"That was our goal, to make states, and we worked as one team to get there," said sophomore forward Kim Cabuyadao, who scored 10 points last night. "Even when we were only up by one (35-34), we got together and we said if we stick together, we can do it. If we didn't stick together, we probably would have gotten into a mess."

Kalani led almost from start to finish and was up 20-8 midway through the second period, but the Bulldogs (14-4) chipped away at the lead and closed to 35-34 after Mindy Hirokawa's 3-pointer with 4:10 remaining in the game.

Chelsea Kimura sank two free throws to put the Falcons up, 37-34, with 2:25 left, and Raynani Camara's layup made it 39-34 about 20 seconds later.

After Kacie Gushiken's free throw gave the Falcons a 40-34 lead, Paige Moi hit a layup to cut it to 40-36 with 52 seconds remaining. But Nicole Isemoto sank a free throw with 28 ticks left, and Kaimuki could not convert on its next possession.

Kalani sank 15 of its 20 free-throw attempts, including 13 of its first 14.

"The girls have to make 50 free throws every day before they leave practice," Falcons coach Darold Imanaka said. "That's why when we spread the floor at the end, I know that every one of those girls can shoot free throws."

Still, Imanaka said the Bulldogs were a constant threat until the end.

"Kaimuki played hard the whole way, and against Castle (in the semifinals) last night they were down by nine points with four minutes left and came back to win, so we knew we were in for a game," Imanaka said. "But our girls are fighters, too. We have 14 fighters on this team."

Kalani may have 14 fighters, but it also has only two seniors and three juniors. Six sophomores and three freshmen round out the roster.

Imanaka, in his first year as the Falcons' head coach, is a 1971 Kalani graduate and fought through a bad headache for much of the game. He wore an ice bag on his neck after the awards presentations.

"I had a headache before the game and it got worse at halftime, I guess because of the stress from the game," Imanaka said. "But I've always said this is not about me. It's about the girls and about bringing some pride back to the program and the school. I mean, the band asked me if they could come tonight, and they were wonderful, and so were our fans. It's good for the school."

• Kaimuki (14-4) 7 8 14 7 — 36
• Kalani (16-2) 12 14 7 8 — 41

KAIMUKI—Flora Mesa 9, Mindy Hirokawa 8, Keri Kaneshiro 0, Keri Nakahashi 5, Nicole Sasaki 0, Kanoe Nicola 0, Chelsea Gornichec 0, Rachelle Butler 0, Paige Moi 8, Ashley Moy 2, Chasity Laulusa 4, Ayesha Shepard 0. Totals 14 4-6 36.

KALANI—Chloe Martin 6, Brandi Yamauchi 0, Megan Kamehiro 2, Kim Cabuyadao 10, Mana Camara 10, Yasmina Taketa 2, Chelsea Kimura 6, Nicole Isemoto 4, Kacie Gushiken 1, Liandra Bonifacio 0, Kerri Chikamori 0, Alisha Bonifacio 0, Chaude Bonifacio 0. Totals 12 15-20 41.

3-point goals—Kaimuki 4 (Mesa 2, Hirokawa, Nakahashi). Kalani 2 (Camara, Isemoto).