‘Akahi Troske’s magical month may have no end, not until the Punahou Buffanblu are champions.

The 6-foot-6 senior, who returned from injury three weeks ago, hustled for an offensive rebound and follow shot with five seconds left in overtime to break a tie and give Punahou a thrilling 52-50 win over Kahuku in the semifinal round of the OC 16/HHSAA Boys Basketball Division I State Championships.

Chris Kobayashi led Punahou with 13 points and Zayne Chong added 11. Troske had 18 points and 20 rebounds in the quarterfinals against Lahainaluna, the latest sterling effort through the postseason.

Kahuku, the OIA’s fifth-place team, was on a spectacular trajectory at the state tourney, routing Konawaena and OIA champion Kalaheo. On Friday night, the Red Raiders were down 50-47 in overtime when Keanu Akina splashed a 24-foot trey with 22 seconds left.

With the game tied, sophomore Cole Arceneaux drove the lane and tried a layup, but his shot was altered by Kahuku center Bradlee Anae. That freed up Troske, who hustled for the putback that gave the Buffanblu the lead.

“Last year, (Anae) was a lot smaller,” Troske recalled. “I just wanted to crash as hard as I could. It just opened up.”

Kahuku raced upcourt and Hirkley Latu was corralled by defenders as he passed midcourt. He was unable to get a shot off before the final horn, and Punahou, the ILH runner-up, breathed a sigh of relief.

“The gift of this team is that they’re unselfish and share the ball,” Punahou coach Darren Matsuda said.

The teams hadn’t met since last year. Troske (four points, 11 boards) had his hands full trying to defend the paint against Anae, a 6-4 force who finished with 22 points on 9-for-17 shooting. Anae had seven of his 21 rebounds on the offensive glass. His fellow twin tower, 6-4 Hirkley Latu, faced double- and triple-teams all night. Latu finished with 16 points, two boards and two steals.

“Anae’s a beast,” Matsuda said. “Troske’s strong, too. If they’re going to allow a physical game, it’s going to be tough. Kahuku’s always going to be athletic.”

Led by Anae’s effort, Kahuku won the battle on the boards 37-29.

“There’s nothing to feel bad about. Punahou’s a good team and there’s a reason they’re still playing,” Kahuku interim coach Brandyn Akana said. “We didn’t have a great night, but we kept coming back. I love these kids.”

The Red Raiders trailed most of the way, but managed to battle back by attacking the low post through the big men. However, 3-for-12 shooting from the arc and 16 turnovers derailed their opportunities.

“One thing I’ve learned through everything is that the more consistent, patient team comes through,” Anae said.

Punahou used a mix of fullcourt man and 2-2-1 zone press defenses in the first half. Kahuku trailed 11-6, but scored the next six points to take the lead. Hunter Lee was a factor as soon as he entered, turning two steals into an and-1 play and a layup. Those plays gave Punahou a 15-13 lead going into the second quarter.

The Red Raiders got within 17-16 after Latu worked the low post for a turnaround bank shot, but Chong fed Duke Clemens for a layup and Lee swiped another Kahuku pass for a layup. After Arceneaux stole a Latu pass and scored on the other end, Punahou led 23-17 going into halftime.

Punahou rolled in the third quarter, using a 9-2 run to open a 13-point lead. That’s when Akana switched his defense up and lined up Latu near midcourt at the head of a 1-2-2 press.

That sparked a 9-0 run for the Red Raiders, who got five points in a row from Anae to close within 35-33.

Punahou stayed ahead until Anae scored in the post to tie the game at 43 with 25 seconds left in regulation. He then stole an inbounds pass by Punahou in the final seconds, and the game went into overtime.

Jared Lum scored off the tip that started the extra period, and after Chong drilled a straightaway 3 off the dribble, Punahou led 48-43 with 2:15 to go.

Leading 50-47, Punahou had Troske at the foul line with 28.3 seconds left, but he missed two foul shots, setting up the game-tying 3 by Akana.

Reaching the state final is something that didn’t look likely when Punahou was 1-4 midway through the ILH regular season.

“It’s awesome. A lot of people were doubting us,” Troske said. “I forgive them.”