[ HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL ]
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Derrick Low, left, and the Iolani Raiders celebrated their third straight state title last night at the Blaisdell Arena.
Iolani captures
another titleThe Raiders defeat Kalaheo to
secure their third consecutive
state championship
The guards for Iolani were too much for the big man of Kalaheo in last night's intense Hawaiian Airlines Boys State Basketball Championship final.
As expected, the Raiders' Derrick Low and the Mustangs' Sam Wilhoite provided plenty of drama for the 4,713 fans at Blaisdell Arena, but in the end, it was the guard tandem of Low and Ryan Hirata that led Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion Iolani to its third straight state title with a 64-54 victory over Oahu Interscholastic Association winner Kalaheo.
Unlike most of Iolani's victories this season, this one was far from easy. The Mustangs, who led briefly in the second quarter, just wouldn't go away.
"My first thought about this game is that Kalaheo is by far the most improved team in the state of Hawaii," said Iolani coach Mark Mugiishi, who guided his fifth championship team and led the Raiders to their sixth overall state title. "Our game plan was to shut down their 3-point shots and we were ineffective at that. We were able to contain Sam a little bit and we figured we weren't going to really stop him, anyway."
Trailing by three with time running out in the third quarter, the Mustangs tied it 47-all on Theo Fujita's 3-point prayer that went straight in at the buzzer.
Low's turnaround, fall-away, 10-foot jumper early in the fourth gave the Raiders (17-0) a 49-47 edge and Zach Tollefson came up big with a 3-pointer to make it 52-47. Tollefson followed that up with a key steal, while Low hit two foul shots with 5:13 remaining for a 54-47 advantage.
Still, Kalaheo (15-2) stuck around. Neil Bowers made a 3-point play, but Kyle Pape delivered a 12-footer for the Raiders on a pass from Jon Yasuda for a 56-50 score.
That was almost as close as the Mustangs got, as Iolani went to the stall with 4:30 left. Kalaheo fouled Iolani six times before Pape went to the line and missed the front end of a one-and-one. Tollefson, who was fouled after grabbing a defensive rebound on Kalaheo's next time down the court, also missed from the line and Kalaheo called a timeout with 1:01 left.
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Derrick Low and Kalaheo's Chris Tumaneng dove for a loose ball in the first period of last night's championship game.
The Mustangs closed to 56-53 as Fujita converted a three-point play after a rebound layup with 52 seconds to go.
"We played like we knew we could play," Wilhoite said. "They went in that stall and we still didn't give up. They missed some free throws and we got closer. We lost, and there's nothing I can do but be proud of my team and how far we've come."
Low dealt a big blow to Kalaheo's chances with two more free throws with 50 seconds left, but Wilhoite came up with a steal and Matt Nakashima hit one from the line for Kalaheo to make it 58-54.
The Raiders finally wrapped it up when Tollefson and Low hit two each from the line and Yasuda added a layup at the buzzer for the 64-54 final.
"Kalaheo played us really tough and they came out very intense, but we matched their intensity and did a good job at it," Low said. "It crossed my mind, possibly losing, but I believed in our great team and in the second half, I said we've got to win and it's time for me to do everything I possibly can to help the team win."
Low finished with a game-high 24 points, while Wilhoite scored 17 and hauled in 14 boards. The Raiders, however, held Wilhoite scoreless in the final period.
Mugiishi will miss Low's unselfishness.
"Our team is not only about Derrick," he said. "A lot of guys need to tip their cap to Derrick for how he helped them improve and pushed them at practice and was more concerned about the team winning than he was about getting points or attention."
Early in the game, Iolani was unable to get its customary composure against the band of hustling Mustang defenders and the first quarter ended tied 11-all. William Elliott nailed two treys and Fujita added one for Kalaheo, while Todd Blankenship sparked the Raiders with four points.
Despite Iolani finally matching Kalaheo's defensive intensity, the Mustangs pulled away for a 21-15 lead early in the second quarter with two more Elliott 3-pointers.
The Raiders fought back for a 26-24 lead as a determined Low scored on a rebound bucket and coast-to-coast layup. Hirata, who finished with 10 points, hit a shot from beyond the arc as the Raiders continued to put up the long-range shots. Hirata and Low hit treys for a 32-25 cushion with 1:48 left in the half.
But Kalaheo countered as Wilhoite pounded one home on a rebound and added a three-point play to cut it to 33-32.
Low took a double-team to the basket for Iolani's 35-32 edge at halftime.
"I'm hoping not a lot of people thought this was going to be a blowout," Kalaheo coach Chico Furtado said. "Although I've got the feeling that that's what people were thinking. I don't know what it was, but maybe we lost our legs or were a little impatient at the end. Maybe we took too many 3s instead of working it inside. But if we hit those shots, it would have been the greatest thing. But I'm not going to complain. People definitely got their money's worth."
Punahou 56, Mililani 47
Freshman Jeremiah Ostrowski scored 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to spur the Buffanblu to third place.The Trojans led 38-31 with seven minutes left in the game, but Ostrowski took over with two 3-pointers and a 45-foot assist to Spencer McLachlin under the basket made it 41-38, Punahou.
