Farrington's Molimau Heimuli attempts a reverse layup against Leilehua in the second half of an OIA D1 semifinal game at Waipahu Tuesday night. Michael Lasquero | SL

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Tue, Jan 24, 2017 @ Waipahu

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Leilehua

38

Farrington

52

Final	1	2	3	4
Leilehua (10-3, 15-12)	6	17	7	8	38
Farrington (9-1, 16-5)	16	9	11	16	52

M. Heimuli 20 pts  10/13 FTs

K. Kamelamela 13 pts  2 3pm  3/4 FTs

WAIPAHU – Well, what can't Molimau Heimuli do?

The 5-foot-11 senior scored a double-double with a game-high 20 points with 12 rebounds to help No. 6 Farrington roll by defending champion and No. 10 Leilehua, 52-38, in the semifinals of the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I girls' basketball tournament Tuesday night at Waipahu gym.

The Governors (13-4) will play Kaimuki, which handed the Govs their only regular-season, for the OIA D1 title Thursday at Waipahu. Since that loss, the Govs have won nine in a row. Farrington is seeking its first league crown since winning the D2 title in 2014. Kaimuki won the past two D2 titles.

"We're just glad to be here," Farrington coach Caroline Tatupu said. "We know we have a tough challenge ahead with Mona (Faasoa, Kaimuki's coach) and her team."

Last year, Farrington lost in the semifinals to Roosevelt, 55-51, in double overtime.

"Hat's off to them, to Carol (Tatupu)," Leilehua coach Elroy Dumlao said. "I know she believed she belonged in that championship game last year and I guess that was the hunger for her to get her team playing hard."

Tatupu guided Farrington to D1 titles from 2009 to 2011. Farrington won the D2 crown in 2014 under Steven Leopoldo.

Shayla Cabato-Machado added 13 points for the Governors, while Kaylen Kamelamela (13 points) and Shaylee Todani (12) combined for 25 for the Mules (15-10), who will face Mililani for third place on Thursday.

Besides scoring and rebounding, Heimuli also brought the ball down court on some occasions.

"She's finally came around to it, finally stepped into that role where if she's not scoring, she has to handle the ball," Tatupu said. "She has to be a decoy. She's been a big plus for our team."

An unstoppable force, Leilehua learned.

Farrington started the game going long distance, as Chantal Mailou hit three 3-pointers in the first period to put her team ahead, 16-6, after the first quarter.

Leilehua chipped away to start the second period to pull to within 16-13 before Cabato-Machado converted a three-point play to open the Govs' lead to 19-13.

Kamelamela and Todani then combined for eight of Leilehua's eight unanswered points to take a 23-19 lead with 1:57 left in the half, the Mules' largest lead. But the Govs closed the half with a 6-0 run to take a 25-23 lead into the half.

The Mules seemed to catch fire early in the third period. Todani opened the second half with a 3-pointer to give the Mules a 26-25 lead that was later erased when Heimuli made three free throws after being fouled from 3-point range. But Kamelamela's pull-up jumper tied the game at 28. The Govs then put the clamps on those two, as neither hit from the field after that. Tatupu had her players guard them hard, even using players off the bench to assure there would fresh legs going against the Mules' offensive threats.

"Their sole job was to make sure they don't touch the ball," Tatupu said.

The Governors also contained the Mules' season-leading scorer, Chyel Palmer, who did not hit a field goal until the second half and finished with four points.

From then on, the Govs pulled away, opening the fourth with a 14-2 run.