Kamehameha puts stunning end to Punahou’s season

The script seemed perfect, almost too perfect for Punahou.

A big comeback against a scrappy Kamehameha squad with reserve guard Hailey Motooka making big plays. Cap the night off with a celebration amid the bustling atmosphere at the annual Punahou Carnival.

But the Kamehameha Warriors had their own ideas, getting clutch free throws by Krystal-Lei Mills and Kealani Ryder in the final 29 seconds for a wild, heart-stopping 34-31 win over No. 4 Punahou at Mid-Pacific’s Mills Gym Friday night.

By winning the Interscholastic League of Honolulu’s second-place tournament, No. 8 Kamehameha (8-6 league) qualified for the state tournament for the first time in years, and abruptly ended the season for perennial power Punahou (12-4, 9-4 league), which had won four state titles in the previous eight years under then-coach Mike Taylor. New coach Kekoa Taliaferro’s Buffanblu squad handed ‘Iolani its only loss in league play one week ago.

“We made states and we’re so happy for the kids,” said first-year Warriors coach Darold Imanaka, who also praised his assistant coaches.

He issued a command to his team on game day.

“I told them earlier, ‘We’re going to states. That’s what we came here for.’ ”

In the final minute, Mills went coast to coast with a rebound, drew a foul and hit two free throws with 29 seconds left to give Kamehameha a 32-31 lead.

“We were disciplined, we stayed strong and we did what we had to do for the win,” Mills said. “I knew that I was going all the way to take that shot.”

Punahou had the ball under the basket with a chance to regain the lead, but Ryder stole an inbounds pass intended for Mysha Sataraka. Ryder went to the foul line with 12.4 seconds remaining. She hadn’t been to the foul line since the first quarter, when she missed two shots.

“I just focused. I forgot about the misses,” said Ryder, who sank both free throws for a 34-31 Warriors’ lead.

Punahou’s Turner Wong launched a 22-footer from the left wing with 5 seconds left, but her shot was blocked by Kennedi Akana and rebounded by Alohi Robins-Hardy, who dribbled out the final seconds as the Warriors began their celebration before a hearty crowd of about 300 fans.

“Coach said to watch whoever takes the 3-point shot. I was surprised that I touched it,” said Akana, a senior who was also a middle blocker on the volleyball team. “I knew we could all do it.”

Mills and Lilia Maio had eight points apiece, and Robins-Hardy had eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds in her new role as a starter.

“The system was entirely new to them,” Imanaka said of his team’s steady, season-long improvement. “They bought into it.”

Traffic was clogged in Makiki as Punahou arrived at Mills Gym with 12 minutes to warm up before tip-off. Kamehameha was already well into warm-ups.

The Warriors opened a 14-6 lead early in the second quarter on a layup by Robins-Hardy on a pass from Brachelle Nueku. Their lead could have been much larger if not for eight first-quarter turnovers.

Punahou stayed close, but Kamehameha spread the floor and went into a delay game offensively. For most of the third quarter, the tactic worked; a jumper by Maio made it 28-20 with 3 minutes to go.

The Buffanblu used fullcourt pressure and five points from senior Reina Furuya for a 9-0 run. Motooka’s free throws gave Punahou a 29-28 lead with 5:18 left.

Kamehameha returned the favor on a tough drive by Mills for a 30-29 lead with 4:44 remaining, but Keaupono Fey’s jumper in the lane off a pass from Samantha Alakai pushed the Buffanblu ahead 31-30 with 2:47 remaining.

From there, it was a torrent of full-court pressure, deflected passes, missed layups and bruises by each team. Twice, Punahou had the ball and a chance to seal the win, but came up empty. An errant pass by Sataraka ended one possession, and a missed layup at point-blank range by Fey gave Kamehameha a ray of hope.

The Warriors committed 19 turnovers against Punahou’s mix of half-court traps and man-to-man defenses. They shot 39 percent from the field (14-for-36), missing all five tries from 3-point range. Punahou shot 29 percent from the field (12-41), including 1-for-13 from 3-point range against a sticky halfcourt man defense.

Brandon Kaiura had a game-high 10 points as the Raiders overwhelmed the Patriots.

Sarah Liva scored a game-high 15 points as the Royals qualified for the Division II state tournament with a victory over the Saints.
Hanalani (12-3) qualfies as the ILH’s fourth seed in states.