and Kakitani combined to shoot 8-for-12 from 3-point range for the Bulldogs. Kakitani finished with 16 points and Stietzel 15.

Keaau collapsed around Desmond Tautofi, a 6-foot-3, 270-pound junior, but he still finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. David Taulung added 17 points, six assists and four steals.

A crowd of about 500 at McKinley Student Council Gym saw Kaimuki, the Oahu Interscholastic Association runner-up, advance to the quarterfinals. Kaimuki will face fourth-seeded Baldwin in a 5 p.m. game today at McKinley.

“;I'm relieved that we won. It's always scary playing the opening game,”; Kaimuki coach Kelly Grant said.

Keaau's young squad battled closely for three quarters under first-year head coach Wade Aukai Ishibashi, son of Wade Ishibashi Sr., who died of cancer before the season.

“;We came a long way. Keaau hasn't been here in seven or eight years,”; Ishibashi said. “;Kaimuki came out on fire. That's one of the best shooting teams I've seen in awhile.”;

The Bulldogs got balanced scoring, a big plus on a night when Tautofi sat key minutes with foul trouble. With Tautofi on the bench for almost all of the third quarter, the Cougars made a run and took a 37-31 lead after Daniel Brooks twice scored inside during an 11-5 run.

“;I was worried we weren't going to turn the switch on,”; Grant said.

Kaimuki responded with a torrent of treys. Taulung hit from the top and Stietzel twice from the left corner in a 9-0 run to take the lead.

Keaau scored the next seven points to regain the lead, 47-43, shortly before the end of the third quarter. However, Stietzel drained a 3-pointer from the right corner to give the 'Dogs a 48-47 lead, igniting a 19-4 run.

Tautofi returned and scored six points during the blitz. Taulung, a senior guard, found some success against Keaau's tough man-to-man defense, and scored six points of his own during the run. His three-point play on a baseline drive gave Kaimuki a 67-51 lead with 2:53 to go.

Makana Cazimero scored 14 points, including eight in the second quarter on penetration through the middle of Kaimuki's 2-3 zone, to lead Keaau (17-8).

Mtume Msikizi-Jackson, a center, is one of only two seniors on the Keaau roster.

“;We tried to take (Tautofi) out of the picture by fronting him,”; Msikizi-Jackson.

Tautofi had just six points in the first half. He shot 8-for-11 from the field and found open teammates fairly well when the double-teams came.

 

At McKinley

                                                                                                                                           
Keaau (17-8)1215201360
Kaimuki (19-9)1413183176

KEAAU—Richard Handy 10, Mtume Msikizi-Jackson 11, Daniel Brooks 8, Haku Ishibashi 12, Makana Cazimero 14, Chaz Cabatbat 0, Jelani Young 3, Sekona Holani 2, Kapono Ige 0.
KAIMUKI—Clay Montiho 0, Desmond Tautofi 19, David Taulung 17, Ryan Kakitani 16, Gabriel Stietzel 15, Raphael Vares 1, Tevin Nishiyama 1, Elijah Morita-Dudoit 0, Mason Kualii-Moe 0, Jason Nutter 5, Kelly Tobin 0, Dayton Ortiz 2, John Vave 0, Chad Kaaihue 0.
3-point goals—Keaau 3 (Handy 2, Young), Kaimuki 9 (Kakitani 4, Stietzel 4, Taulung).

 

Kalaheo 62, Radford 36

The two OIA foes met for a third time this season with the same result: a Kalaheo victory. Matt Gasparine-Young had 21 points and 10 boards, while Aaron Fernandez (12 points) and Christian Kepa (11) helped the Mustangs (19-9) reach the quarterfinals.

Radford (17-10) was in striking distance, down 31-21 at halftime, but Kalaheo's matchup zone proved too difficult to solve. Fernandez, a 6-3 junior, swarmed to Radford sharpshooter Quentin Kimura constantly. That left the Rams with few other scoring options.

Radford shot 28 percent from the field (14-for-51) to Kalaheo's 47 percent (21-for-45).

 

At McKinley

                                                                                                                                           
Radford (17-10)11106936
Kalaheo (19-9)1714121962

RADFORD—Derrell Lee 9, Marcus Malepeai 8, Joash Pangilinan 0, Tony Reid 4, Quentin Kimura 12, Jared Victorino 0, Ratu Baravilala 0, Jefferson Fiesta 0, Robert Wolshlager 1, Aldrin Valdez 0, Colvin Taylor 2, Kamu Taulelei 0.
KALAHEO—Christian Kepa 11, Matt Gasparine-Young 21, Richard Preza Haynes 4, Kona Makaula 2, Aaron Fernandez 12, Quincy Mason 0, Dwayne Mitchell 3, Kevin Leong 2, Shane Hipa 3, Zachary Lovelace 0, John Bascuk 0, Shawn Hipa 3, Carlos Craig 1.
3-point goals—Radford 4 (Kimura 4), Kalaheo 6 (Fernandez 3, Kepa 2, Shane Hipa).