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Maybe they should’ve jumped Division I after all. There won’t be any complaints from Monarch nation, though. Top-seeded Damien imposed its will from the opening tip and ravaged Farrington 73-50 to capture the Snapple/HHSAA Boys Basketball Division II State Championship on Saturday night at Stan Sheriff Center. The teams entered the state tourney ranked No. 3 (Damien) and No. 10 (Farrington in the Star-Advertiser Top 10. For a supposed lower-division matchup, it played out with the kind of electricity and […]

Perfection is unattainable on the hardwood, but that doesn’t stop the Maryknoll Spartans from trying. The top seed, ranked No. 1 in the Star-Advertiser Top 10 for the past six weeks, demonstrated more of their defensive excellence on Friday night. Maryknoll’s 47-29 semifinal win over OIA runner-up Kailua produced some notable numbers. >> Kailua shot 9-for-45 (20 percent) from the field >> Kailua was 1-for-17 from 3-point range >> Maryknoll made Kailua’s lethal scorer, Everett Torres-Kahapea, work for his 16 […]

Hayden Bauydan was an eighth-grader, but had a spot on the bench at the Stan Sheriff Center last year when Damien lost to St. Francis in the Division II state championship game. A year later, Bayudan is the starting point guard for the Monarchs, who have rolled their way back to the state final following a 78-50 thumping of a good Seabury Hall squad on Friday night at Kalani. Six-foot-7 junior Bryce Forbes led four Monarchs in double figures with […]

It was old school for the Sons of Oahu, all right. Not a single 3-point shot splashed. They missed 13 free throws, were outrebounded 29-24, committed as many turnovers (14) as they had field goals made. As usual, Punahou (28-5) got it done with relentless defense. The Buffanblu’s wild 48-42 win over rival ‘Iolani means Punahou’s chance at repeating as state champion is alive and well. Jakob Kimura led the way with 15 points and six of his team’s 12 […]

Lahainaluna brought tough defense. Punahou brought an old-school willingness to pound the low post and cut for passes and layups. Unseeded Punahou’s 74-54 win over MIL champion Lahainaluna was more than just the Buffanblu offense humming. They shot 53 percent from the field (31-for-53) with great ball movement, getting 17 points from Kaulana Makaula and 13 by center Duke Clemens. Defense, once again, is where Punahou locked down. The ILH runner-up forced the Lunas into 21 turnovers. They also limited […]

In the end, two evenly-matched teams that were mathematically identical on the scoreboard needed four extra minutes to determine which would live and which would not. The ‘Iolani Raiders’ 52-47 overtime win over Moanalua was a testimonial to their willingness to do what it takes. Yes, on a cold-shooting night, Kawika Lee’s proficiency from the arc — 4-for-7 — were a key to a fourth-quarter comeback. But it took more. Long-range bombers Sam Wheeler and Frank Felix, hounded all game […]