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Boys' Basketball: No. 7 Kaimuki outlasts 10th-ranked McKinley for third place in OIA
Posted at 1:22 AM
Now that Kaimuki has defeated McKinley to secure third place in the OIA, the question remains: Who will get the more favorable draw in the state tournament? Recent history shows that the OIA's fourth seed has been better served. For now, a look back at Kaimuki's win. By Paul Honda HONOLULU—Kaimuki head coach Stephen Lee considers Kekoa Onaga as one of his most confident, unflappable players. Onaga proved his coach right again Friday night. The junior point guard overcame a pair of turnovers by sinking four free throws in a row in the final 41 seconds, helping the Bulldogs outlast McKinley, 46-39. A growing crowd at McKinley High School Student Council Gym endured a humid evening in anticipation of the championship game. Kalaheo won the league crown, 60-44, over Mililani. Seventh-ranked Kaimuki (13-4 OIA, 21-7 overall) secured third place in the O’ahu Interscholastic Association boys’ basketball playoffs. Tenth-ranked McKinley, which finished fourth in the league, will join Kaimuki, Kalaheo and Mililani as the OIA’s representatives in the state championships, which begins Wednesday at Neal Blaisdell Arena. Senior center Dexter Tautofi had 10 points and nine rebounds for Kaimuki. Tone Fa’asoa, Tautofi’s backup, also scored 10 points in the pivot, while Onaga finished with 10 points. Jimmy Miyasaka added eight. Abel Werner led McKinley (9-6) with 16 points. Robert Holder tallied 11. McKinley trailed by eight points late in the game, but Onaga turned the ball over on consecutive possessions. After Werner powered inside for a layup, the lead was down to 42-38 with 1:06 left. That’s when Onaga buckled down, handling McKinley’s full-court pressure and sinking foul shots to provide the Bulldogs with its final seven-point cushion. It was a relative turnaround for Kaimuki, which lost to McKinley 46-45 January 27. Previous Article: Boys' Basketball: No.3 Kalaheo pulls away from No. 4 Mililani for OIA crown © Copyright 2003 HondaReport.com/Leahi.Net
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