Showing no reliance on any one player, Punahou saw nearly everyone score in a 69-50 rout of Kahuku in a semifinal of the 40th Punahou Invitational Thursday night at the Hemmeter Fieldhouse.

The Buffanblu will play Maryknoll in Friday's championship at 2:45 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center. It falls between consolation and championship brackets of the University of Hawaii-sponsored Diamond Head Classic.

Malik Johnson led the Buffanblu with 13 points with Steven Lakalaka adding 10 off the bench. They were among 12 of 14 available players who scored. And this without starter Blake Lyon not suiting because of an injury.

"We feel all of our kids can play," Punahou coach Darren Matsuda said. "They believe in themselves. That's our strength right there."

Added Kahuku coach Darren Johnson: "Punahou, they go full blast with 10 guys. We're not ready to do that. We've played everyday for two weeks. Punahou looks seasoned."

Punahou took charge early, taking commanding leads of 19-10 after the first quarter and 37-16 at the half.

The Red Raiders chipped away in the third quarter, outscoring the Buffanblu 18-10. But Punahou's depth simply outlasted Kahuku.

"I thought we played well in spots," Matsuda said. "That wasn't our best game, unfortunately. We played hard. They're physical and i think we got a tentative a little bit. But I like the way we stuck together. (The Red Raiders) closed the gap on us in the third quarter. Our freshmen guards made some really good plays. We saw Lakalaka make some big plays."

Freshmen Dayson Watanabe and Micah Ma'a each scored six points, while Jordan Tanuvasa had five.

"Be it naivete or what, they don't get shook," Matsuda said. "They make plays."

While Punahou's guards were poised and steady, Kahuku's got out of their game.

"Our guards were trying to make too many plays instead of trying to make the easy plays," Johnson said. "We have get back to basics, make the easy pass, make the easy shot. We'll be OK."

After Friday's championship, the Buffanblu continue preseason play at the ESPN ISCORE/MaxPreps Tournament in San Diego. They will play four games in the invitation-only tournament. But Punahou will be without 6-foot-7 DeForest Buckner. He will be practicing for the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl in Phoenix, Ariz., on Jan. 3. Also, Ma'a will be attending a volleyball camp during the tournament.

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