Kahuku rallies past Punahou for Division I state boys basketball title

MANOA – The title returns to the North Shore.

In a dramatic finish before 2,438 fans at the Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center, Kahuku edged defending champion Punahou, 40-38, to capture the title at the Hawai‘i Army National Guard/HHSAA Division I Boys Basketball State Championships on Friday night.

The Red Raiders (25-4) dethroned the Buffanblu (27-9) to claim their first state championship since 2017 and the program’s fifth overall crown. Kahuku closed the season on a 15-game winning streak.

“It feels amazing and I’m just so happy that we won,” said Kahuku junior guard Inoke Lloyd.

Inoke Lloyd (3) scored the game-winning basket for Kahuku in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter. | Photo: Riley Guillermo, HSRN

Lloyd delivers in the clutch

Lloyd provided the defining moment of the night, scoring the game-winning basket in the final seconds. He made a backdoor cut and finished off a perfectly-timed bounce pass from DC Aukusitino to put Kahuku ahead for good.

The Red Raiders’ comeback was fueled by resilience after a slow start. Kahuku trailed by as many as 14 points and went into halftime down 22-9 after making just two of 19 shot attempts in the first half.

“I mean, nine points in a half — that was crazy — but these guys battled,” said Kahuku coach Brandyn Akana. “I knew we would turn the tide at some point, we just didn’t know when. We were running out of time and sure enough (in) the last minutes, that’s when we came on strong and showed our grit.”

Kahuku outscored Punahou 31-16 in the second half, including a 17-6 edge in the fourth quarter. The Buffanblu led 32-23 entering the final period.

“We were down big at halftime, but coach just told us to stick with it and we stayed good on defense and we got the lead at the end,” Lloyd said.

“It was kind of like, ‘Hey, let’s stick with it. We know what we got and let’s continue to grind,’ ” Akana added. “The guys did it. They never thought it was over. We just chipped away slowly and I’m proud of the guys, but that’s who they are.”

Kahuku’s DC Aukusitino puts up a jump shot against Punahou in the title game. | Photo: Riley Guillermo, HSRN

Defense turns the tide

Defense proved to be the difference. Punahou shot just 4 of 20 (20 percent) from the field in the second half and went 0 for 6 from 3-point range after halftime. For the game, the Buffanblu were 1 for 14 from beyond the arc.

“Halftime, we just said, ‘We’re going to spread it out and we’re going to attack and we’re going to move the ball like we’ve done all year,’ but our main focus was defense,” said Kashus Daley. “Every practice coach preaches defense and we feed off our defense, so that’s what we do.”

Kahuku’s Kashus Daley put in work in the state championship game with 26 points. | Photo: Riley Guillermo, HSRN

Daley was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after scoring a game-high 26 points. He knocked down two 3-pointers and went 14 for 16 from the free-throw line.

Punahou, which saw its 11-game winning streak snapped, was led by Tanoa Scanlan with 14 points and Ethan Chung with 11 points and nine rebounds. The Buffanblu had 12 offensive rebounds, creating extra scoring opportunities that kept the game tight.

Road to the koa head

Kahuku’s championship run required navigating a gauntlet of Interscholastic League of Honolulu opponents on three consecutive days.

After earning a first-round bye by defeating Kailua, 35-32, in the OIA championship, the Red Raiders opened state play with a 57-50 quarterfinal win over ‘Iolani on Wednesday. They followed with a 42-38 semifinal victory over Saint Louis on Thursday before toppling Punahou in the title game.

“We talked about it at the beginning of the season, that if we want that koa head, we gotta go through all three ILH teams,” Akana said. “They set us up that way and we just took it one game at a time and I’m just happy how everything ended up.”

Kahuku head coach Brandyn Akana holds up the koa head trophy towards the Kahuku crowd. | Photo: Riley Guillermo, HSRN

Kahuku accomplished the feat without leading scorer Ronin Naihe, a 6-foot-6 junior guard averaging 17.2 points per game. A fractured wrist sidelined him for the final five games of the season, making the Red Raiders’ championship push even more improbable.

In the end, Kahuku’s grit, defense and timely execution delivered a comeback for the ages — and a long-awaited return to the top.

Hawaii Army National Guard/HHSAA Boys Basketball State Championships All-Tournament Team
(As selected by the HHSAA and the media)

Division I
Mystique Akina-Watson, Kahuku
Ethan Chung, Punahou
Keanu Meacham, Saint Louis
Maddox Pung, Kailua
Tanoa Scanlan, Punahou

Most Outstanding Player
Kashus Daley, Kahuku

Kahuku senior guard Mystique “Tiki” Akina-Watson cuts down the nets after the Red Raiders won the state championship. | Photo: Riley Guillermo, HSRN

The Kahuku crowd celebrates after the Red Raiders won the state title. | Photo Credit: Riley Guillermo, HSRN

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