Sophomore Korie Johnson scored a go-ahead layup with seven seconds left and top-seeded Radford held off Kamehameha-Hawai'i, 43-40, to capture its first First Hawaiian Bank Division II girls' state basketball title Friday night at the Blaisdell Arena

The Warriors (13-5) took a 41-40 lead with 17 seconds left after a turnover led to a layup by Katelynne Paleka-Kennedy. The Rams (17-0) called time with 13 seconds left before bringing the ball down court against the Warriors' press in what seemed an eternity. Once passed mid-court, Jemory Castro fired a pass to a wide-open Johnson inside the key, where drove to the hoop to put the Rams ahead.

"We were trying to get Jemory Castro the ball," said Johnson, who attended Punahou last year. "I guess the pass just got through and I just got the layup."

Johnson's layup wasn't in the plan, but how the Rams brought down the ball was, coach Tani Almont-Dutro said.

"Her bucket wasn't set up," Almont-Dutro said. "She's been clutch for us the entire tournament. She's only a sophomore. It's her first year with us, first year at Radford."

The Rams had to negotiate the Warriors' press just to get past the half-court line, as the second ticked away.

"It was slow motion," Almont-Dutro said. "But they worked it out and we got the bucket."

Added Johnson: "I was pretty nervous. I just tried to do what my coach said and live the moment."

The Warriors led by a many as seven with 7:24 left in the third quarter, but the lead changed six times the rest of the way.

The Rams led 39-38 with 52 seconds left after Imani Wimbush made one of two free-throw tries. But with 23 seconds left Chelsea Poe stole the ball from Johnson and eventually led to Paleka-Kennedy's layup that put the Warriors ahead, 40-39.

Radford's scoring was nearly even among its five starters, who accounted for all of the scoring. Kelsey Bash had 11 and Johnson 10, while Wimbush and Castro had nine each. Rachel Kapesi rounded her team's scoring with four.

The 6-foot-3 Paleka-Kennedy had game highs with 19 points and 15 rebounds for the Warriors.

DIVISION II ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Ashlee DeSantos, Maryknoll
Korie Johnson, Radford
Quynne Eharis, University High
Jessilyn Aki, Kapaa
Kalei Adolpho, Molokai

Most outstanding player: Katelynne Paleka-Kennedy, Kamehameha-Hawaii

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