By Kyle Sakamoto
Advertiser Staff Writer
The Kalaheo Mustangs will be in yet another state boys basketball final.
D.C. Daniels scored 16 points, including a key jumper, and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Skyler Wilson added 13 points as the top-seeded Mustangs defeated St. Louis, 52-44, in the semifinals of the Hawaiian Airlines Boys State Championships before 2,605 last night at the Stan Sheriff Center.
It will be Kalaheo’s fifth finals appearance in the past seven years. The Mustangs have won once, in 1995.
"Anytime you win in the semifinals it’s a great win," Kalaheo coach Pete Smith said. "I thought they came back in the second half and did a good job."
The Mustangs went on a 7-0 run over the final 1:28 to extend a 45-44 lead. In the final 30 seconds, Kalaheo hit 5 of 6 free-throw attempts.
St. Louis (13-5) missed four shots and had a turnover in the final minute of the game.
"Our kids lost a little bit of composure and poise," St. Louis coach Delbert Tengan said. "We had our chances and didn’t convert on the offensive end."
Kalaheo (15-0) will play ‘Iolani for the championship tonight at 8.
"We’ve been working all season for this opportunity to get to the championship game," Daniels said. "We’re just so excited. We need to get a good night’s rest and come out ready tomorrow."
Daniels only played 16 minutes because of foul trouble. He picked up his fourth foul with 3:10 remaining in the third quarter. Daniels returned midway through the fourth quarter.
"Sometimes when you’re sitting on the bench in foul trouble, you feel there’s something you can be doing for your team," Daniels said. "Especially in a tight game like this, you want the ball in your hands and you want to be out there on the floor."
Said Tengan: "D.C. is a prime-time player. He can score and knows when to take it to the basket."
Kalaheo led 37-36 entering the fourth period and remained close for most of the way.
Arist de Wolff put St. Louis ahead 38-37 but Ikaika Alama-Francis hit his only 3-pointer of the game for a 40-38 lead that Kalaheo would not relinquish.
The Mustangs clung to a 45-44 lead when Daniels hit a short turnaround jumper with 1:28 left.
Kalaheo’s Keoki Duarte scored all eight of his points in the second half.
"Keoki stepped it up big time," Smith said. "When Skyler and D.C. got into foul trouble, he gave us some scoring."
St. Louis, which was unseeded for the tournament, played its third game in three days. Tengan didn’t use it as an excuse.
"When you get to this point and you know what’s at stake, they’re going to play their hearts out."
Kalaheo made five of its first six shots to jump out to an 11-2 lead 4:20 into the game.
"Teams seem to step it up when they play us," Daniels said. "St. Louis played an excellent game today. We jumped on them in the beginning then they started to run. We just had to come out in the second half and play our game."
The Crusaders hit five consecutive shots and two free throws to go on a 13-0 run and take a 15-11 lead with 1:15 remaining in the quarter. Jason Rivers ended the rally with two free throws and a 3-pointer from the left wing.
Daniels hit a shot with five seconds remaining in the quarter to end the Mustangs’ four-minute scoring drought and cut the deficit to 15-13.
Both teams struggled from the field to open the second quarter. St. Louis went on a 5-0 run to take its largest lead at 20-13 with 3:05 left before halftime. Prior to the run, the Crusaders missed their first eight shots of the quarter.
"We were able to get the ball inside," Tengan said. "I thought we were superior inside, but we just did not finish well. We got the shots we wanted, but we just didn’t knock them down."
Wilson scored the Mustangs’ first points of the second quarter after hitting a shot and being fouled with 2:36 remaining before halftime. Kalaheo missed its first five shots and committed three turnovers prior to Wilson’s basket.
Wilson had a bandage over his right eye after taking an elbow to the head in the third quarter of a quarterfinal game against Punahou on Thursday.
"Coming back after that injury, he played his game," Smith said. "The injury didn’t bother him. He came out and handled our team, and did what he needed to do."
ST. LOUIS 15 10 11 8—44
KALAHEO 13 8 16 15—52
ST. LOUIS-Bobby Tappy 4, Jose Vidad 2, Justin Harris 12, Jonah Lakatani 0, Brenden Clement 6, J.P. Kanoa 4, Jason Rivers 12, Frank Rivers 2, T.J. Moe 0, Arist De Wolff 2.
KALAHEO-C.J. Kaimiola 0, Skyler Wilson 13, James Robertson 0, Nate Ijima 0, Shaydon Marumoto 6, Ikaika Alama-Francis 9, Aubrey Bradley 0, Justin Pedrina 0, D.C. Daniels 16, Keoki Duarte 8, Kiona Siliga 0.
3-point goals-St. Louis 2 (J. Rivers 2). Kalaheo 2 (Wilson, Alama-Francis).
Consolation
 Punahou 59, Maui 48: Dane Uperesa and Richard Kim scored 41 of Punahou’s 59 points to lead the Buffanblu (12-4, 20-6) into today’s fifth-place game with a victory over MIL champion Maui (15-4, 19-10).
The 6-foot-5 Uperesa, throwing his nearly 300 pounds around inside, scored 22 and Kim got 19, nine on 3-pointers.
