Kalaheo outlasted McKinley in a low-scoring affair, 33-29, to claim the school's first OIA White division crown, and first overall league title since 2004.

The Tigers opened with a 11-7 lead to end the first quarter, but Kalaheo outscored McKinley by an 11-5 count in the second period, to take a 18-16 lead into the break.

Jace Bolosan's three-pointer with 2:30 left in the third got the Tigers to within a point at 23-22, but Josh Ko hit a triple of his own just fifteen-seconds later to bring the margin back to four.

Ko would stretch the lead out to 28-22 with another hoop with just over a minute gone by in the fourth, when on the ensuing play McKinley's Alex Ironside was fouled on a drive to the hoop by Kalaheo's Shem Sukumaran, who picked up his fourth foul at the 6:53 mark.

The 5-foot-11 guard remained on the floor following the play, holding his leg in what appeared to be an ankle injury. Maaauna Viengmany came in to replace Ironside at the line, and made both free throws to pull the Tigers to back within four.

Ironside appeared to be fine when he made his return at six-minute mark, but would be held scoreless for the remainder of the game. He would finish with just 5 points in the contest, well under his 14.1 average in league play.

Back-to-back baskets by Kui Williams and Wilhelm Rivera with just under five minutes to play would trim the Kalaheo lead again to just two points at 30-28.

Down the stretch, it was Sukumaran, who had remained on the floor despite the four fouls, who would come up big for the Stangs, calmly hitting two clutch free throws with 32.8 ticks on the clock to push the lead back out to 32-28.

Kalaheo head coach Alika Smith spoke about his junior guard's performance in the fourth. "I have the utmost faith in him (Sukumaran) to go out there and play smart, and that's exactly what he did. He wasn't afraid to come and get the ball, and get fouled knowing that it's a one-and-one, and he knocks down two of them."

McKinley made one of two free-throws with 25 seconds left in regulation to trim the lead to 32-29, but would not get any closer.

And following two McKinley chances at the rim coming out of a timeout with just 16 seconds left on the clock, the ball would ultimately end up in the hands of Sukumaran once again for two more free-throws with just 4.4 to play.

"We shoot a lot of free throws in practice and coach just tells us to relax at the line, and just all pressure was off." said Sukumaran, who would hit the front-end to make it a two-possession game at 33-29.

He would miss the second, but the desperation heave from halfcourt at the buzzer missed, giving the Mustangs the win.

Both Kalaheo and McKinley will be representing the OIA in next week's HHSAA Division II Boys Basketball Tournament.

"I'm just so happy for them, and how much hard work they put in, and its paying off," said Smith.

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