KAILUA - Cameron Howes scored on a layup with one minute, 12 seconds left and Konawaena rallied by Saint Francis, 48-45, Friday night in the semifinals of the Pete Smith Classic boys' basketball tournament at Kalaheo gym.

The Wildcats will play host Kalaheo 7:30 p.m. Saturday for the tournament championship.  The Mustangs beat Punahou II, 57-34, in the other semifinal.

In the fifth-place semifinals, Mililani beat Campbell, 63-54, in a battle of OIA Red West teams and Maryknoll II defeated Le Jardin, 44-43.

Saint Francis' Ranan Mamiya led all scorers with 16 points, including three 3-pointers.  Matthew Nuumanaia added 12 points, including a pair of 3s.

Jonah Bredesen led the Wildcats with 15 points with Brandon Awa adding 10, eight of which came in the second half.

Saint Francis will play Punahou II for third place at 6 p.m.; Mililani will meet Maryknoll II for fifth place at 4:30 p.m.; and Campbell will take on Le Jardin for seventh place at 3 p.m.

The Wildcats trailed 45-42 with 2:10 left in the game when Blayne Won sank two free throws.   Awa pulled Konawaena to 45-44 with two minutes left.

With 1:25 left, Saint Francis turned over the ball on a traveling violation.  Konawaena worked the ball around and Howes drove from the top of the key to make the go-ahead basket.

"We wanted to space the court and get a good high-percentage shot," Kona coach Donny Awa said. "We've been working on that; it's not our good-point right now. We're good at a fast pace, that's our best game. But we're not good at closing out quarters and killing some clock and getting off a good shot at the end of it right now."

Leading 46-45, Awa added another basket with 33 seconds left to increase the Wildcats' lead to three.

The Saints' Justin Sarsuelo missed a 3-pointer two seconds left to secure the win for Kona.

Konawaena stumbled out of the blocks, trailing 14-7 after the first quarter before chipping away to pull to within 23-21 by halftime.  

"We're not a good-starting team," coach Awa said. "That's been one of our problems. I think our lazy warmups are not a good thing either. That's our secret weapon; anybody watching us warmup are not going to be too worried about us."

The Wildcats opened the second half with a 9-0 run to take a 30-23 lead. But the Saints stormed back in the fourth when consecutive 3-pointers by Mamiya put his team ahead, 41-40, with 2:35 left in the game.  But Kona tied it at 41 when Bredesen made one of his two free throws with 2:12 left.

Nuumanaia made two free throws to put Saint Francis ahead, 43-41, with 2:13 left.  Bredesen made one of two free throws with 2:12 left to pul Kona to 43-42, only to see the Saints widen their lead to 45-42 with 2:10 left on Won's free throws.  That would be the Saints' last points of the game, as Kona mounted its rally.