After six straight heartbreaking years of being denied, the Radford High School boys basketball team finally gained entrance into the state tournament last Saturday night.

Ironically, it was in anti-climactic fashion.

The Rams (10-4) raced past Kailua, 75-53, in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association quarterfinals at Mililani Gym. They will face defending league champion Kaimuki (9-5) in tonight's 5:30 semifinal at McKinley's Student Council Gym.

Campbell (10-3) plays Kalaheo (11-2) in the other semifinal at 7. Both games will be televised live statewide by OC-16.

It is rare exposure for Radford, which made the OIA playoffs in each of the past six years only to fall in quarterfinal action. Until this season, only the top four teams advanced to the state tournament.

The pain was worst in 2003, when the Rams went 10-0 in the OIA Western Division but were knocked out by Kalaheo in their first playoff game, abruptly ending the season.

"I know the whole history," said Radford coach Kai Enos, in his seventh year at the Rams helm. "It's nice to have what we finally have now."

His team left no doubt on Saturday, jumping to leads of 7-0, 13-2 and 20-4 in the first period before stretching it to 42-19 at the half. They led 60-32 after three quarters.

Radford did it behind torrid shooting — Gary Satterwhite even swished a 28-footer at the halftime buzzer — and also inspired play from guard Travis Daniels (20 points) and center Antonio Williams (18 points, five rebounds, four blocks).

Daniels scored almost all of his points on breakaway layups or drives to the basket, and Williams was nearly unstoppable in the post, scoring 16 points in the first half alone.

"Antonio did a lot of good things out there," Enos said.

Satterwhite, a smooth 6-foot-3 wing who was OIA West Player of the Year last season, added 17 points, five assists, two rebounds and two blocks.

But all of the Rams seemed to find their shooting touch.

"That's the best we've ever played," Enos said. "We don't even shoot like that in practice, so I don't know if we can duplicate it again. We've definitely got other holes we've got to fix."

Holding the lead was not a problem Saturday, but Radford showed an ability to self-destruct two weeks ago in a 70-52 loss to Mililani. The Rams had led by 10 late in the third period.

"That's why I still feel no lead is safe enough," Enos said.

He's hoping Radford can build any kind of lead against Kaimuki, which was equally impressive in knocking off West No. 1 seed Mililani, 59-52, Saturday. Senior post Keone Reyes again led the way with 20 points and 13 rebounds.

"He's such a smart ball-player," Enos said. "He's like a Charles Barkley. And that whole team has got playoff experience, they've been there all the time."

As for the Rams, no matter what happens tonight, they're already guaranteed to get the state tournament experience they've been waiting for all these years.

OIA DIVISION I AND II TOURNAMENTS

RED CONFERENCE

DIVISION I

FEB. 8

FIRST ROUND

AT RADFORD

Kaimuki 60, Wai'anae 39

Radford 61, Castle 46

AT MOANALUA

Leilehua 59, Kahuku 55

Moanalua 57, Pearl City 36

FEB. 10

QUARTERFINALS

AT MILILANI

Radford 75, Kailua 53

Kaimuki 59, Mililani 52

AT KALAHEO

Campbell 64, Moanalua 45

Kalaheo 56, Leilehua 35

TODAY

CONSOLATION BRACKET

AT MILILANI

5 p.m — Moanalua (9-5) vs. Leilehua (7-7)

6:30 p.m. — Kailua (8-5) vs. Mililani (12-1)

SEMIFINALS

AT MCKINLEY

5:30 p.m. — Kaimuki (9-6) vs. Radford (10-4)

7 p.m. — Campbell (10-3) vs. Kalaheo (11-2)

THURSDAY

Fifth-place game, at TBA

3:30 p.m. — Consolation winners

FRIDAY

AT MCKINLEY

5:30 p.m. — Third-place game

7 p.m. — Championship game

WHITE CONFERENCE

DIVISION II

FEB. 10

QUARTERFINALS

AT 'AIEA

Farrington 68, Waialua 37

'Aiea def. Thompson by forfeit

AT KAISER

McKinley 57, Waipahu 47

Kaiser 70, Nanakuli 60

TODAY

SEMIFINALS

AT KAISER

5 p.m. — Farrington (9-4) vs. 'Aiea (11-1)

6:30 p.m. — McKinley (8-5) vs. Kaiser (12-1)

THURSDAY

THIRD-PLACE GAME

AT TBA

5 p.m. — Semifinal losers

FRIDAY

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

AT MCKINLEY

5:30 p.m. — Semifinal winners

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.