GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM Kylie Ahlo of Iolani got off a shot against Kamie Imai of Waiakea last night. Iolani plays Punahou in tonight's Division I final.

ILH rivals face off in final

The Waiakea Warriors picked their poison, and the Iolani Raiders had the antidote.

Waiakea doubled down on Iolani phenom Jamie Smith, opening the way for nine Iolani 3-point bombs as the Raiders rallied for a 67-45 win over the Warriors last night at Kaimuki High School gym.

Iolani's decisive win means the Raiders will face Interscholastic League of Honolulu rival Punahou tonight in the Division I final of the Hawaiian Airlines/HHSAA Girls Basketball State Championships at Stan Sheriff Center.

Iolani (23-4) got 20 points and 15 boards from Smith, a 6-foot senior. However, it was the deadly marksmanship of the Raiders' guards that made the difference.

After a cold 2-for-15 first quarter, Iolani nailed four treys in the second. Two of them came from defensive stopper Kylie Ahlo, who helped Iolani rally from an early 12-7 deficit.

With center Kira DeMorales backing off under the basket, Ahlo had open looks all through the second quarter. Dayna Jandoc and Tami Konishi also got looks as a result and hit 3-pointers as Iolani took a 24-18 lead at the half.

The long-range barrage continued in the second half. Chanel Hirata, Jandoc and Ahlo hit treys to open Iolani's lead to 33-21 with 4:46 left in the third.

After Jandoc hit her third 3-pointer and Smith hustled for a follow shot, Konishi drained an NBA-range 3-pointer to give Iolani a 41-23 lead. Waiakea finally switched to a straight man defense but never recovered.

Hirata had 13 points, while Ahlo, Konishi and Jandoc finished with nine points each.

It was a fun night for Ahlo, who was stunned by Waiakea's defense at first.

"I didn't really know what to do. All my coaches said shoot it with confidence," she said. "Usually, I don't shoot. I'm trying to get out of my shell."

Iolani coach Glenn Takara was pleased with his team's patience.

"We expected them to take away Jamie. They took their chances," he said. "Our girls were too wide open in the beginning, but once they got into a rhythm, they were fine."

The Warriors chose to back up and slow the pace because three starters were ailing with bad colds.

"We had to go with a slow tempo" Waiakea coach Grant Kauhi said. "We didn't want to slow down, but we had to. Iolani has a lot of heart, and they have a lot of talent, too."

Kira DeMorales led Waiakea (18-3) with 18 points and Kamie Imai had 10. The Warriors shot 1-for-16 from 3-point range.

"They made their 3s and we weren't hitting ours," said DeMorales, who had six rebounds. "We played our hearts out, and that's all that matters.

Smith struggled from the field early, but finished strong and was 8-for-10 from the line.

"They doubled me a lot, but I had faith in my girls," she said. "It took us a little time to warm up. We realized we'd be open (on the 3-point line).

Punahou, the Raiders' arch rival from the ILH, awaits.

"We're ready. We know them," Smith said. "And they know us."

GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM Kamehameha-Hawaii's Isaiah Kekaualua drove to the hoop against Kamehameha-Maui's Erwin Decoite.

STATE HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

DIVISION I BOYS

DIVISION II BOYS

DIVISION I GIRLS

DIVISION II GIRLS