WAIPI'O — Guided by senior leaders in key spots and its trademark team defense, Punahou won another girls state water polo title.

The top-seeded Buffanblu defeated Kamehameha, 12-4, in yesterday afternoon's championship match of the Local Motion/Hawai'i High School State Championships at the Veterans' Memorial Aquatic Center. It was Punahou's second straight title and a rematch of last year's championship. The Buffanblu (11-0) also won the first two state titles in 2004 and 2005.

"What's so good about our team is we play a very group defense," said senior Mar-Lynn Long. "We couldn't have done it without everyone coming back and crashing back. Everyone is always helping out to make sure no one gets burned."

Using their defense to shut down the Warriors and fuel their offense, the Buffanblu closed out the second quarter with three straight goals in the final 1:46 to erase a 2-1 deficit and lead 4-2 at halftime.

It was the beginning of six straight goals that helped the Buffanblu pull away from a close game. Long (2-meter defense) and fellow senior Aisha Price (2-meter offense) have led the team in those key positions, and the two have played an integral part in extending the team's win streak to 22 matches dating to last year.

"Our biggest success this year is because of their leadership, and their leadership carried us through the entire season," Punahou coach Ken Smith said.

Nanea Fujiyama scored her third goal of the game for Kamehameha to cut the deficit to 7-3 with 6 seconds left in the third quarter. She scored all four goals for Kamehameha (7-6) and teammate Chloe Shaw-Limary made eight saves.

"This is the only way I could've ended my senior season," said Fujiyama, who won a state title with Kamehameha in 2006. "The only better thing was to win states, but we tried our best so I can't ask for anything more."

The Buffanblu opened the fourth with four straight goals, including two from Aisha Price and one each from Brailey Hirose-Hulbert and Shayna Price. Shayna Price, the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, scored five goals and Aisha Price had four. Hirose-Hulbert had two goals, Long added one and Courtney Miller made nine saves.

"We're always helping each other out, always talking, that's one of our main things, we talk a lot," Shayna Price said. "We know what everybody's doing. That's one our strong points, our team defense."

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Punahou: Brailey Hirose-Hulbert, Aisha Price. Kamehameha: Nanea Fujiyama, Chloe Shaw-Limary. Kahuku: Brooke Roy. Lahainaluna: Moana Tuipulotu. Roosevelt: Taesha-Marie Keola. Hilo: Eva Avery. Most Outstanding Player: Shayna Price, Punahou.

THIRD PLACE

ROOSEVELT 7, KAHUKU 6

Roos: Rachel Gomes 3, Taesha-Marie Keola, Tiffany Tran, Pearl Yun, Patrice Dang. Kahu: Brooke Roy 4, Keola Kahaulelio 2.

FIFTH PLACE

LAHAINALUNA 8, HILO 1

Lah: Hailey Gill 3, Moana Tuipulotu 3, Koral Gill, Devyn Armstrong. Hilo: Mandy Ka'apuni-Santos.

CONSOLATION FINAL

MILILANI 5, KAMEHAMEHA-MAUI 3

Mil: Ashlee Franklin, Kanani Mazzone, Alexzandrea Daley, Molly McGuire, Lindsey Carvalho. KSM: Noelle Kaulupali, Kaleiopio Guth, Kaulana Ane.