DeForest Buckner scored 17 points, added 3 blocks and caused more than a few re-thought Hilo shot attempts, to help power Punahou past Hilo, 78-53, and into the Division I semifinals of the Hawaiian Airlines/HHSAA Boys Basketball State Championships.

Buckner, a 6-foot-7 forward heading to the University of Oregon to play football next fall, scored four of the Buffanblu's first nine points, but made his presence felt more so defensively.

"One thing he (DeForest) has improved on incredibly this year is knowing when to attack on defense and when to lay back." said head coach Darren Matsuda.

And Buckner showed some great poise on a number of defensive plays that didn't involve swatting away a shot attempt, most notably, inducing a charging foul early in the second period that could have resulted in him picking up an early second foul.

Hilo kept things interesting early, letting Punahou jump out to an early 7-0 lead but responding with a run of their own to finish the quarter down just 17-12.

"We were out for 15 days, and the one thing I was really worried about was our rust" remarked Matsuda.

But Punahou would eventually hit their stride, with a 10-2 run to close out the half and an 8-2 scoring spurt to open the third quarter, helping to build a 49-30 advantage heading into the fourth.

Another key contributor for the Buffanblu was reserve forward Kupono Fey, playing in just his second game since sustaining a injury early in the season, adding 13 points off the bench.

"Kupono's a tough matchup for guys, he's a center, but he's fast and he can shoot outside and he can take guys off the dribble. Having him back completes our team, and really makes us a lot tougher." added Matsuda, when asked about the play of the 6-foot-4 junior.

A bright spot for Hilo was the play of sophomore guard Jalen Carvalho, who had a game-high 18 points for the Vikings, including four from beyond the arc.

The Buffanblu will take on Baldwin, a 41-39 winner over Leilehua, in tomorrow's 5 p.m. semifinal at Neal Blaisdell Center. The game will be broadcast live on OC16.

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