The No. 1 seed Buffanblu (12-0) will play No. 2 seed and defending champ Konawaena (15-0) at 8 tonight for the title at the University of Hawai'i's Stan Sheriff Center.

Freshman twins Shawna-Lei and Shaena-Lyn Kuehu combined for 30 points last night and senior point guard Shanna-Lei Dacanay added 15 points to lead Punahou, the Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion.

The Buffanblu led only 32-26 early in the fourth period when Shawna-Lei Kuehu — their leading scorer — was whistled for her fourth foul and came out of the game with 5:24 remaining. But sister Shaena-Lyn came off the bench and scored nine points to help Punahou stretch the lead.

"I felt I needed to step in for my sister and score," said Shaena-Lyn, a 5-foot-7 guard/forward who entered the tournament averaging 3.6 points per game. "Normally I play out on the wing, but today I knew we needed help in the post."

The Dragons (13-3) opened the fourth period with Jerrika Lorenzo's 3-pointer and Kari Heers' banker to make it 32-26, but Shaena-Lyn Kuehu answered with a three-point play and then converted two free throws and another three-point play to put Punahou up, 40-26, with 2:26 left.

"We needed a spark, and that's Shaena — she always competes and brings energy to the floor, making hustle plays," Buffanblu coach Mike Taylor said.

After an intense, defensive first quarter that ended with the score 5-5, Punahou opened a 20-13 halftime lead as Dacanay pumped in seven second-period points. Honoka'a closed to 20-19 midway through the third period on Keisha Kanekoa's 3-pointer and Wila Lavea's three-point play, but the Buffanblu stretched it to 32-21 entering the final quarter after Dacanay made three steals that were converted into points and Cianna Aiwohi swished a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

The Dragons, runner-up in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation, then made their final run before Shaena-Lyn Kuehu helped Punahou stave off further challenges.

"I thought our kids played a hell of a game, but we just couldn't finish," Honoka'a coach Daphne Honma said. "We've got great basketball players on the Big Island, but sometimes I think we're underrated because people don't see us play. It takes tournaments like these to show we can play with anybody."

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2456.

Defending champ Wildcats roll over Kahuku, 52-20

Overwhelming, dominating, astonishing.

Kahuku's Artevia Wily isn't about to let Konawaena's Jazzmin Awa-Williams get a clear shot at the basket.

Konawaena, the defending state champion, seized control by scoring the first 16 points, forced 22 turnovers and cruised to a 52-20 victory.

"We just went out there and played Konawaena-style basketball," said senior forward Jessica Hanato, who scored 16 of her 20 points in the first half.

It was the second-most lopsided semifinal game in tournament history, falling one point short of Kamehameha's 73-40 victory over Radford in 1992.

And the second-seeded Wildcats did it by playing a 2-3 zone, something coach Bobbie Awa said her team used this season only when it was "blowing teams out."

"We wanted to try something different," Awa said. "The man-to-man has been our strength the entire season, we hardly ever go into a zone."

Awa took the advice of her husband, assistant coach Donald Awa.

"Our defensive coach called it. If he tells me zone, zone it is," Awa said. "The girls are comfortable in the zone. We're just afraid sometimes you get too relaxed in the zone and you don't run that hard because the adrenaline isn't going."

It wasn't a problem for Konawaena (15-0), which forced 10 first-quarter turnovers en route to an 11-0 lead.

"They got their hands in the passing lanes and were deflecting passes," Kahuku coach Wendy Anae said.

Konawaena, the Big Island Interscholastic Federation champion, will play Punahou in the title game tonight at 8.

"These girls work hard all year round," Awa said. "These girls, especially the returnees, they got that taste (of winning) and they want to do it again. They have good followers on the team, new girls that came in and are learning the program."

Added junior guard Haunani Liftee, who scored 13 points: "We have a state title, we deserve it and hopefully we'll come out with it again."

So tough was Konawaena's defenses that Kahuku's first points came on a free-throw line jumper by Aisha Ale 4:53 before halftime.

On offense, Konawaena shredded Kahuku's man-to-man and 2-3 zone defenses. When the Red Raiders applied full-court pressure late, the Wildcats had numerous layups. They hit 17 of 34 shots with 12 assists.

Kahuku (15-2), the O'ahu Interscholastic Association champion, finished 6 of 32 from the field, including 0 of 13 from 3-point range.