The Moanalua boys basketball team last night made the plays, played with poise and ended Kalaheo's perfect season.

Now, Na Menehune will be playing for the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red Conference championship.

Josh Kure scored 18 points and Moanalua ended the game on an 8-0 run to beat No. 1-ranked Kalaheo, 54-48, in the semifinals.

"If we play them 10 times, I don't know if we can beat them more than once or twice. They're a really good team," said Moanalua coach Greg Tacon.

Moanalua, the East's No. 3 team, will play Mililani for the title tomorrow at 8 p.m. at McKinley. Na Menehune's last OIA boys basketball championship came in 1990.

"I'm happy; we're going to the championship," sophomore Josiah Kauhola said. "We played good defense at the end and pulled out the victory."

Kalaheo, the East champion and top-ranked team in The Advertiser poll, took its largest lead at 34-25 with 5:23 left in the third on a 15-foot pull-up jumper by Cheynne Lishman.

"We wanted this so bad and we played our hearts out," said Moanalua's Marcus Monroe. "They had us down. Everybody here was down; we were arguing with each other. Our coach is such a good coach. He managed to push us through this. 'Guys stay together, guys stay together.' That's all he said to us. 'We got this, we got this.' "

Kauhola scored seven points during a 12-3 Moanalua run that tied the score 37-37 entering the fourth.

"We wanted our guards to be a little more active on the top, try to create a little more because we were so stagnant," Tacon said. "He (Kauhola) knocked down some shots. He had the courage to take the big shots and he did."

The Mustangs' final lead came at 48-46 after a couple of free throws by Richard Preza-Haynes with 2:47 left.

Kure tied it with a field goal and Monroe's layup put Moanalua (11-4) up 50-48 with 1:32 remaining.

Kalaheo (13-1) had a chance to tie, but missed a layup with 10 seconds remaining. Moanalua's Stevie Austin was fouled with 4.5 seconds remaining and a technical foul was called against Kalaheo after a Moanalua player was shoved down near midcourt.

Austin hit all four free throws for the final margin.

Austin scored 12 points and Monroe had 11 for No. 8 Moanalua, which was 17 of 33 from the field, including 7 of 15 from 3-point range.

Kure hit all four of his 3-pointers in the first half, Monroe made two and Kauhola had one for Na Menehune.

"They played to their strengths and hit a bunch of shots," said Kalaheo coach Chico Furtado. "We talked about protecting that 3-point line and we didn't do a very good job of doing it. We left shooters to go help with guys who are not shooters. You can't do that."

Monroe, a 6-foot-4 sophomore, was solid on the boards and blocked a few shots.

He said he was a shooting guard while playing in Alexandria, La., and is adjusting to playing inside for Moanalua.

"Marcus is still learning how to play," Tacon said. "He gets discouraged, he kind of loses focus. When he has the ball in his hands, he just has to focus. We have a long way to work with him, but he's done a nice job scoring for us."

Kure scored 14 points to keep Moanalua in the game in the first half. No other Na Menehune scored more than three points as Kalaheo took a 28-23 lead.

"I just got open shots and other people weren't getting open shots," Kure said of the first half. "When I get the ball, I just look for my opportunities."

Lishman scored 16 points for Kalaheo, which finished 17 of 41 from the field, including 4 of 17 from 3-point range.

"We just kind of hung in there and we got better defensively," Tacon said. "They didn't get as many easy inside baskets. That was the key for us because they scored so easily on the inside."

Kalaheo will play Campbell for third place Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at a site to be determined. The OIA will have five representatives in the Division I state tournament.

Moanalua (11-4) 10 13 14 17 — 54

Kalaheo (13-1) 14 14 9 11 — 48

MOANALUA — Josiah Kauhola 9, Randy Starks 2, Stevie Austin 12, Josh Kure 18, Marcus Monroe 11, Ryan Hua 0, Shawn Richey 2, Maurice Allen 0. Totals 17 13-15 54.

KALaheo — Alika Kaanapu 7, Keano Bruhn 2, Taylor Jay 6, Richard Preza-Haynes 7, Bruce Andrews 0, Christian Kepa 0, Cheynne Lishman 16, Aaron Fernandez 0, D.J. Chang 10. Totals 17 10-13 48.

3-point goals: Moanalua 7 (Kure 4, Monroe 2, Kauhola 1). Kalaheo 4 (Lishman 2, Jay 1, Preza-Haynes 1).

Reported by Nicole Cale

MILILANI 69, CAMPBELL 66

Jon Keen scored 18 points and Reid Pangelinan added 16 to propel the Trojans, who lost starting point guard Curtis Murakami to a probable torn right Achilles injury at the end of the first period.

Mililani coach Hiram Akina said Murakami, a senior, is likely out for remainder of the season.

The Trojans and Sabers played virtually even in a fast-paced, up-and-down full-court game that was tied 60-60 with 2:35 remaining on a 15-foot jumper by Campbell's Michael Makinano. But a layup by Pangelinan 12 seconds later started Mililani on an 8-0 run capped by Keen's two free throws with 1:10 left.

The Sabers cut it to 68-64 after a steal and layup by Makinano with 26.5 seconds remaining, but Warren Duke pushed it to 69-64 on a free throw with 11.5 seconds left.

Campbell's Eddie Gaines then went coast-to-coast for a layup to make it 69-66 with 3.7 seconds left, but the Sabers committed an intentional foul with 1.6 seconds remaining and could not get the ball back even after two free throw misses.

Gaines finished with a game-high 26 points and Makinano added 17 points to lead Campbell.

Campbell (10-4) 15 15 16 20— 66

Mililani (12-3) 16 13 16 24 — 69

CAMPBELL — Zach Manuel 4, Danny Mau 0, Christian Storment 0, Michael Makinano 17, Nick Daniels 4, Patrick Ward 4, Terrance Tafai 8, Joseph Atimua 3, Eddie Gaines 26. Totals 28 7-12 66.

MILILANI — Scott Burns 9, Cody Kilthau 0, Curtis Murakami 2, Nehoa Akina 6, Devon Castellano 0, Aaron Lenchanko 8, Warren Duke 10, Nick DeMusis 0, Reid Pangelinan 16, Jon Keen 18. Totals 25 16-23 69.

3-point goals: Campbell 3 (Makinano 2, Atimura). Mililani 3 (Lenchanko 2, Akina).

Reported by Kauri Antonio

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.