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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, February 23, 2008

Warriors surge late to top Moanalua, 51-45

Photo galleryPhoto gallery: Boys Basketball State Semifinals

By Kalani Takase
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Kamehameha-Hawai'i's Kealoha Kramer, left, and Russell Kackley celebrate just after the Warriors beat Moanalua, 51-45, to reach the boys state championship game today at Blaisdell Arena.

REBECCA BREYER | The Honolulu Advertiser

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DIVISION I

At Blaisdell Arena

Yesterday

Seventh place

Kahuku 65, Campbell 62

Consolation semifinals

'Iolani 81, KS-Maui 60

Kamehameha 46, Mililani 32

Semifinals

KS-Hawaii 51, Moanalua 45

Punahou 61, Konawaena 35

Today

At Blaisdell Arena

Fifth place

'Iolani vs. Kamehameha, 2:15 p.m.

Third place

Moanalua vs. Konawaena, 4 p.m.

Championship

KS-Hawai'i vs. Punahou, 8 p.m.

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Kealoha Kramer scored 14 points and Colton Collins added 12 to lead Kamehameha-Hawai'i to a 51-45 win over Moanalua last night in the semifinals of the Hawaiian Airlines Division I Boys Basketball State Championships.

A crowd of about 1,000 at Blaisdell Arena watched as the Warriors (15-2) became the first neighbor-island school to advance to the title game since Hilo won it in 2000.

Kamehameha-Hawai'i, the runner-up from the Big Island Interscholastic Federation, will meet Interscholastic League of Honolulu runner-up, Punahou at 8 p.m. Moanalua, the O'ahu Interscholastic Association runner-up, dropped to 13-6 and will meet Konawaena in the 4 p.m. third-place game.

The Warriors were motivated by a semifinal loss to eventual state champion, Kaimuki, in last year's state tournament.

"We were up by four (points) with eight minutes left last year and we couldn't get it done," said Kramer, who was 5-of-6 shooting from the field.

Said KS-Hawai'i coach Nelson Wong: "Our mantra has been 'Eight minutes, eight minutes, eight minutes,' all season."

It was deja vu all over again for the Warriors, who held a 38-34 lead headed into the final quarter.

KS-Hawai'i scored on its first four possessions in the fourth to extend it to 45-38 with 4:15 left. Moanalua closed to 47-43 on Ryan Hua's steal and layup with 1:44 left, but the Warriors scored the next four points to go up, 51-43, with 1:01 left.

"We looked up (at the scoreboard) before the fourth quarter of this game: four points, eight minutes left and this time we pulled it off," said Kramer.

Moanalua's Stevie Austin, who went off for 23 points in Thursday's upset of 'Iolani, picked up three first-half fouls, but still finished with a game-high 18 points.

"We had Russell (Kackley), our defensive stopper on him, and I think he did a pretty good job," said Collins.

Austin's third foul, a charge on the offensive end, came with less than 30 seconds until halftime.

"Mentally it probably made him not be as aggresive going to the basket because he didn't want to pick up another one," said Moanalua coach Greg Tacon.

Austin had 10 first-half points.

"I think (Kackley) did a tremendous job, although I have to give Stevie credit," said Wong. "There were moments in the first half when he broke us down and that's what forced us to go to that zone."

The Warriors' 1-2-2 zone held Moanalua to just 19 second-half points, including six in the third quarter.

"It forced us to become a perimeter team," said Tacon. "Plus, it made the game slow. People are more deliberate against a zone, but when they play zone you've got to knock down shots."

Moanalua, which shot 32 percent from the field and 17 percent from 3-point range, was without starting forward Marcus Monroe, who found out six minutes before tipoff that he was ruled academically ineligible.

"He's our second leading scorer and we depend on him to do a lot of things around the basket," said Tacon. "We just didn't have enough offensive firepower to compete with them."

Kamehameha-Hawai'i, which has about 560 high school students, first fielded a varsity team in 2003 with all sophomores.

"We took our lickings," said Warriors' athletic director Bob Wagner. "But we never put limits on ourselves and this is very gratifying."

KS-HAWAI'I (15-2) 15 17 6 13 — 51

MOANALUA (12-6) 11 11 12 11 — 45

KAMEHAMEHA-HAWAI'I — Russell Kackley 4, Kawika Cazimero 0, Isaiah Kekaualua 9, Kulani Soares 1, Cody Waltjen 7, Kealoha Kramer 14, Colton Collins 12, Hogan Rosehill 4. Totals 19 9-16 51.

