The Buffanblu improved to 5-1 in ILH play, a half-game behind first-place Academy of the Pacific. The defending state champion Warriors fell to 4-2.

"It was a hard-fought win, both teams played up-and-down, physical basketball," Punahou coach Darren Matsuda said. "This is the pace we like to play, we like to put pressure on defense and we like to run."

The game started out at a blistering pace, with the Buffanblu taking a 10-5 lead in the first four minutes but Kamehameha storming back for a 13-2 run capped by Taylor Taliulu's layup to put the Warriors ahead, 18-12.�

Punahou then answered with 10 straight points as Buckner sank two free throws to give the Buffanblu a 22-18 lead 40 seconds into the second period.

Kamehameha later took the lead back at 30-29 on a 3-pointer by Dyrbe Enos, but Punahou responded with a 7-0 run capped by Jordan Tanuvasa's 3-point bank shot at the halftime buzzer to make it 36-30.

Enos drained his fifth and final 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter and added a free throw 30 seconds later to cut it to 45-41, but the Buffanblu surged ahead with an 11-3 run that pushed the lead to 56-44 after Buckner's three-point play with 2:13 remaining.

The Warriors could not get closer than seven points the rest of the way.

Buckner added 12 rebounds and blocks to his 17 points, and Johnson finished with eight rebounds.

Enos led all scorers with 25 points.