Ostrowski wasn't done. He made two free throws, hit another trey, and then scored off his own steal at 1:05 to give the Buffanblu an insurmountable 52-44 lead.
"Coach told us at the half that this is big. We want to end it on a good note, to keep it going into next year," Ostrowski said. "He knows that we have the skill and the talent to make a comeback."
Punahou coach Greg Tacon said it was important for his young team to finish on a "positive note."
"If we didn't win, it would've almost been a wash after playing so well all season long," he said.
Mililani was led by Alex Patykula with 12 points and Puna Neumann with 10. But in the end the Trojans had no answer for the sharpshooting 5-foot-9 Ostrowski.
"And we stopped shooting, stopped making them at least. We also had bad decision-making at the end," Mililani coach Mike Coito said. "Nobody will remember who placed third or fourth, but (the players) will."
McLachlin, another talented freshman, scored nine points and had a game-high seven rebounds.
Punahou -- Jeremiah Ostrowski 26, Scott Otake 5, Brenton Lee 6, Spencer McLachlin 9, Kasey Ko 4, Storm Bridgewater 0, Daniel Cho 2, Reid Fowler 4, Morgan Ellsworth 0, Kaohu Berg-Hee 0.
Punahou (15-3) 10 17 4 25 -- 56 Mililani (14-3) 10 14 10 13 -- 47
Mililani -- Lorenzo Abernathy 5, Puna Neumann 10, Aaron Kanno 4, Clarence Gray 4, Alex Patykula 12, Maka Kahoano 0, Scott Neumann 0, Ryan Shular 0, Charles Richie 2, Andrew Tokumi 2, Jonovan Santos 4, Mikhail Mabry 4.
3-point goals: Punahou 7 (Ostrowski 5, Otake, McLachlin), Mililani 3 (Patykula 2, P. Neumann).Kamehameha 59, Kealakehe 55, OT
Ikaika Hardie was the man for the Warriors (13-7) in the comeback victory. He hit a 3-pointer with five seconds left in regulation for a 50-all tie before scoring six of his team's nine points in overtime.Hardie grew up in Kailua-Kona, near the Waveriders' campus.
"I know a bunch of those guys (Easton Takata, Loa Patao, Jared Ursua, Ioane Spencer and Kyle Teves) and played against them as a kid," Hardie said. "We definitely got them today. We had the momentum in overtime and I'm really glad we won because a lot of the guys were putting their heads down."
Hardie finished with a game-high14 points and teammate Kawika Hepa added 12 points and seven boards.
Teves led the way for Kealakehe (16-2) with 13 points and seven rebounds and Takata added 13 points.
Kamehameha--Ikaika Hardie 14, Vance Wright 7, Rykin Enos 3, Jacob Ho 0, Quincy Crowell 4, Michael Nii 0, Jacob Bode 0, Waika Spencer 6, Kapono Kuikahi 0, Ernest Vidinha 4, Ikaika Shelton 0, Gabriel Spencer 9, Kawika Hepa 12.
Kamehameha (13-7) 15 13 10 12 9 -- 59 Kealakehe (16-2) 8 13 9 20 5 -- 55 Kealakehe--Easton Takata 13, Cody Henriques 2, Loa Patao 7, Aikane Pavitt 4, Jared Ursua 9, Ioane Spencer 7, Kyle Teves 13.
3-point goals: Kamehameha 5 (Hardie, Wright, Enos, Crowell, Hepa), Kealakehe 1 (Ursua)
Baldwin 57, McKinley 55, OT
Trenson Himalaya hit two layups in overtime as the Bears (12-3) topped the Tigers (10-8) in the consolation final.Himalaya finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, while McKinley's Joshua Valdez led his team with 16 points and Abel Werner added 12 points and six boards.
McKinley--Mark Nakatsuka 4, Abel Werner 12, Dat Vo 0, Kapena Quisano 8, Iakopo Taumua 3, Robert Holder 12, Golden Lawrence 0, Joshua Valdez 16, Christopher Quiocho 0.
McKinley (10-8) 11 9 14 16 5 -- 55 Baldwin (12-3) 6 16 14 13 8 -- 57
Baldwin--Jeff Tumacder 0, Scott Suzuki 5, Cody Tesoro 12, Kawika Liftee 3, John Salmo 2, Cody Nakamura 9, Rhys Alvarado 2, Donnie Dadiz 2, Matt Heyd 4. Levi Aki 2, Shawn Shima 0, Trenson Himalaya 16.
