No. 8 Kailua fends off No. 7 Kapolei

Everett Torres-Kahapea put up 21 points and hit the game-winning shot with 4.1 seconds remaining. Peter Caldwell | SL

Everett Torres-Kahapea hit a running bank shot with 4.1 seconds left to lift No. 8 Kailua to a 60-58 win over No. 7 Kapolei in the semifinals of the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I boys basketball tournament at McKinley's Student Council Gymnasium Monday night.

The Eastern Division second-seeded Surfriders (10-3) had three players score in double figures, led by Torres-Kahapea's game-high 21 points. Isaiah Hopson and Lydell Romero added 13 points apiece in the win.

The Hurricanes (11-1), the top seed out of the Western Division, suffered their first loss of the season.

The game was tied at 10 after the first quarter. Kapolei held a 30-25 lead at halftime and led by as many as 10 points on De'Zhaun Stribling's basket to take a 37-27 lead with 6:25 left in the third quarter.

However, Kailua went on a 10-0 scoring run to tie it at 37 on a Nainoa Peters' putback at the 4:50 mark of the third.

Kapolei pulled even at 58 late in the game when Nathaniel Whitehurst was fouled in the act of shooting a 3-pointer with 14.2 seconds left and made all three of his attempts from the free-throw line.

After Torres-Kahapea hit the go-ahead shot on the other end of the court, the teams traded timeouts before the Hurricanes got the ball to Whitehurst on the left wing, but his potential game-winning 3-pointer was blocked by Hopson just before the final buzzer.

Whitehurst scored 15 points and Ja'Shon Carter 14 for the Hurricanes, who also got 10 apiece from Stribling and Andrew Jones.

Kailua will take on East top seed and sixth-ranked Moanalua for the OIA title at 7 p.m. Wednesday at McKinley. It will be making its first appearance in a league final since 1982.

Kapolei will host Kahuku at 6 p.m. Wednesday for third place.