Kaiser's Keoua Mahiko drives to the basket against Kalani. Peter Caldwell | SL

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022015_1304_OIAChamp_010.JPG - Peter Caldwell | SL

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Kaiser used its considerable height advantage in imposing its will against Kalani in a 49-36 win Thursday night to capture its second consecutive Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II boys' basketball championship at McKinley's Student Council Gymnasium.

The Cougars (9-4), the only Division II team in the ScoringLive/OC 16 Power Rankings at No. 8, avenged a 78-77 season-opening loss to the Falcons (5-9). But Kaiser finished tied for third in the East with Farrington at 7-4. As the only Division II team placing among the top seven, Kaiser will be promoted to Division I next season.

"This is what we've been waiting for," Kaiser guard Keoua Mahiko said. "This is what we wanted the whole time since the season started."

With the title, Kaiser will earn a first-round bye for next week's New City Nissan Division II state tournament. Kalani will join the Cougars in the eight-team tournament.

Kaiser's 6-foot-5 post Chance Kalaugher and 6-2 guard Keoua Mahiko - both juniors on a team with only two seniors - combined for 33 points and 27 rebounds in a game the Cougars never trailed.

"The plan was to keep them out of foul trouble," Kaiser coach Branden Kawazoe said. "When they're on the court, they're extremely effective. Kalani's a good team and they play a really hard man-to-man defense. We prepped for that; we put in a couple offensive sets for it. Our goal was definitely to get the ball inside, get it to our guys who make the plays. This is all on the players. They executed."

As aggressive as he played, Kalaugher managed to not commit a foul.

"The key for me is to stay out of foul trouble," Kalaugher said. "I just had to stay on the ground and not block shots as much."

Kalani's Alexander Tungpalan put up a valiant effort with a game-high 21 points, including three 3-pointers. But the Falcons were no match under the boards against the Cougars, who garnered 47 rebounds to Kalani's 21.

The Cougars converted four of five three-point plays. On the only one they failed when Nicolas Tom missed his free throw, Kalaugher crashed through the key and scored off the rebound.

Mahiko and Kalaugher each had mini runs to open the Cougars' lead. Mahiko had a personal 7-0 run that increased Kaiser's lead to 29-12 in the second quarter. Kalaugher had a 6-0 run that gave Kaiser its largest margin at 41-17.

The Falcons had a tough time solving the Cougars, who mixed zone with man defenses.

"We tried our best to run their shooters off the line," Mahiko said. "Chance (Kalaugher) was having a great day blocking shots. They couldn't get it over him."

"They did a really good job of going to their strengths," Kalani coach Nathan Davis said of Kaiser's height advantage. "We weren't able to counteract that."

The OIA plays an integrated geographical schedule. Though the Cougars were tied for third in the East, or better than three other Division I teams from their own division, it is hard to tell how it would have fared in the Division I tournament, won by Farrington, which Kaiser beat during the regular season.

"It's hard to say," said Kawazoe, regarding how his team might have fared in the Division I tournament. "The D1 has a lot of good teams, the Kahukus the Kalaheos, the West side, Campbel, Leilehua. It's tough. We would've given our best shot. Hopefully, next year we'll get our chance to compete at the Division I level and see what happens there."

With only two seniors, the lone starter being Kelsey Lewis II, the Cougars return the bulk of their team.

"I don't know if we would've been ready this season, but next season I think we'll be OK," Kalaugher said of the Cougars' future.