SALT LAKE – Farrington overcame a tight first half to earn themselves the East’s top seed in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red Division playoffs.

The Governors, ranked No. 5 in the ScoringLive/OC16 Boys Basketball Power Rankings, outscored Kahuku by 19 in the second half to come away with a 60-39 win at Moanalua’s gym Saturday night. With the win, Farrington improves their record to 21-4 overall, 10-1 in OIA Eastern Division play. They will have a first round bye in the league’s upcoming 12-team playoffs.

“So happy our kids played so well,” Farrington coach Allan Silva said after the game. “This is a big win because we get the top seed. That was a goal, to get the top seed heading into the playoffs.”

Van Hugo was they catalyst for the Governors’ big second half, going 6-for-7 after the break to score all of his 14 points. Hugo also finished with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.

“He’s an incredible athlete,” Silva said on Hugo.

Despite the lopsided score, it was the Red Raiders who had the lead early. Kahuku flustered the Governors by trapping their ball handlers and double-teaming anyone attempting to post up in the lane. Samuta Avea’s triple from the wing gave the Red Raiders a 10-8 lead heading into second quarter.

“Kahuku played very well the first half,” said Silva. “We didn’t execute our defense or our offense.”

Another reason why the Red Raiders were able to maintain an early lead was due to their shot-blocking ability.  Soli Afalava led the effort with three of the teams’ total six blocks.

“They’re talented, there’s some talented athletes,” Silva said on Kahuku’s shot-blocking ability. “We weren’t surprised.” 

Kahuku continued to control the pace of the game in the second, but Farrington’s Jacob McEnroe would not allow the Red Raiders to run away with it. The 6-foot-3 senior made two 3-pointers to help the tie the game at 16-all. McEnroe scored nine of his 14 points in the first half to help the Governors take a two-point halftime lead. 

Reserve big man Mason Semisi also was also a key factor for the Governors in the second quarter. Haven’t played in the first, Semisi scored four points with four rebounds, providing quality minutes in the post. Semisi’s buzzer-beating layup from Isaiah Visoria made the score 24-22 in favor of Farrington at the break.

A trip to the locker room was all that was needed to get the league’s best team back on track.

“We made some adjustments in the locker room at half time,” said Silva. “We had to move our feet on defense and challenge our man and help each other.”

Held scoreless in the first half, Hugo was red hot to start the third quarter, knocking down back-to-back triples. Both attempts were from the same spot and from guard Isaiah Smith. Hugo also had to carry the load in the second half, especially since McEnroe picked up his fourth foul at the 4:13 mark of the third quarter. 

“I tried to step up because I knew Jacob is in (foul) trouble,” said Hugo. “We had no one to get rebounds so I tried to do what I can to contribute.”

Farrington’s strong start to the third quarter carried throughout the remainder of the game, leading to a 36-17 second half differential.

Another big factor in the Governors’ win was their intensity on the defensive end. Farrington gathered 12 total steals, led by Visoria who finished with four.

Kahuku’s Keanu Akina led the team with 10 points on three made 3-pointers. Hirkley Latu also added eight points and seven rebounds in the loss. 

The Governors will enjoy a first round bye in the playoffs, and will await the winner between the West’s fourth seed and the East’s fifth seed.

“We ready for playoffs now,” said Silva. “It was a good regular season. We (finished) 10-1, that’s done already. Now it’s playoff time, everybody is 0-0”