Kekaulike Advances to Title Tilt with Corona, Calif.

King Kekaulike’s Chase Iwata-Bartelme (14) scored two of his 14 points on this move to the basket in the second half as Lahainaluna’s Manny Brands (25) defends. Photo by Rodney S. Yap.

By Rodney S. Yap

For the King Kekaulike High School boys basketball team it’s all part of the learning experience.

Friday’s lesson against Lahainaluna was on starting slow and finishing fast.

Trailing by as many as 10 points in the early going, Na Alii closed out the Lunas, 52-47, by using a 19-6 fourth-quarter run at War Memorial Gym.

The win helped Na Alii advance to the championship game of the 42nd Annual St. Anthony Invitational Basketball Tournament Saturday night against Corona High School of Calif. The championship game is slated for 8 p.m.

Corona advanced by beating Ka’u, 80-29.

The road to the final was a lot more difficult for King Kekaulike.

“In the first quarter we came out a little listless, and I don’t know why that is,” said Kekaulike head coach Bill Naylor. “Then we started playing a little harder. They have some shooters and we got some mismatches. But they have some kids who can shoot the ball and they got up on us by 10 and we started chipping away.”

Jansen Agapay scored seven of his 16 points in the fourth period, and Chase Iwata Bartelme and Jacob Havron both finished with 14. Two of Havron’s total came on a slam dunk two minutes into the fourth quarter that sent a surge of energy through the King Kekaulike team.

“We have the speed, but Lahaina is really quick, too. But we didn’t want them setting any kind of tempo so if they got into any kind of running game we were going to pull the ball back a little bit since we got the height advantage on the inside. So we tried to get the ball to Jacob as much as we could.”

Most of Havon’s points came in the paint.

“As soon as he learns how to really take the ball to the hole than we’ll be pretty tough to play with,” Naylor added.

King Kekaulike’s Jacob Havron dunks this ball on a breakaway in the fourth quarter. Photo by Rodney S. Yap.

“We have to settle in and understand that we can be a own worst enemy if we stop doing what we’re supposed to do. . . . Once we got going, all of a sudden their eyes changed and they got a little confidence. I know they were a little tired but they have to learn to suck it up.”

Lahainaluna’s Emil Cariaga scored 18 points, including three 3-pointers, and Jake Francis had nine.

CORONA, Calif. 80, KA’U 29

Zachary Perez scored 18 points, Marcus Cortez added 11 and Nolan Kelly had 10 as Corona won the first semifinal.

Jensen Candaroma led Ka’u with five points.

KAMEHAMEHA MAUI 75, ST. ANTHONY 29

Kolby Ah Sau had a team-high 13 points and Micah Mossman had 12, and Erin Lindsey 11 as Kamehameha Maui defeated host school St. Anthony. The Trojans were led by Preston Masanda’s six points.

ROOSEVELT 54, SEABURY HALL 48

Bryson Quakenbush and Valen Inaura finished with 10 points apiece as Roosevelt defeated the Spartans. Seabury Hall was led by Kaleb Palmer’s 14 points and Cameron King added 11.