Keoua Mahiko tied his season-high with 28 points to help top-ranked Kaiser to a 54-47 win over McKinley in a semifinal game of the OIA Division I Tournament. Tyler Guieb | SL

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02101624_IMG_8797.jpg - Tyler Guieb | SL

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Keoua Mahiko matched his season high with 28 points to help top-ranked Kaiser to a 54-47 win over McKinley in an Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I semifinal at the Tigers' Student Council Gymnasium Tuesday night.

The Cougars improved to 12-1 and will face No. 7 Kalaheo for the league title Thursday night.

Kaiser, the top seed from the Eastern Division in the 12-team tournament, never trailed in the game.

Mahiko, a 6-foot-3 senior guard, shot 6 of 9 from the field. He made three of his team's six 3-pointers and was 7 of 10 from the free-throw line.

"He was as big as he's been for us in any game," Cougars coach Branden Kawazoe said of Mahiko. "He steps up in the biggest of moments and he's been rock solid for us all year and he came through again tonight."

Mahiko was the only Kaiser player to score in double figures.

Chance Kalaugher, who entered the game averaging 16 points per game, battled foul trouble all game. The 6-foot-5 forward had just four shot attempts from the field and finished with four points — his second-lowest scoring output of the season.

"I never felt like I had to take over but at times, when my team likes to get me the ball, they get me the ball in good spots and without Chance I had to be one of the main options on offense and I just took care of business," Mahiko said.

The Cougars shot 45.9 percent (17 of 37) from the field, including 6 of 17 from behind the arc, and was 14 of 25 on free throws.

Kaiser outrebounded McKinley, 30 to 19.

Isaiah Lundell grabbed a game-high nine rebounds for the Cougars, who have won the last two OIA D2 titles and are coming off a D2 state crown last year.

"It feels great to be in the championship game," Mahiko said. "We've been working hard all offseason to win a D1 state championship and that's our goal and we're trying everything to get there."

Jeremy Coloyan had 14 points and Huthifah Abdel Jawad 13 for the Tigers (10-4), who shot 37.1 percent (13 of 31) from the field and 19 of 28 from the free-throw line.

Kaiser led at halftime, 27-24. It led by as many as 11 points in the second half.

Kaiser also defeated McKinley in the regular season, 69-40, back on Jan. 22.

Tip off between the Cougars and Mustangs Thursday is slated for 7:30 p.m. at McKinley. It will follow the D2 final between Roosevelt and Kalani at 5:30 p.m.

The East third-seeded Tigers will visit West top-seed Leilehua 6 p.m. Thursday in the D1 third-place game.