MAUI 11 12 11 14—48
PUNAHOU 15 14 15 15—59
MAUI-Robinson Agdinaoay 0, Dana Anderson 3, Shaun-Ryan Batson 3, Maika Braun 5, Rhoderick Bulosan 2, Brandon Chu 0, Gdansk Corpin 0, Cheyne De La Garza 8, Dionisio Dante 5, Les Johnson 10, Kynan Metoyer 2, David Tufaga 6, Kevin Wunder 4, Kalae Medeiros 0.
PUNAHOU-Kynan Pang 0, Richard Kim 19, Daniel Lam 0, Andrew Amigleo 0, Todd LaFountaine 0, Jason Ching 0, John Freese 0, Alex Fergus 4, David Dowsett 4, David Kowen 2, Lucas Love 6, Ryan Zabriskie 2, Dane Uperesa 22.
3-point goals-Maui 5 (De La Garza 2, Batson 1, Braun 1, Wunder 1), Punahou 3 (Kim 3).
Leilehua 70, Mililani 57: Eric Marshall scored 20 and Garland Gantt 18 as the Mules (13-2, 19-6) got a measure of revenge against the Trojans (11-5, 18-8).
In the OIA semifinals, Mililani handed Leilehua its first league loss of the season with a 69-63 overtime victory.
MILILANI 11 15 9 22—57
LEILEHUA 21 13 17 19—70
MILILANI-Gary Deliz 4, Koji Price 0, Rashaun Broadus 19, Troy Wailehua 0, Alex Aguda 0, William Broadus 15, Andrew Min 0, Hoku Patoc 4, Chad DeMello 0, Kaipo Patoc 11, Trey Brown 4, Maurice Johnson 0.
LEILEHUA-Garland Gantt 18, Lance Tuggle 0, Nick Lenzy 0, Ricardo Bachelor 4, Joshua Jumawan 10, Clifton Feliciano 14, Shaun Fetzer 0, Demitrius Washington 0, Mike Helgerson 2, John Dolac 0, Ruben Dix 2, Eric Marshall 20, Duon Adams 0, Andrew Talaeai 0.
3-point goals-Mililani 6 (R. Broadus 3, W. Broadus 2, Patoc 1). Leilehua 5 (Feliciano 3, Jumawan 2).
Kahuku 70, Waiakea 57: The Red Raiders trailed 20-8 before outscoring the Warriors from Hilo 46-23 in the middle quarters. Six-foot-five Micah Casey led four Red Raiders in double figures with 18 points as Kahuku (10-6, 17-8) earned a spot in today’s consolation final. Waiakea, the runner-up on the Big Island, finished its season 10-5 and 21-7.
Ali’i Alisa scored 14; Anthony Hill 13, nine on 3-pointers; and Aaron Francisco 11 for Kahuku.
KAHUKU 8 16 30 16—70
WAIAKEA 20 8 15 14—57
KAHUKU-Trumaine Oto 0, Ferron Fonoimoana 0, Philip Alisa 14, Aaron Francisco 11, Anthony Hill 13, Inoke Funaki 4, Micah Casey 18, James Kammerer 8, Adonis Buttel 0, Tala Esera 0, Jonathan Mapu 2, Quin Ah You 0, Jarom Casey 0, Tu Tui 0, Viliami Nauahi 0.
WAIAKEA-Aaron Tengan 14, Branden Kawazoe 7, Sean Soriano 0, Abraham Costa 2, David Hotniansky 5, Evan Bartholomew 0, Kevin Takayama 6, Chase Sakamoto 0, Matt Hall 3, Jomo Young 3, Martin Hall 0, Jason Agliam 2, Levi Bartholomew 3, Kelii Pomroy 2, Levi Naehu 10.
3-point goals-Kahuku 4 (Hill 3, Funaki 1). Waiakea 6 (Tengan 2, Naehu 2, Kawazoe 1, L. Bartholomew 1).
Baldwin 59, Kapa‘a 45: Cliff Dagula scored 16 points to lead the Bears (14-5, 19-11) into today’s consolation final.
KIF scoring champion Rhyan Greenleaf was held to five points and Kapa‘a (6-5, 12-8) was led by Kapu Hendrickson with 12.
BALDWIN 13 20 11 15—59
KAPA'A 10 11 16 8—45
BALDWIN-Efren Oasay 4, A.J. Garbin 7, Jon Ciacci 5, Sam Toluta‘u 3, Cliff Dagulo 16, Reed Suzuki 2, Michael Donaboo 3, Akanu Aki 5, Alika Amasiu 4, Rodney Kekahuna 0, Brandon Ahonima 6, Kealoha Range 2, Kaipo Mahuna 2, Kepa Akiu 0.
KAPA'A-Kaili Panui 2, Garrett Danner 7, Allen Iloreta 0, Chris Lary 6, Kapu Hendricksen 12, Ed Roessler 0, Kekoa Chun 8, Asher Cole 0, Austin Naka Alapai 4, Jeffery Gimenez 1, Rhyan Greenleaf 5.
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