‘Iolani Classic: Day 3 scores, live blog

Thursday’s games
Consolation
Kaiser 64, Fuxin (China) 35
Saint Louis 46, Mid-Pacific 31
Kailua 46, Roosevelt 45
Kamehameha 49, Kauai 48
Quarterfinals
Orange Lutheran (Calif.) 40, Miller Grove (Ga.) 38
Bishop O’Dowd (Calif.) 57, Lexington Catholic (Ky.) 49
St. John Bosco (Calif.) 83, Second Baptist (Texas) 78, 2 OT
Oak Hill (Va.) 82, ‘Iolani 39
High scorers
KAIS—Chance Kalaugher 17, Keoua Mahiko 12 (four treys), Isaiah Akiona 11 (three treys), Kelsey Lewis II 10 (two treys).
FUXIN—Baiqing Zhao 16, Hang Yin 11.
STL—Ihaka Johnson 13 (three treys), Jaymason Nunuha 10.
MPI—Drew Kargol 9.
KAIL—Hano Kohatsu 13.
ROOS—Kevin Foster 16.
OL—C.J. Hankins 13, Keisean Lucier-South 12.
MG—Lamont West 11, Raylon Richardson 10.
BOD—Paris Austin 16, Austin Walter 15, Ivan Rabb 11, Jeevin Sandhu 10.
LC—Walker Boothe 12, Michael Talbott 10.
SJB—Rodney Henderson 27 (four treys), Vance Jackson 20 (four treys). Jesus Zesati 18, Jordan Bell 13.
SB—Jalen Weber 30 (three treys), Will Burns 15 (five treys), Ty Dalton 10.
OAK— Lindell Wigginton 12, Daniel Giddens 10.
IOL—Bryson Hamada 6.

Friday’s games
Consolation
9 a.m. Fuxin (China) vs. Mid-Pacific
10:30 a.m. Roosevelt vs. Kauai
12 p.m. Kaiser vs. Saint Louis
1:30 p.m. Kailua vs. Kamehameha
3:30 p.m. Miller Grove (Ga.) vs. Lexington Catholic (Ky.)
5 p.m. Second Baptist (Texas) vs. ‘Iolani
Semifinals
6:30 p.m.Orange Lutheran (Calif.) vs. Bishop O’Dowd (Calif.)
8 p.m. St. John Bosco (Calif.) vs. Oak Hill (Va.)

Fuxin (China) vs. Kaiser
Normally, on the third day of the ‘Iolani Classic, I may not be assigned to cover it. I usually spend the morning editing video or running errands. I really should be doing both right now and having breakfast so this head cold won’t get worse.

But this was too much to resist: Kaiser vs. Fuxin (China). Why? It could be an epic battle between two young big players: Kaiser’s 6-foot-5 junior, Chance Kalaugher, and Fuxin’s 6-8 sophomore, Baiqing Zhao. The Chinese big man, if you haven’t been reading or watching, scored 19 of his team’s 22 points in an opening-round loss to Miller Grove (Ga.). He made the play of the day, as far as I’m concerned, in the final seconds of that blowout loss.

Miller Grove’s reserves decided to trap at midcourt, and they got two buckets to hit 96 points. They got a little greedy, hungry or both, and tried to trap Zhao, by far the tallest Fuxin player. But Zhao had his own plan. He crossed up one quick, smaller defender, and then crossed up the second guy, leaving them reaching in the air with no success. Zhao then swished a 24-foot trey.

He’s got potential, to say the least.

This morning, Kaiser and Fuxin have the opening game of the day in consolation action. After one quarter, Kalaugher had already taken nine shots, and by the half, he has 12 attempts. He’s 5-for-12 from the field and 2-for-4 at the foul line for 12 points along with 10 rebounds. That includes a follow-up slam dunk that brought the gathering of about 50 spectators here to a roar.

Zhao hasn’t been as active offensively, but he did embrace the chance to go one-on-one against Kalaugher. He brought the ball upcourt during one second-quarter possession, drove right, got double-teamed and kicked to the right corner. He got the ball right back in the post and went up for a 5-foot jump hook that barely missed.

Zhao is interesting to me. At a young age, he sees the floor well. He is valuable as a press-breaking weapon. He’s comfortable on the 3-point arc, though he’s not a prolific long-range shooter. Yet. He’s comfortable in the post. On one drive from the top in transition, he went hard and used a spin move right to draw contact and a foul. Just a sophomore with mobility and decent athleticism.

So far, he’s just 1-for-6 from the field, 4-for-5 from the line for six points and five rebounds with two turnovers. He isn’t surrounded with the kind of talent Kalaugher has, but he claps his hands on defense, tries to boost his team. I think he would translate well to American ball.