3-point goals: McKinley 4 (Quisano 2, Valdez 2), Baldwin (Tesoro)
Iolani 64, Kalaheo 54
Mustangs (15-2)
Raiders (17-0)
fg fga ft fta min reb a tp Nakashima 1 7 1 2 23 1 4 3 Fujita 4 6 1 1 26 4 2 11 Elliott 5 10 0 0 23 2 0 14 Bowers 3 8 1 1 28 1 3 7 Wilhoite 6 10 5 6 32 14 2 17 Tumaneng 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 Perry 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 Moore 1 4 0 0 19 3 0 2 Phair 0 0 0 0 0+ 0 0 0 Team 2 Totals 20 45 8 10 160 27 12 54
Key -- fg: field goals; fga: field goals attempted; ft: free throws; fta: free throws attempted; min: minutes; reb: rebounds; a: assists; tp: total points.
fg fga ft fta min reb a tp Hirata 4 11 0 0 22 6 0 10 Blankenship 5 11 1 2 26 3 0 11 Low 8 17 6 8 30 8 3 24 Pape 3 5 0 1 25 5 1 6 Street 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 Nip 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 Yasuda 2 3 0 1 20 2 3 4 Tollefson 2 5 4 5 19 4 0 9 Shoji 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 Carney 0 0 0 0 11 1 0 0 Team 2 Totals 24 53 11 17 160 31 7 64
Halftime -- Iolani 35, Kalaheo 32.
3-point goals -- Kalaheo 6-21 (Elliott 4-8, Fujita 2-4, Moore 0-1, Bowers 0-3, Nakashima 0-5), Iolani 5-10 (Hirata 2-4, Low 2-4, Tollefson 1-2). Personal fouls -- Kalaheo 17, Iolani 14.
Steals -- Kalaheo 7 (Nakashima 3, Fujita, Elliott, Wilhoite, Moore), Iolani 7 (Tollefson 3, Hirata 2, Pape, Yasuda). Blocked shots -- Kalaheo 1 (Wilhoite), Iolani 1 (Carney). Turnovers -- Kalaheo 17 (Nakashima 4, Bowers 4, Wilhoite 3, Fujita 2, Elliott 2, Tumaneng, team), Iolani 8 (Low 4, Blankenship, Pape, Tollefson, Carney). Officials -- Fuentes, Wells, Sueoka. A -- 4,713.
All-tournament team
Sam Wilhoite, Kalaheo; Jeremiah Ostrowski, Punahou; Ryan Hirata, Iolani; Alex Patykula, Mililani; William Elliot, KalaheoMost Valuable Player
Derrick Low, Iolani
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Kalaheo provides
different challenge
for Low
The first half is when Iolani likes to throw its knockout punch.
That's when the Raiders pound their opponents with waves of full-court pressure and 3-point shots.
That's when one of the best players in the state's history begins to dominate and demoralize.
That's when the game ends.
Usually.
The two-time defending state champs did it that way against Kaimuki and then again in the semifinal vs. Mililani. The way they've done it against just about everyone the past four years.
Last night it was different at a rocking Blaisdell Arena. Kalaheo -- the last Hawaii team to beat the Raiders, three years ago in the state title game -- took Iolani's best punches last night, and the Mustangs threw quite a few of their own against their coach's alma mater, with their stricken former coach cheering them on the best he could.
But in the end, as always, or at least since that 2001 title game, Derrick Low and Iolani prevailed. This time it was 64-54, as Iolani won its ninth straight state tournament game and 11th of 12 with Low in the lineup. Low scored 24 points in his final game.
"Derrick always rises to the occasion," said Ryan Hirata, his backcourt mate. "He guided us through this whole season."
There was nothing fancy about Kalaheo's game plan. The Mustangs played tight man-to-man, shot the 3-ball and threw it over the heads of the Raiders to their big man, Sam Wilhoite, who finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds.
With William Elliott making four of six bombs for 12 points and Wilhoite powering for 11, Kalaheo led most of the first half.
But when Low re-entered the game at 5:35 of the second quarter after a breather, Iolani regained the momentum and eventually the lead.
It was 35-32 at halftime, but Kalaheo had survived Goliath's best shot.
And when Matt Nakashima rushed Low's shot at the end of the third quarter, allowing Theo Fujita the time to get off a buzzer bomb to tie it at 47-all, there was the feeling that the Mustangs had some magic.
Pete Smith, after all, was in the house.
But in the end, the inevitable had merely been delayed, and there was little Kalaheo could do about it. When Iolani went up 56-50 with 4:30 left and began playing its infamous stall ball, the game was over.
Even fouling was useless for Kalaheo.
In the bitterest of ironies, the Mustangs couldn't even resort to the desperation move of putting its opponent on the free-throw line, because Kalaheo had committed only one foul in the second half and would need to catch the quick Raiders six times or get a steal.
The Mustangs finally got the Raiders on the line with 1:24 left. You could almost hear the cries for a shot clock amid the booing. You really could after the game if you talked to Kalaheo coach Chico Furtado.
"I've always wanted one. I bring it up in meetings, but the ILH shoots it down. They like that over-thinking game," said Furtado, who was also victimized by a Kamehameha fourth-quarter stall in a girls state title game.
But Furtado admitted it probably wouldn't have made a difference last night.
Not with Derrick Low being Derrick Low.
"Iolani has a lot of good players, but 22's the man," he said.
