Greg Yamamoto | SL

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_26020719_KamIolaniGBK_2245.jpg - Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Nihoa and company have Dunn it again.

Kamehameha capped an undefeated run through league play with a 50-39 win over Iolani in the title game of the Pacific Century Fund Team Aloha/HHSAA Division I State Championships.

The win marked the fourth time the Warriors bested the Raiders this season.

Dunn, who was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, put on a dominanting performance once again, with a game-high 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead the way for the Warriors.

Unlike its previous two state contests, which saw the top seeded Warriors jump out to early advantages, it was the oppoistion who came out the gate firing, as the Raiders jumped out to a 6-0 lead.

Dunn, however, broke the seal with a short jumper at the 4:20 mark of the opening period, which seemed to settle Kamehameha, and they proceeded to complete the quarter on a 12-0 run. And from that point the defending champs did not falter, leading 20-13 at the break and 39-29 after three quarters of play.

"We had a 20 point deficit in the mainland and we were able to come back from that, and ended up losing just by three," said Rylee Paranada. "So it was just holding that composure and (keep doing) what we have been."

A fifth foul called on Dunn at the 4:50 mark of the fourth was a somewhat unceremonius cap on a stellar career, but rather than cling to the lead afforded to them by the senior post, the Warriors actually extended that margin down the stretch, pushing the deficit to as large as 14 on back-to-back scores by sophomore Andrea Porecca in a kind of changing of the guards moment.

"She's the glue that hold us together, so it was a little scary," remarked Porecca. "But we've worked on our chemistry and togetherness so much that we know she (Nihoa) is going to have our back and we have each other's."

Porecca, who scored 16 points and added five rebounds and two assists in the win, will be amongst the key cogs the Warriors will turn to next season, with the departure of three starters, Dunn and the two Rylees, Paranada and Cabuyadao-Caswell.

"I've never played with players at this level so I was just so grateful for this season," said Porecca. "God put me in a postion where I could learn and grow, and next year I'm going to try and keep what they had going."

Paranada hit double-figures with 10 points and added two assists and two steals, while Cabuyadao-Caswell was limited to just two points but grabbed seven rebounds and added five steals.

Both benches logged limited minutes (14 comined for Iolani and 16 for Kamehameha), and accounted for just two points in aggregate.

Testament to the defensive performance put on by the Warriors, Justice Kekauoha scored just nine points on 4 of 24 shooting, and Iolani as a squad made just 18 of 62 shots overall.

Freshman post Charlotte Galloway was a definite bright spot in the loss for Iolani, scoring a season-high 17 points and grabbing eight rebounds.