Kalaugher is effective as heck attacking the rim without the ball. He’s a willing passer, and though his outside shot isn’t quite there yet, he has really nice rotation on his release. He’s just a junior, so the little things will matter at some point. He dribbles in a step to take an 18-foot 2-point shot, and on one occasion, had his toe on the 3-point line. Minor stuff for a young player. But his explosiveness and toughness, plus work ethic, make him a good watch for me.

Halftime: Kaiser 25, Fuxin 11

End Q3: Kaiser 51, Fuxin 29
The battle has gotten better as the game has gone along. Zhao is pushing the ball on the break, and on one play drove right at Kalaugher, lifted off and switched to his left hand for a nice layup.

Major 3-point barrage by Kaiser over Fuxin’s 2-3 zone in the third. Keoua Mahiko was especially hot.

The quarter ended on a nicely-drawn play by Jian Zhang. He called time with 2 seconds left, and had Zhao start in the key, run two or three steps toward midcourt hard. Then the passer at midcourt out of bounds lobbed an alley-oop to the basket and Zhao banked the ball in at the buzzer.

Fuxin PG Hang Yin is actually shooting the ball now. He knocked down two nice treys and a reverse layup. He looks a lot like a park player in a good sense — when he shoots. Needs to shoot more.

Zhao got his first rest with about 2 minutes left in the third. I don’t think Kalaugher has left yet — until now, with 5:16 to play.

FINAL: Kaiser 64, Fuxin 35
Kalaugher sat the rest of the game, and the Cougars played with a lot of energy for a team that was on the floor just 15 hours or so ago. Fuxin tired out somewhat, understandable with Zhao playing almost every minute. After Kalaugher sat down, Zhao scored two buckets inside, but seemed to get tired and lost interest without the challenge. He’s almost deferring to his teammates. Even Yin waved at him to cut to the basket, but Zhao stood on the arc. Worn out.

It was worth getting here for the early game. Kalaugher is explosive and though he loves basketball, I wonder how many football coaches watch him play and would love to have him on their college football teams. He hasn’t played football at Kaiser.

Zhao is intriguing, too. If there was a Chinese exchange program and he transferred to Hawaii, the possibilities would be astounding. Imagine him at ‘Iolani with 6-8 sophomore Hugh Hogland and 6-4 Kamu Borden. I’m sure Dean Shimamoto would not mind one bit.

Statistics
Kalaugher 5-15 FG, 7-10 FT, 14 REB (9 offensive), 1 A, 1 S, 1 B, 1 TO, 17 points
Zhao: 6-15 FG, 4-6 FT, 10 REB (3 offensive), 2 A, 3 TO, 14 points

For what it’s worth, Coach Shimamoto said it’s not out of the possibility for a foreign student to attend ‘Iolani. He mentioned that there’s interest at ‘Iolani in opening up a little bit to international students. It is very tough qualifying, of course, but who knows? Maybe in a year or so Zhao will be on Hawaiian soil hooping it up. If his dream is to play college basketball in the U.S., it would be a logical step.

End Q1: Saint Louis 18, Mid-Pacific 12
A lot more folks in the gym. One of the guys here said that it’s the final day of class before Christmas break, so teachers are bringing their students here.

Jaymason Nunuha’s corner 3 at the buzzer opened the lead to six points. STL shooting 3-for-6 from deep, very patient against MPI’s 2-3 zone.

MPI has just six players in uniform. Justin Daise, their strong post defender, hurt his knee last night and is on the bench in an Owls T-shirt and sweat pants.

Halftime: Saint Louis 28, Mid-Pacific 19
The Crusaders were 4-for-8 from the arc in the first half, just two attempts in the second quarter. MPI did a good job of slowing the pace down by being deliberate on offense. Coach Ryan Hirata is having to coach his tail off, but it’s getting results.

Q3: Saint Louis 31, MPI 26, 2:06
Nunuha is gone. He’s not on the bench. It’s finals week. My guess is guys are busy taking exams.

End Q3: Saint Louis 36, Mid-Pacific 28
Crusaders having some struggles against the 2-3 zone, but they’re patient for the most part. Owls got it down to 31-26, but keeping Saint Louis off the offensive boards is an issue.

FINAL: Saint Louis 46, Mid-Pacific 31
Crusaders shot 7-for-16 from the arc. MPI played the final minute with just four players after two fouled out.

End Q1: Kailua 18, Roosevelt 15
The Surfriders are getting easy shots in the low post against the smaller Rough Riders. Kevin Foster’s scoring has kept Roosevelt in the game. The senior guard has 11 points already.

Halftime: Kailua 27, Roosevelt 22
Rough Riders coach Steve Hathaway not very happy with his team’s lack of intensity. Kailua is massive compared to Roosevelt in the paint. They’re doing a good job getting back on defense, too. They’re also doing a better job of keeping a hand in Foster’s face. He had 11 points in the first quarter and three in the second.

