For the second time this year, Kahuku will take on Punahou with a state title on the line.

The two schools, and many of the same cast of characters that met on the gridiron to decide a state football champion just three months earlier, will now take to the hardwood in tomorrow night's Division I title game of the Hawaiian Airlines/HHSAA State Boys Basketball Championships.

Kahuku punched their ticket to the title game by outscoring Kamehameha-Hawaii 18-5 in the final frame to come away with a 57-50 victory in the second semifinal of the night.

The Red Raiders opened up an early 8-2 advantage, but the Warriors would counter with an 8-0 run to end the first half, taking their first lead on a Lanaki Apele score with 29 seconds left in the first period. But just seconds into the second period, Apele would leave the game with an apparent elbow injury, and would not return.

Kamehameha-Hawaii would lead by 6 at the end of three periods, but Kahuku would takae control in the fourth quarter, scoring 9 unanswered points during a two-minute stretch beginning with Mekeli Fiso's bucket at the 5:51 mark and punctuated by Kawe Johnson's three-pointer to give the Red Raiders the lead for good at 50-47 with just under four minutes in regulation.

"We just play hard. Our kids play hard through adversity. They know how to come back and win games. They're a though bunch group that find ways to win." said Kahuku head coach Darren Johnson.

Shaun Kagawa's basket with 1:23 left would close the gap to 53-50, but Kahuku would convert four-of-six from the stripe down the stretch to extinguish any hopes for a Kamehameha-Hawaii rally. Kagawa, a 5-11 guard, would finish the contest with a team-high 17 points and 10 rebounds, and added 3 assists and 2 steals to his stat line on the night.

"Shaun didn't have Lanaki. When he (Apele) got hurt, Shaun was trying to do two guard's job(s) and didn't have someone else helping him so it kind of fell. He got a little tired, didn't have the legs down the stretch and our kids could D up a little bit." remarked Johnson.

Mekeli Fiso came up big, putting in a workman-like performance for the Red Raiders, pouring in 23 points and 12 rebounds, both game-highs. Teammate Bronson Beatty would finish with just 2 points, but his block of Kaeo Alapai's shot attempt and subsequent run-out on the break that ended with Kawe Johnson's layup to tie the game at 47-47, was every bit as huge.

"I just happened to rotate over and he (Alapai) was there... the ball came right into my hand and I ended up running the break." said Beatty, who also played on Kahuku's Division I title-winning football squad.

"Playing in two state championships in one year...that's pretty cool." he added.

The Red Raiders will take on the aforementioned Buffanblu in a 7 p.m. game at Neal Blaisdell Center. Incidentally, the two teams did meet in the preseason, with Punahou getting the better of Kahuku in the first contest, winning 69-50.

Both the Division I title game and the Division II championship clash between Kalaheo and McKinley at 5 p.m. that precedes it will be televised live on OC16.

Johnson put the victory in perspective saying, "It's a good win, but it's a hard win because (of) Kamehameha's situation. I'm glad our kids finally showed up and started playing but I cant take nothing away from Kamehameha. (Kamehameha) They're a great team. They lost a great player (referring to the injury to Apele) and our prayers go out and to him and hopefully he has a speedy recovery."

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