After playing to a tie in the first half, the Buffanblu scored four goals and shut out Kamehameha in the second half to capture the first HHSAA/Local Motion Girls State Water Polo Championships last night at Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex.

Punahou won, 7-3.

"Our whole thing was planting seeds in the first half, you sow that in the second half," Smith said. "Eventually it comes back to help you later in the game."

Punahou senior driver Kamaile Crowell, named Most Valuable Player of the tournament, scored three goals, including the go-ahead goal 32 seconds into the second half.

Crowell, last year's Interscholastic League of Honolulu Player of the Year who will play for UCLA in the fall, credited Punahou's defense and senior Avery Cavanah's passes for helping Punahou score the four second-half goals.

"We really focused and capitalized on our defense," said Crowell, who said several defensive stops helped set up goals.

"It was just us wanting it so bad," said Cavanah, who assisted on Crowell's go-ahead goal.

Kamehameha stayed close for the first half, opening the game with a goal by junior setter Lauren-Ann Garrigan in the first quarter.

But Crowell scored two of her goals to give Punahou a 2-1 advantage. A goal by Kamehameha sophomore driver Elizabeth Hanohano-Hong tied the game again in the second quarter.

Cavanah answered on a backhand shot to make it 3-2.

"You can shoot it with your right hand, it gets the shot off quicker," said Cavanah, who will play for Harvard. "And it looks cool."

Garrigan scored again to even the score at 3 going into halftime.

"We came out stronger, and the confidence level was there," Kamehameha junior driver Keala O'Sullivan said.

Kamehameha coach Ben Nary said the Warriors are a second-half team, but "unfortunately we had some opportunities and didn't take advantage of them."

"One thing we talked about was defense," Smith said. "If we played the right kind of defense it would pay off at the end of the game."

Junior drivers Natale Rigg, Kendra Dilcher and Kellen Fletcher scored insurance goals for Punahou in the second half.

• KAMEHAMEHA 1 2 0 0 — 3
• PUNAHOU 1 2 3 1 — 7

Goals scorers: Kamehameha—Lauren Garrigan 2, Elizabeth Hanohano-Hong 1. Punahou—Kamaile Crowell 3, Natale Rigg 1, Avery Cavanah 1, Kendra Dilcher 1, Kellen Fletcher 1.

CONSOLATION

• THIRD PLACE: Keala Whitford and Stephanie Emery scored two goals apiece, leading OIA champion Kahuku past Hawai'i Prep, 6-3.

• Kahuku 2 2 1 1 — 6
• Hawai'i Prep 1 1 1 0 — 3

Goals scorers: Kahuku—Keala Whitford 2, Stephanie Emery 2, Larissa Luehrs 1, Alee Thompson 1. Hawai'i Prep—Poloma Vidgen, Kim Kopra, Soni Macy.

• FIFTH PLACE: Tamarah Binek scored four goals to lead Waiakea past Roosevelt, 5-2.

• WAIAKEA 2 1 0 2 — 5
• ROOSEVELT 1 0 1 0 — 2

Goals scorers: Waiakea—Tamarah Binek 4, Iris Alonzo 1. Roosevelt—Jaime Aoki, Maria Hall.

• SEVENTH PLACE: Tarah Maruyama and Elsie Denight scored two goals each as Kaiser beat Kalani, 6-3.

• Kaiser 2 2 0 2 — 6
• Kalani 0 2 0 1 — 3

Goals scorers: Kaiser—Tarah Maruyama 2, Elsie Denight 2, Sesily Criado 1, Taryn Ino 1. Kalani—Aura Braine 2, Arielle Lee 1.