Q3: Roosevelt 28, Kailua 27, 5:45
Rough Riders have picked up the intensity. Their halfcourt trap has forced four Kailua turnovers, and they’ve converted in transition three times for a 6-0 run. Time out, Kailua.

End Q3: Roosevelt 40, Kailua 30
Rough Riders running the floor and Kailua is dragging. That’s a 12-3 run to close the third quarter. Foster only scored two points in the third, but he had two assists, two steals and a block to trigger the break.

Q4: Roosevelt 40, Kailua 37, 5:24
With Foster on the bench, Kailua cut the lead to 40-35 as Roosevelt took low-percentage shots. Rough Riders missed a fastbreak layup and Kailua scored inside to cut the lead to three.

Q4: Roosevelt 42, Kailua 42, 2:04
Time out, Kailua. Roosevelt shooting itself out of the lead as Kailua goes on a 10-0 run to tie it. Matthew Gaspar’s 13-foot runner tied it at 40. Roosevelt took some bad shots in traffic under the basket. Straying from what worked earlier.

Q4: Kailua 46, Roosevelt 45, :05.2
Kailua took the lead on Keoni Serikawa’s layup, 44-42, but Chasten Marcos came up with a steal and Jake Kawasaki tied it on a layup. Another Marcos steal led to a Marcos free throw for a 45-44 lead, but Kamu Scheer’s 15-foot jumper rolled around the rim and fell with 7 seconds left for a 46-45 lead. Time out, Roosevelt, :05.2.

Q4: Kailua 46, Roosevelt 45, :01.5
Hathaway is steamed. Foster drove fullcourt, got tackled by a Surfrider about 8 feet from the basket, and no intentional foul was called. Only the third foul by Kailua, so Roosevelt inbounds from the side.

FINAL: Kailua 46, Roosevelt 45
They inbound to Foster, who turns the corner, drives to the basket and draws contact, no foul. The defender was jumping vertically as Foster tried to jump in and create a foul. Tough no-call. The shot was no good.

Kailua perseveres, but really, it was Roosevelt’s strange shot selection with a 10-point lead that cost them a win. Preseason is a time for learning…

Foster finished with 16 points, three rebounds, two teals, two blocks and three assists with one turnover.

End Q1: Kauai 11, Kamehameha 11
Warriors led 9-3 when Kauai coach Ipo Yoshioka called time out. His team went on an 8-0 run to take the lead. Kamehameha has been in man and zone defenses, and coach Greg Tacon continues to play his entire, young roster.

Halftime: Kamehameha 29, Kauai 27
The Red Raiders led for most of the second quarter, but Kamehameha’s perimeter shooting was on via Jayden Zarrioello and Saint Gelacio. Fatu Sua-Godinet’s tough runner in the paint gave the Warriors the lead with about 15 seconds left in the half.

End Q3: Kauai 44, Kamehameha 40
Big 3-pointers had Kauai up by 10, but Sua-Godinet drove for a bucket, then hit a running 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Q4: Kauai 44, Kamehameha 44, 7:07
Kauai’s 1-2-2 zone has stymied the Warriors, but they’re getting fastbreak buckets by Sua-Godinet. He just scored twice in transition and has now scored nine points in a row to rally his team.

Q4: Kamehameha 49, Kauai 48, 1:15
Kauai led by two and took a 3-point shot that missed with 1:36 left. Why did they shoot? Good question. Sua-Godinet just drilled a trey from the top to give KS the lead. Each team with just three team fouls.

FINAL: Kamehameha 49, Kauai 48
The Red Raiders ate up the last 1:15. A baseline shot was blocked, and on the final scenario, PG Jassem Cumlat ran the clock down, drew two defenders, passed to Michael Booth. NBA-range trey from the right wing missed at the buzzer.

END Regulation: St. John Bosco (Calif.) 52, Second Baptist (Texas) 52
Bosco missed a 10-foot turnaround at the buzzer. Second Baptist had a 49-43 lead in the final 2 minutes, but Bosco went on a 9-0 run for a 52-49 lead. Jalen Weber drove for an old-fashioned and-1 three-point play to tie it up.

End OT: SJB 61, SB 61
Bizaare. Second Baptist was whistled for 10 seconds as its PG, Weber, brought the ball upcourt very slowly. Then SJB was called for a 5-sec violation. All in the last 12 seconds!

FINAL St. John Bosco (Calif.) 83, Second Baptist (Texas) 78, 2 OT

End Q1: Oak Hill 21, ‘Iolani 14
Five turnovers for the Raiders, who are playing fairly well despite the enormous size difference.

Halftime: Oak Hill 31, ‘Iolani 23
Lot of alley-oop dunks by the Warriors. Raiders staying close by hitting treys. They closed a 12-point deficit in the final minute of the half.

End Q3: Oak Hill 55, ‘Iolani 28
The Warriors took full command at will, it seems. Complete domination, a multitude of fastbreak dunks.