Iolani holds off Kalaheo to win state title

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

Iolani's Derrick Low soars for a shot against Kalaheo's Ikaika Alama-Francis. Low scored 33 to lift Iolani to the state title, 58-57. Photos by Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

Iolani’s Tyler McCready, left, kisses the championship trophy held by teammate Bobby Nash after the Raiders beat Kalaheo, 58-57.

Iolani’s Tyler McCready celebrates with the customary net-cutting.

Sophomore sensation Derrick Low drives by Kalaheo’s James Robertson. Low scored 22 points in the first half and 33 for the game.

Low's final point came on a free throw with 3.7 seconds remaining to put Iolani up 58-54. Kalaheo's Ikaika Alama-Francis sank a 3-point shot at the buzzer for the game's final basket.

Iolani, ranked No. 1 in The Advertiser's statewide Top 10 poll, finished 15-0. Kalaheo, ranked No. 2, ended up 15-1.

Low, a 6-foot point guard, dazzled a vocal Blaisdell Arena crowd of 4,091 with a spectacular shooting and ball-handling exhibition throughout the night.

He scored all 14 of the Raiders' points in the first period and had 22 points by halftime. In the second quarter, he scored on back-to-back three-point plays to give Iolani a 29-19 lead with 2:33 remaining.

Alama-Francis sank a 3-pointer with 1:40 left to close it to 31-26, but Low drained a 10-foot jumper at the halftime buzzer to put the Raiders up 33-26 going into the locker room.

Low's scoring output was the highest in a state title game since 1992, when Kamehameha's Louis Vargas scored 34 in a triple-overtime victory over Hilo. Low's 33 points is the most in a state final regulation game since Punahou's Ia Saipa'ia scored 38 in a 77-70 win over Kailua in 1975.

"We didn't give him anything — he just made great shots," Kalaheo coach Pete Smith said. "He was hitting them with guys in his face."

Low, who said he "missed all my shots in the (pregame) shoot-around at school," made 12 of 16 field goals, including two 3-pointers. He also sank 7 of 9 free throws.

"Ia scored mostly from the perimeter, but Derrick did it mostly on penetration," said Kalaheo assistant coach Chico Furtado, who played for Iolani in the 1975 tournament. "He is so under control ... it's hard to get a charge on him, because he knows when to pull up. Like good players do, he rose to the occasion."

To their credit, so did the Mustangs. After falling behind by seven at the half, they closed it to 43-38 after three periods after putbacks by Charles Elliott and Alama-Francis. Kalaheo started the final quarter with a 6-2 run to tie it at 45-45 on DC Daniels' three-point play with 5:47 remaining, and took a 47-45 lead on Justin Pedrina's free throws with 3:58 left.

Iolani forward Jon Grobe tied it at 49-49 on a putback with 3:02 left, starting the Raiders on an 8-0 run. Daniels made it 55-51 on a jumper with 46 seconds remaining, and Mike Gayle cut it to 57-54 on a 3-pointer with 6.5 ticks left.

Low was fouled after the ensuing inbounds pass, and missed the first of two free throws. But he swished his second attempt to seal the victory.

"Kalaheo is a great team," Grobe said. "They really make it tough on us, and they played like true champions."

As usual, the Mustangs were led by seniors Alama-Francis and Daniels. Alama-Francis finished with 21 points and Daniels added 20 points.

"Those two are phenomenal," Raiders coach Mark Mugiishi said. "We have tremendous respect for them."

Iolani junior forward Bobby Nash chipped in 10 points, including 4 of 4 free throws in the final 1:16, and six rebounds for Iolani.

"One person can't be the whole team," Low said. "Look at Kalaheo — they came all the way back even though I was scoring. That's a good example right there."

The championship was especially gratifying for Low, Grobe and senior center Tyler McCready, starters on the Raiders' state runner-up volleyball team who also were part of Iolani's state runner-up basketball team in 2001. That loss came to Kalaheo.

"We were saying we've got enough silver medals piled up at home," Grobe said. "We didn't want any more of those. We had it in our heads that we wanted the gold."