KEAAU — One of coach Jun Pagala’s goals is for his team to shoot better than 70 percent from the free throw line.
In his first two years, Keaau had a bad habit of missing from the charity stripe that cost the Cougars a spot in the four-team BIIF Division I playoffs.
Last year, the Cougars hit their free throws and secured a spot to the postseason, and that strength carried them to a 59-54 victory over Hawaii Prep in a BIIF free-throwing shooting contest on Thursday night at their gym.
All the drama was saved for the second half, starting from the third quarter when Keaau held a 21-point cushion that whittled to a three-point lead with under 3:24 remaining in the game.