MOANALUA — Josiah Kauhola 6, Austin Miranda , Randy Starks 2, Shane Aquino 0, Stevie Austin 18, Josh Kure 6, Ryan Hua 11, Shawn Richey 2, AJ Kirkman 0, Maurice Allen 0. Totals 16 10-11 45.

3-point goals : KS-Hawai'i 4 (Waltjen 2, Kekaualua, Kramer). Moanalua 3 (Austin 2, Hua).

Reported by HHSAA

'IOLANI 81, KAMEHAMEHA-MAUI 60

Bricen McCartney ignited a third-period rally hitting three 3-pointers and Pablo Warner scored 19 points to lift 'Iolani over Kamehameha-Maui in a consolation game at Blaisdell Arena. 'Iolani advances to a fifth-place game today against Kamehameha.

KS-MAUI (11-6) 21 17 12 10 — 60

'IOLANI (12-3) 14 22 27 18 — 81

KAMEHAMEHA-MAUI — Joshua Kong 2, Kaleo Demello 4, Jeff Oka 9, Kawaila Kong 0, Kekoa Turbeville 13, Lindsey Kalaiwa'a 0, Terani Richmond 1, Kalae Camarillo 1, Evan Garces 0, Kaiea Medeiros 8, Erwin Decoite 12, Bryan Pali 8, Kamalu Kaina 2. Totals 26 6-14 60.

'IOLANI — Kela Marciel 4, Andrew Skalman 0, Nick Christman 6, Kainoa Chu 0, Trevyn Tulonghari 1, Sheldon Lee 0, Lionel Fujioka 5, Berton Wong 0, Brandon Ball 4, Bricen McCartney 18, Pablo Warner 19, Kainoa Scheer 4, Taylor Mounts 10, Jarrett Arakawa 10. Totals 32 8-12 81.

3-point goals — KS-Maui 2 (Oka, Turbeville). 'Iolani 9 (McCartney 6, Arakawa 2, Warner).

Reported by HHSAA

KAMEHAMEHA 46, MILILANI 32

Pi'i Minns hit three 3-pointers and scored 13 points and Damien-Kelly Teramae-Kaehuaea added 11 as the Warriors outlasted the Trojans in a Division I consolation game at Blaisdell Arena. Mililani's Jonathan Keen scored eight points.

MILILANI (13-5) 11 4 11 6 — 32

KAMEHAMEHA (13-5) 11 5 12 18 — 46

MILILANI — Devin Hall 0, Scott Burns 5, Cody Kilthau 2, Moshi Mabry 0, Devon Castellano-Chock 3, Nick DeMusis 0, Reid Pangelinan 5, Bokoolaka Keto 0, Jonathan Keen 8, Aaron Lenchanko 6, Warren Duke 3, Nehoa Akina 0, Reginald Griffin 0. Totals 12 4-9 32.

KAMEHAMEHA — Kauila Miller 5, Kawika Lyons 0, Chaz Bajet 2, Brandon Dumlao 4, Pi'i Minns 13, Shawn Bode 2, Micah Christensen 0, Blake Viena 2, Jami Downey-Jovanovich 0, Jonathan Hew Len 7, Damien-Kelly Teramae-Kaehuaea 11. Totals 16 9-13 46. 3-point goals: Mililani 4 (Burns, Castellano-Chock, Lenchanko, Duke). Kamehameha 5 (Minns 3, Hew Len, Miller).

Reported by HHSAA

KAHUKU 65, CAMPBELL 62

Willie Ching had 19 points and 12 rebounds as Kahuku held off Campbell for the Division I consolation final at Blaisdell Arena. Eddie Gaines finished with 25 points for Campbell.

KAHUKU (12-6) 14 20 15 16 — 65

CAMPBELL (11-7) 14 11 17 20 — 62

KAHUKU — Jack Damuni 9, Mikeli Damuni 2, Willie Ching 19, Irwin Ah Hoy 7, Shiloah Te'o 2, Aulola Tonga 0, Kona Schwenke 10, Patrick Au 16, Galeai Malufau 0, Kohl Nauahi 0. Totals 27 9-13 65.

CAMPBELL — Zach Manuel 4, Kristian Manuel , Danny Mau 0, Kevin Newcomb , Christian Storment , Michael Makinano 5, Laval Harris , Timothy Hurd , Patrick Ward 6, Nicholas Daniels 6, Terence Tafai 13, Joseph Atimua 3, Eddie Gaines 25. Totals 26 8-14 62. 3-point goals: Kahuku 2 (Damuni, Ah Hoy). Campbell 2 (Atimua, Gaines).

Reported by HHSAA

Reach Kalani Takase at ktakase@honoluluadvertiser.com.