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Kalani Takase | ScoringLiveFebruary 24, 2024, 11:00pm
Sat, Feb 24, 2024 @ Blaisdell
This one was thrice as nice.
Pupualii Sepulona recorded game-highs of 11 points and seven rebounds to lead No. 1 Saint Louis to its third consecutive state championship with a 48-39 win over No. 2 Punahou Saturday night.
The Crusaders (14-3) led the Buffanblu (12-3) throughout and led by as many as 13 points before a crowd of 3,194 fans at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center arena in the title game of the Heidi & Cook/HHSAA Division I Boys Basketball State Championships.
"I'm so happy for the guys and their commitment," Saint Louis coach Dan Hale said.
It is the first three-peat for the Crusaders since they won three straight under legendary coach Walter Wong from 1966 to 1968 and is the longest state championship streak since Iolani won five in a row from 2002 to 2006.
"I mean, this is a true testament — I mean, this is a basketball game, but it's more of a life lesson for these guys that when you really commit to something, you trust in each other, you lift each other up and anything is possible and there's a reason this hasn't been done in a long time, because it's not easy to do but these guys really, really committed to it and I couldn't be happier for them," Hale expressed.
Saint Louis excelled defensively with its trademark tough man-to-man defense to hold Punahou to a season-low scoring output.
The Buffanblu entered the game averaging nearly 60 points per game, including more than 70 points per contest in each of their first three state tournament games this season, but shot just 38.9 percent from the field Saturday night.
"It was the defense for us again. Stone (Kanoa) getting loose balls left and right, big Jordan (Posiulai) locking down the middle and then Pupu doing the rebounding — I mean, this team really showed over time that they were a very complete team," Hale said.
Punahou was held without a single fast break point and was also out-scored in the paint, 36 to 18. It also turned it over 14 times, including nine in the first half alone.
"Oh yeah, I feel like our defense is the foundation of our team," Sepulona said. "Our coach always tells us that defense is very important in every game and we take pride in it, to always play physical and aggressive and we showed that today. We made Punahou turn the ball over a lot and that was our job, that was our duty going into this game and we were successful on the defensive side."
Offensively, the Crusaders got contributions from a number of individuals aside from Sepulona, the reigning All-Hawaii Player of the Year. Caelan Fernando and Kanoa scored eight points apiece, Jordan Nunuha tallied seven and Keanu Meacham added six in the win. Nunuha also grabbed five rebounds, while Shancin Revuelto came up with six steals, four points and two assists.
"That makes it more better, especially (because) this season I wasn't really focusing on scoring, but I was just focusing on everybody and their role on the court and everybody contributed throughout the season and I feel like Stone, Caelan, they were a big impact. Nobody knows about them and their strengths, but they have proven today that they put the whole state on notice," Sepulona said.
Fernando helped set the tone early; the junior guard hit a pair of 3-pointers that was part of an 11-0 Crusaders' run to open the game.
"Caelan actually set the tempo with those two threes. We believe in him, all of us believe in him that he can shoot the rock, so we just had to find him, find the open areas to where he can get his shooting form down and he knocked down shots, so I'm so proud of him overall," Sepulona said.
Hale lauded the former Damien transfer for hitting those big shots early.
"That was unexpected, not that he can't shoot it, but that was just a bonus in the game plan, but it really showed how much these guys wanted it," he said.
"That was tough to overcome," Punahou coach Darren Matsuda said of the double-digit deficit about four minutes into the game.
"Especially on this big stage, when you're playing from behind it's hard to get the kids not to panic and I think once we went down by (eleven) we panicked a lot and it took a lot — probably until halftime — until we kind of settled down," Matsuda said. "At halftime we talked about that and we settled down in the second half, but it was too big of a hole for us to climb out of, I guess."
The Crusaders led 15-8 after the first quarter and 27-16 by halftime. They maintained a 33-26 advantage after three quarters, but the Buffanblu got to within 37-31 on Evan Porter's baseline drive and finish with 5:24 left in the third quarter.
However, Sepulona answered on the next Saint Louis possession after he spun into the lane and hit a tough jumper.
Punahou faced a 45-38 deficit with 38 seconds to play after a Dillon Kellner 10-foot jumper from the baseline, but Sepulona responded with a pivotal offensive rebound off a missed Fernando shot. Sepulona converted the putback and drew a foul in the process. Although he went on to miss the ensuing free throw, Sepulona was animated in his display of emotion immediately after he was fouled.
Heidi & Cook/HHSAA Boys Basketball State Championships All-Tournament TeamDivision I
James Taras, PunahouTwain Wilson, LeilehuaCJ Bostic, KalaheoAyndra Uperesa-Thomas, PunahouShancin Revuelto, Saint LouisMost Outstanding Player: Pupualii Sepulona, Saint Louis
"That was emotional. When I got the and-one, I knew there was thirty seconds left in the fourth quarter, so I just let everything out of me and I just proved that us at Saint Louis, we can play ball, so (with) that last and-one I knew it was over because we already finished them and they were already down," said Sepulona, who was selected as the tournament's most outstanding player.
Punahou finished without a scorer in double figures. Noah Macapulay led the way with a season-high nine points, James Taras was held to eight points. Taras had scored at least 13 points in each of the Buffanblu's last nine games. Kellner had seven points and five rebounds and Evan Porter added five points in the loss. Ayndra Uperesa-Thomas notched four points, five boards, four steals and three blocks.
"The key for us to beat this team is to play pretty flawless basketball," Matsuda said of the Crusaders. "They're a really good defensive team and hats off to them because that's been the difference."
Matsuda pointed to Hale's mid-season decision to insert Kanoa into the starting lineup as being crucial to a third straight Saint Louis state crown.
"I think when Stone went into the starting lineup about four or five or six games ago, he's kind of the unsung hero of that team and they just became so much better defensively. They cut off lanes — he does a great job of cutting off the lanes — and the whole team does and they move their feet and we gotta play without turning the ball over to beat ‘em and that's tough; no one's been able to do it since they've done that. I think they've gone undefeated since he made that change and unfortunately we weren't able to put that game together today," Matsuda said.
Kanoa, a 5-foot-11 junior, has embraced his role, whether it be coming off the bench or as a starter.
"I perceive my role as a lockdown defender, that's what coach Dan puts me in for, to lockdown their best player and to just play tough defense and that's what I've been doing for this Saint Louis squad and that's one of the reasons why we've been so good: Everyone's been contributing to how we got this successful," Kanoa said.
Saint Louis has won nine state championships in its history and three straight under Hale, who also led Punahou, his alma mater, to one of its 11 state titles back in 2008.
The Crusaders completed the year having won their last seven games and 11 of their final 12.
"This was a team win and I'm just so grateful to play with these boys I call brothers and I'm just so proud to be here and again, I just thank God for this three-peat and I'm just speechless," Sepulona said.
It was the fourth time that the Interscholastic League of Honolulu foes faced off this season. Punahou won the first meeting, 48-40, back on Jan. 11, but Saint Louis claimed the last three games by an average of more than 14 points per game.
The Buffanblu were seeking their first state championship since 2018. It was their first appearance in a state final since 2019.
"I mean, I think it was important for us to come back," Matsuda said. "We have a whole new generation coming next year — we lose nine seniors — but we have some talent coming up and to really get back to this level was important and we want to come back again, that's the goal."
Saturday's title game was the first all-ILH final since Maryknoll defeated Kamehameha to culminate the 2020 season.
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