No. 1 Iolani knocks off Baldwin, 43-27

Iolani's Hugh Hogland notched eight blocks to go along with four points and six rebounds in a win over Baldwin. Greg Yamamoto | SL

Baldwin's sights on reaching the OC16 Division I boys' basketball state tournament semifinals were clouded by Hugh Hogland Thursday night.

Iolani's 6-foot-9 center blocked eight shots to help the No. 1 and top-seeded Raiders beat the Bears, 43-27, at McKinley's Student Council Gymnasium.

The Raiders (10-5), the only seeded team left in the championship bracket, will face No. 4 Kaiser (13-2) in a 7 p.m. semifinal Friday at the Stan Sheriff Center.

The contest will match two of the state's premiere bigs in Hogland and Kaiser's 6-5 Chance Kalaugher. Both can be dominating, yet both have some of the best supporting casts around them.

"Knock down, drag out tomorrow," Iolani coach Dean Shimamoto said. "I'm expecting it. They're tough. They've got scorers. They've got coaching. I think it's going to be one of the better games all season."

If anything, the Raiders should be physically ready. Even with the game close, the Raiders began subbing their starters. When Iolani cushioned its lead in the second half, it basically cleared its bench.

No Raider played more than 19 minutes. Helam Baldomero led the Raiders with 14 points in just 16 minutes on the court. Shimamoto could afford to keep his players fresh because of the team's strong defensive play. Baldwin shot a dismal 23.9 percent from the field.

"Last year, we went into the tournament, I think fatigue got the better of us, late in the games, in the semifinals and finals," Shimamoto said. "I think we're more conscious of it this year."

Shimamoto said he was satisfied with the flow of the game early that he willingly subbed even when the game was still close in the first half. Baldwin scored only a field goal in the second quarter, while the Raiders were being selective in their shooting, passing the ball around, waiting only for clear openings.

Brother Chayce and Taje Akaka led the Bears with nine and six points, respectively. Only one of Chayce's field goals came in the Bears' dismal first half.

Baldwin (9-6) will play fourth-seeded Waiakea (14-1) in a fifth-place semifinal at 1 p.m. Friday at the SSC.