After sitting out her entire junior season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee, Punahou School senior Shawna-Lei Kuehu reclaimed her and her teammates' spot atop the Hawai'i girls basketball summit.

Kuehu, a 5-foot-10 forward, led the Buffanblu to their third state championship in four years. She also was named The Advertiser's State Player of the Year for the second time in three seasons after a recent vote of coaches and members of the media.

Kuehu averaged 15.6 points per game in the regular and postseason, as Punahou went 14-1. In the Buffanblu's only loss, a 48-38 midseason defeat at 'Iolani, she scored 21 points, grabbed five rebounds and made three blocks.

As she did in her previous three state tournaments, Kuehu stepped it up a notch in the postseason. She scored 16 points (12 in the second half) in a 45-41 quarterfinal victory over Konawaena, 20 points in a 58-28 semifinal win over Radford and capped off her brilliant career with 20 points, 13 rebounds, four blocks and one steal in a 46-41 title game victory over 'Iolani.

Kuehu was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player for the second time in three years. She was selected to The Advertiser's All-State first team for the third time.

Kuehu is joined on the first team by her twin sister, Shaena-Lyn, 'Iolani senior Jamie Smith, Kalani senior Iwalani Rodrigues and Waiakea sophomore Kamie Imai.

Smith, a 6-foot senior forward, shared Interscholastic League of Honolulu Player of the Year honors with Kuehu and also received votes for State Player of the Year. She was a dominant force throughout the season, expanding her already strong inside game and adding mid- to long-range shooting and ball-handling to her repertoire.

Smith averaged 20.2 points per game in the regular and postseason, including totals of 17 vs. Sacred Hearts and 22 against Kamehameha (with nine rebounds) while playing with a broken nose.

She continued to produce in the state tournament, scoring 24 points and grabbing eight rebounds in a first-round victory over 'Aiea, notching 20 points and 10 rebounds in a quarterfinal win over Kalani, scoring another 20 points in a semifinal victory over Waiakea and capping her brilliant four-year career with eight points and nine rebounds despite foul trouble in the state championship game loss to Punahou.

Rodrigues, like Smith a repeat All-State first-team selection, transferred to Kalani from Roosevelt over the summer and made an immediate impact.

She averaged 11.8 points per game in the regular and postseason, but more importantly, her fluid play fit in nicely with the Falcons' team-based offense as she helped bring the ball up the floor, feed entry passes into two posts and penetrate and dish to guards on the perimeter.

Rodrigues often could score herself on fast-break layups or pull-up jumpers from mid-range or beyond the arc. Her all-around play helped Kalani win its first O'ahu Interscholastic Association Division I championship, scoring 12 points, grabbing six rebounds and making two steals in the title game victory over Radford.

Imai, a 5-8 forward, had a similar all-around game in helping Waiakea go 13-0 in the regular season and win the Big Island Interscholastic Federation championship, breaking a longtime hold on the crown by Konawaena and Honoka'a.

Quick and agile, Imai was dangerous in the open court and averaged 16.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.7 steals per game en route to earning BIIF Player of the Year honors.

She scored 15 points in a state quarterfinal victory over Maui.

Shaena-Lyn Kuehu, a 5-9 forward, complemented her sister's dominant play with relentless defensive pressure and timely steals, rebounds and baskets. She averaged 9.5 points per game in the regular and postseason, including 22 points against Sacred Hearts and 15 against Mid-Pacific in the two games Shawna-Lei missed due to injury.

In the state championship game, Shaena-Lyn had seven points, 10 rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Punahou's Mike Taylor was named Coach of the Year after guiding the Buffanblu to their fourth state title in six years despite injuries to key players throughout the season.

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