Maui edges Kamehameha for third place

Advertiser Staff

Gene Rivera scored 10 of his 18 points during a critical second-half run as Maui (16-1) rallied to beat Kamehameha (14-6), 48-45, for third place in the boys state championship tournament last night.

Kamehameha went up 37-26 on a field goal by Galen Santana with 2:12 left in the third quarter, but Rivera scored eight in a row, including two 3-pointers, to close Maui to 37-34 heading into the fourth.

Maui, the tournament's No. 2 seed, extended its run to 14-0 by scoring the first six points of the fourth quarter. Van Komatsu made two field goals with the second giving the Sabers a 38-37 lead. Rivera capped the rally with a field goal with 3:30 remaining.

Eric Shaver hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to tie the game at 40 and end a 7:10 scoreless drought for Kamehameha.

Efren Oasay hit the second of two free throws to give Maui a 46-42 lead with 20 seconds left, but the Warriors' Aaron Kahaloa hit an off-balance 3-pointer from the left wing to cut the deficit to one with 12 seconds remaining.

Maui's Robinson Agdinoay hit two free throws with 7 seconds remaining to put the Sabers up by three, and Shaver missed a 3-pointer from the left wing as time expired.

• Kalaheo 54, Leilehua 48: Sam Wilhoite scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as Kalaheo (13-4) of the O'ahu Interscholastic Association beat league rival Leilehua (13-4) for fifth place.

Wilhoite, a 6-foot-7 forward/center, was 6 of 9 from the field and 11 of 14 from the free-throw line.

• Waimea 65, Waiakea 57: Jordan Dizon scored 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field as Waimea (10-1) of the Kaua'i Interscholastic Federation beat Waiakea (10-6) of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation in the consolation championship.

Casey Kaohelaulii added 15 points and Desmond Rodrigues had 13 for the Menehunes, who led 19-8 after the first quarter.