Posted on: Saturday, February 26, 2005
Iolani rallies past Campbell
| • | Kahuku outlasts Baldwin |
| • | Yesterday's results |
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By Kyle Sakamoto
Advertiser Staff Writer
Iolani has displayed skill, poise and confidence in its near four-year run atop Hawai'i high school basketball. Tonight, the Raiders take a shot at history.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser "I look at each year as a different experience," Iolani coach Mark Mugiishi said. "We have a whole bunch of guys who haven't even played in a state championship game, and I hope they get the chance to experience it. I don't even look at the four in a row. I look at it as this will be Wally Marciel's first state championship and Taylor Mounts' first state championship."
Kyle Pape continued his tournament scoring spree last night with 35 points and Vinny Nip added 14 for Iolani, the Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion. Kawika Shoji had eight points and 10 rebounds.
Pape scored 10 consecutive Raiders' points, which enabled Iolani (16-0) to take a 49-41 lead with 7:43 left. From there, it was all Iolani.
"He's been fantastic," Mugiishi said. "He's carried us through on points when we need some offense and we're struggling a little. He'll score 8, 9 points in a row and that's great. When you have a go-to guy on your team that's effective, it makes the game a lot easier."
Pape, who scored 31 points the previous night against Kalaheo, finished 10 of 18 from the field and made all 11 of his free throws.
"We wanted to deny No. 30 (Pape's jersey number) the ball; however, 30 is such a great player," Campbell coach Sol Batoon said.
Iolani opened with a full-court, man-to-man defense and fell behind 19-10 early in the second quarter.
Campbell (13-3), the O'ahu Interscholastic Association runner-up, started four players 6 feet 4 and taller, and was repeatedly able to break the press by throwing the ball to 6-8 Daniel Phillips near halfcourt. Iolani started one player taller than 6-2.
"Our game plan was a little wrong because we thought with their size we'd combat it with increasing the pressure and setting more traps," Mugiishi said. "They were able to beat us on backdoors and get mismatches, isolation post entries and get second-shot opportunities."
Iolani, which trailed 27-26 at halftime, adjusted by not "gambling so much for steals," according to Mugiishi.
The Raiders have won 99 consecutive games against Hawai'i opponents dating to December 2001.
As for the four-peat, Pape, one of three seniors on the team, said: "It's a bonus. We just want to win one state championship together."
Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8041.
Iolani dominated late in a 65-46 victory over Campbell in the semifinals of the HHSAA/Hawaiian Airlines Boys State Basketball Championship last night at Blaisdell Arena, and will attempt to become the first Hawai'i school to win four consecutive state titles. The Raiders face Kahuku, a 60-57 winner over Baldwin, in the final at 8 p.m.
Iolani's Kyle Pape goes over a teammate, but lost his grip on a rebound after a Campbell player missed layup in the first quarter.
