Kaiser's Chance Kalaugher slams down two of game-high 28 points in a win over Waiakea. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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02191657_KaisWaia__0291.jpg - Greg Yamamoto | SL

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No. 4 Kaiser capitalized on its size to take down fourth-seeded Waiakea, 77-61, Thursday night in the quarterfinals of the OC16 Division I boys' basketball state tournament at McKinley's Student Council Gymnasium.

The Cougars (13-2) will meet top-seeded and No.1 Iolani (10-5) in the 7 p.m. semifinal Friday at the Stan Sheriff Center. This is Kaiser's farthest advancement ever in the state tournament.

The Warriors (14-1), who suffered their first loss of the season, will play Baldwin (9-6) in a fifth-place semifinal, 1 p.m. Friday at the SSC.

Chance Kalaugher, a 6-foot-5 forward, and Keoua Mahiko, a 6-3 guard, combined for 51 points. Kalaugher led the way with 28 and led his team with nine rebounds, as well as his team's only two blocks. Mahiko, who was second on the team with six rebounds, led with three 3-pointers.

"It was a physical game," said Kalaugher, one of two Cougars to draw four fouls. "It's my kind of game. When it gets like that, I have to keep my head and I can play my game. I think I did a good job of keeping my head tonight."

The Cougars wanted to establish the inside.

"Anytime we can get good looks inside early, it always helps us out for the entire game," Kaiser coach Branden Kawazoe said. "Fortunately, we were able to get some good looks early that translated into some 3s and openings and run outs. Proud of how our defense played."

The Warriors outrebounded the Cougars, 37-29, but Waiakea coach Paul Lee thought Kaiser was better at its secondary shots. (For the record, Waiakea had 16 offensive rebounds to Kaiser's 9.)

"We couldn't control the boards," Lee said. "(The Cougars) must've got 20 offensive rebounds. I think that was the big difference in the game."

One difference was fouls. Kaiser had 13 personals to Waiakea's 20.

"We felt we were going to the hole and we weren't getting that contact (call) and they were getting that down there," Lee said. "It kind of rattled our boys. They came in thinking, if they're getting those calls, we'll get the thing back. But a lot of it is our fault. We turned over the ball way too many times. We settled for 3s and that's not really our game….Give Kaiser credit. That's why they were No. 1 all year. Their skills players are very good."

Kawazoe felt the performance was one of his team's better games this season.

"We thought it was one of the more complete basketball games that we played offensively and defensively," Kawazoe said. "The energy was there, but we gotta get better with the little things, taking care of the basketball, making solid passes. Moving forward, we have to tighten those things up."

Waiakea only led in the first quarter, but saw its 12-10 lead dissipate on a 7-0 run by the Cougars to close the quarter.

Kaiser took its 17-12 lead and extended it to 23-12 to start the second period. Waiakea followed with a 6-0 run to make it 23-18, but Kaiser answered with a 12-0 run en route to a commanding 35-21 lead at the break. The Warriors could not pull to within a single-digit deficit in the second half.

It was the second consecutive win for the Cougars since losing to Kalaheo in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I championship.

"That was a big goal for us, to win (the OIA title), but it's not going to stop us from keep going ahead," Kalaugher said. "We have a new mentality. It's brand new. We have to play."