The Rough Riders storm the court after besting the Falcons in triple-overtime for the OIA D2 crown. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Thu, Feb 11, 2016 @ McKinley

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Kalani

43

Roosevelt

45

F/3OT	1	2	3	4	OT	2OT	3OT
Kalani (4-7, 12-15)	7	13	8	0	6	6	3	43
Roosevelt (3-8, 11-16)	6	11	7	4	6	6	5	45

J. Elwin 20 pts  5 3pm  3/4 FTs

K. Nishimura 12 pts  2 3pm  2/2 FTs

Freshman Micah Visoria's 3-pointer at the buzzer from the right wing lifted Roosevelt over Kalani, 45-43, in triple overtime Thursday night to give the Rough Riders their first Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II crown since 2010.

It was the fourth OT in OIA championship history, including Division I, but the first to go three OTs.

"The way we started the season until now, it's a complete 180," Roosevelt coach Steven Hathaway said. "I don't' even know if you can say that. I'm so proud of these guys. They went battling, battling, battling. Two weeks ago, we lose to Kaimuki by 30 and we lost to these guys (Kalani) by double digits. We turn it around and win the OIA. Wow."

Just how tough a start is was for Roosevelt? The win improved the Rough Riders to 6-8 heading into the D2 state tournament.

The Falcons, who finished second in the D2 East, fell to 6-8.

"Obviously disappointed," Kalani coach Nathan Davis said, "but it was an amazing game. Both teams hit big shots. They just happened to hit the last big shot."

The Falcons got a loose ball, but could not control it as it went out of bounds with 7.9 seconds left. When play resumed, the Rough Riders moved the ball around, but Visoria was the only player open from about 23 feet, where he hoisted his game-winning shot just before the buzzer.

The Falcons took a 28-24 lead into the fourth quarter, when they did not score at all. The Rough Riders tied the game with 10 seconds left on a basket by Nayton Koki.

The game was tied at 34 after the first OT and 40 in the second OT. Roosevelt's Jared Elwin's 3-pointer with two seconds left forced the third OT.

Kalani went up 43-40, but Elwin's two free throws with 1:23 left pulled the Riders to within one. Later Roosevelt called time with 40 seconds, but when time was in, it nearly lost the ball with 7.9 seconds. When the Rough Riders put the ball in play, it was Visoria, one of the team's leaders in scoring, who came up big.

"I just waited for the ball and let it fly," said Visoria, who added he just happened to be the open shooter on the play.

But his shot was no fluke.

"I trust him," Hathaway said. "I told him he was going to hit a lot of those in his career. Earlier in preseason, he missed two game-winners, he was the game-winner against Kailua. He saved us for now. That kid is the best shooter I've seen come into the program and he's only a freshman. He's only going to get better. God, that was a huge shot."

In the third OT, Roosevelt missed its first two shots. Eventually, Kalani's Kobe Ikari's free throw gave the Falcons a 41-40 lead. Then with 1:58 left, Kapaa Nishimura's layup increased the Falcons' lead to 43-40.

With 1:23 left, Elwin converted both ends of a bonus to cut the Riders' lead to one. It stayed that way until Visoria's clutch shot.

The Falcons were nursing a 28-24 lead entering the fourth period. Roosevelt's Jason Talbo scored with six minutes left to cut the Riders' deficit to 2. Roosevelt turned over the ball twice, but Kalani, looking only for open shots, were content on just passing the ball around. Roosevelt, four fouls to give before the bonus, committed four consecutive fouls, eventually sending Ikari to the line for a bonus with 51.7 seconds, but he missed and Triton Ramos got the rebound and Roosevelt called time with 34.7 seconds. When play resumed, the Riders tied the game at 28 with 10 seconds left on a basket by Nayton Koki, his first and only field goal of the game, to send the game into OT.

The Falcons opened a 34-29 lead in the first OT, but a 3-pointer by Elwin – one of his five in the game – cut the deficit to 2. Then Talbo stole the ensuing inbounds pass and scored on a layup to tie the game at 34 and drew a foul. He couldn't convert the three-point play, but Kalani failed to hit its bonus with 1:13 left with Micah Kawano at the line. The game remained tied to send the game into its second OT.

The game was then tied at 36 when Nishimura got a steal and Ikari completed the fast break with a layup to put the Falcons ahead, 38-36.

With 29 seconds left, Elwin only made the front end of a bonus, only to see Kalani's Nishimura increase his team's lead at 40-37 on two free throws with 22 seconds left.  But Elwin's fifth 3-pointer of the game with two seconds forced the third OT.

The big turnaround in the Rough Riders' season might have been their mental approach. Hathaway said he brought in sports psychologist Darryl Oshiro, who has worked with sports teams, including the Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs.

"He's been doing some sessions with us and it just changed our mindset," Hathaway said. "Even for us, the coaches. Usually, I'm a raging lunatic on the side, oh, god, it's really helped."