McKinley's Caleb Corpening goes in for a layup in the third quarter against Leilehua. Michael Lasquero | SL

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McKinley's Caleb Corpening goes in for a layup in the third quarter against Leilehua. Michael Lasquero | SL

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It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog — or in this case, the Tigers.

McKinley outhustled a bigger Leilehua team for 32 minutes to hold on for a 36-31 win over the tenth-ranked Mules in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I quarterfinals at Waialua's Gymnasium Monday night.

The Tigers, who also clinched a state berth into the Snapple Division I Boys Basketball Championships, moves on to Monday's semifinals where they will host defending champion Kahuku at Student Council Gymnasium.

Leilehua, who has six players on its squad that is 6 feet or taller, recorded double-digit blocks against the smaller Tigers, but could not match McKinley's energy and effort on the 50-50 balls.

McKinley, who was led by Caleb Corpening's game-high 17 points, outscored the Mules in the first three quarters to keep Leilehua at bay.

The Tigers scored the first six points of the fourth quarter and led by as many as 11 points, 33-22, before Liam Fitzgerald sank a free throw with 1:44 left in regulation for the the Mules' first point in the final period of play.

Fitzgerald had 14 points and Tashaun Wright added 12 more to lead Leilehua in the loss.