Chance Kalaugher puts up a lay-up attempt against Iolani. Kalaugher had a double-double of 24 points and 18 rebounds in the win. CJ Caraang | SL

Purchase image 1 of 1

Tue, Dec 29, 2015 @ Punahou

---

Iolani

46

Kaiser

53

Final	1	2	3	4
Iolani (9-5, 19-9)	18	15	6	7	46
Kaiser (12-2, 28-7)	13	21	8	11	53

• Points
• Rebounds
• Assists

C. Kalaugher 24 pts  4 3pm  2/5 FTs

R. Mann 13 pts  3 3pm  4/5 FTs

C. Kalaugher 18 tot  7 off  11 def

K. Mahiko 5 ast

Z. Gelacio 5 ast

MAKIKI — Chance Kalaugher poured in 24 points and 18 rebounds to help Kaiser knock off top-ranked Iolani, 53-46 in the semifinals of the 44th annual Punahou Invitational Tuesday night. 

A crowd of about 1,500 at the Hemmeter Fieldhouse were on hand to see the Cougars (13-2), ranked third in the ScoringLive/Hawaiian Electric Boys Basketball Power Rankings, hand the Raiders (9-4) their first loss to a Hawaii-based team in the preseason.

Kaiser, who is now classified as a Division I team by the Oahu Interscholastic Association, will wrap up its preseason schedule against second-ranked Punahou in the 16-team tourney final. Back-to-back wins against the top two teams in the state should give the Cougars plenty of confidence going into their league opener against Castle next Tuesday. 

"I think this is going to be huge for our guys as we go through the tough OIA season," said Kaiser coach Branden Kawazoe, whose team won the Division II state title a season ago. "This preseason was an absolute difficult one for us. Playing all of the six (Interscholastic League of Honolulu) Division I teams is a good test for us. If you're in close ones in the preseason, it can kind of carry you as you go through the season."

The contest saw 10 lead changes and four ties before Kaiser used a 10-0 second half run to give itself a commanding 47-39 advantage early in the fourth quarter. Kalaugher jumpstarted the run with a putback basket to tie the game at 39, and had a straightaway triple over 6-foot-9 Hugh Hogland just before the end of the third quarter to give the Cougars the lead for good.

"When we get shots at the end of quarters, it gives us a lot of energy going into the next quarter," said Kalaugher, the reigning ScoringLive All-Hawaii Division II Player of the Year. 

Hogland did not start and played limited minutes while nursing an ankle injury that kept him out of the Raiders' first two games of the tournament. His absence in the post helped Kaiser win the rebounding battle, 45 to 25, with 20 coming on the offensive glass.

"I think he mades a difference on both ends of the floor," Iolani coach Dean Shimamoto said on missing Hogland. "It was great to get this game in with the majority of it without him in there, knowing that without him we're still pretty competitive and that if we have him at full strength, we can be a different and better team." 

The Raiders were well adjusted to playing without their interior presence and took advantage of driving lanes in the guard-heavy lineup. The result was a 18-13 lead after the first quarter thanks to a hot start from outside the arc (4 of 5). 

Iolani was able to keep its shooting from 3-point land at a decent percentage throughout the first half, going 6 of 10 before the break. 

However, the second half was a different story. The Raiders went 1-for-4 on 3-point attempts after halftime, with the lone make resulting in the final points of the game.

"I think we stopped attacking," Shimamoto said on the difference in the second half. "We didn't get as many good looks. Sometimes it just balances itself out." 

With All-Hawaii Division II first team selection Keoua Mahiko having a rough shooting night (1 of 10), it was the play of reserves Michael Miske and Isaiah Akiona that helped Kalaugher and the Cougars claw back into the game. Miske generated a handful of fast break opportunities and finished with nine points and Akiona had eight points with two made treys.

"They played their hearts out tonight," Kawazoe said on Miske and Akiona. "They do the little things really well for us. Akiona getting in there, banging a couple of threes and hitting the boards, those are the kind of things that the coaching staff doesn't go unnoticed. Michael Miske was big with his ball pressure, his ability to get deflections and get into passing lanes. It's incredible. It's a benefit to our energy and the team that we have."

Robby Mann, who led the Raiders with 13 points, gave Iolani its largest lead of the game, 29-22, with a trey from the left wing. Kaiser answered with a 3-point barrage of its own for a 9-0 run. Miske started the streak with a trey and Kalaugher knocked down back-to-back triples to give the Cougars their first lead of the game since the 6:04 mark of the opening quarter.

Two Mann free throws and a Zach Gelacio basket put Iolani back ahead, but Akiona's triple gave Kaiser a 34-33 advantage at the half.

The third quarter was a defensive struggle for both teams as possessions came up short most of the time. Iolani went up 37-36 on a Cameron Chang bucket before Shimamoto was whistled for a technical foul at the 4:04 mark of the period. Shimamoto was upset about a no call after Nick Kennedy appeared to get hacked by two Kaiser players after using a pump fake near the basket. 

Kalaugher split the two technical free throws to tie it at 37 before Mann found Hogland for an easy layup to give Iolani its final lead of the game, 39-37 with 1:50 left in the third quarter.

INJURY UPDATE: The Cougars are expecting the return of senior Isaiah Lundell (right ankle) within the week, Kawazoe said. Lundell, who started for the Cougars at the four spot a season ago, missed most if not all of the preseason.