Punahou ousts Kahuku in first round
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On a night when the home team shot 9-for-24 from the free-throw line, Punahou fans could’ve had a lot to worry about. Instead, the Buffanblu jolted the visiting Kahuku Red Raiders with six steals in the second quarter to turn a one-point deficit into a 14-point halftime lead. Unseeded Punahou went on to oust Kahuku 64-48 on Monday night in the opening round of the Snapple/ HHSAA Division I Boys Basketball State Championship. The Buffanblu shot 54 percent from the field (27-fo


Punahou turns up the heat against Kahuku
Punahou opened up title defense of its 2018 Division I state title with a bang. Three players scored in double figures to power the Buffanblu over visiting Kahuku, 64-46, at Hemmeter Fieldhouse Monday night in the opening round of the Snapple Boys Basketball Championships. Duke Clemens led all scorers with 15 points to lead Punahou in a rematch of the past two D1 state championship games. Tamatoa Falatea had 11 and Jakob Kimura added 10 more to round out the top scorers for t


Moanalua tops Kahuku, Kailua wins thriller to reach final
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM Moanalua’s DiAeris McRaven, above left, found major resistance from Kahuku’s Marcus Damuni on this shot during an OIA semifinal at McKinley on Wednesday. Geremy Robinson poured in 25 points as No. 6 Moanalua rallied past Kahuku 66-58 on Monday night in the semifinals of the Oahu Interscholastic Association boys basketball playoffs. Moanalua (19-6 overall) will meet Kailua on Wednesday night for the title. Moanalua last won the league c


Damuni, Brost keyed big wins for Kahuku, HPA
Male Athlete of the Week: Marcus Damuni, Kahuku After a couple of years in the shadows, it's Marcus Damuni's time to shine for the Kahuku boys basketball team. The 6-foot-3 senior center and third-year varsity player has gone from being a role player as a sophomore to "the guy" this season. Damuni netted his eighth double-digit scoring game last Thursday with a game-high 19 points in the Red Raiders' 52-42 win at Kalaheo to close out the regular season. "He played really well


Kahuku Red Raiders riding the OIA hoops roller coaster
Photo courtesy of Sharlene Cravens The agony and ecstasy of coaches throughout the OIA and ILH is as rollicking as ever. Kahuku is one of many examples. The Red Raiders were ranked No. 10 in the Star-Advertiser boys basketball poll just three weeks ago after wins over Waiakea, Kauai and Mililani over a two-week span. Their first landing in the top 10 was followed by OIA East losses to Kailua (58-52), Kaiser (45-43) and Farrington (57-54). At 0-3, the Red Raiders decided not t


Smith tops All-Defense, Ramos voted Most Improved
Kahuku's Tolu Smith was named the Star-Advertiser boys basketball player of the year on Sunday. He is also the top defensive player in the state according to voting. Photo by Jamm Aquino/Star-Advertiser. The Star-Advertiser Boys Basketball All-State Fab 15 selections were released on Sunday. Coaches and media tabbed their top picks in the print edition. Below are extended player capsules along with the All-Defensive Team and Most Improved lists. Star-Advertiser
Boys Basketba


Kahuku’s Tolu Smith is Boys All-State Basketball Player of the Year
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM Kahuku center Tolu Smith is the 2018 Boys All-State Basketball Player of the Year. The first time Kelly Grant saw Galen Tolu Smith II really play, it was a revelation. The 6-foot-10 Kahuku senior was more than a center. He was simply, undeniably watchable, a force on both ends of the floor. The length, the energy that Hawaii really hadn’t seen in a hoopster that tall. “I knew he was a skilled post player, but I didn’t realize how quick


Kahuku has had some top of the line boys basketball talent in the last decade
In 2008 Jray Galea'i made the Honolulu Star-Bulletin's Fab 15 @ # 6 while joined by a #StraightFromTheBush Punahou player named Manti Te'o @ # 13. In 2009 Jray made 1st team for the Honolulu Advertiser while securing the # 5 spot in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin's Fab 15. Nehoa Akina secured a 2nd team nod for the Advertiser while being selected # 8 in the Star Bulletin's Fab 15. 2010 saw Keanu Akina ascending to 1st team all-state for the Advertiser and up to # 4 in the Star Bu


Kahuku's Smith leads All-OIA East selections
Kahuku's Tolu Smith brings the ball up the floor against Kalaheo in the OIA Division I championship game. CJ Caraang | SL 2018 All-OIA Eastern Division Boys Basketball selections
Selected by ScoringLive staff Player of the Year: Tolu Smith, Kahuku
Coach of the Year: Everett Frye, Kalani FIRST TEAM
Caleb Casinas, Moanalua - Senior
Andrew Kearney, Kalaheo - Senior
Kyle Moraga, McKinley - Senior
Tolu Smith, Kahuku - Senior
Everett Torres-Kahapea, Kailua - Junior SECOND TEA


Punahou dominates Kahuku for D1 title
MANOA — Third time's the charm and it wasn't even close. After coming up short the past two seasons, Punahou unloaded their frustrations on defending state champion Kahuku, 64-37, in front of a crowd of 2,902 to win the Snapple/HHSAA Division I Boys Basketball State Championships at the Stan Sheriff Center. The Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I runner-up broke through to win their first state title since 2012 (also against Kahuku) and 11th overall in school histor


2 months later, Punahou and Kahuku will settle score
Kahuku’s Tolu Smith was unstoppable according to Maryknoll coach Kelly Grant. Photo by Cindy Ellen Russell/Star-Advertiser. Nobody has forgotten that day in December when Punahou and Kahuku played to the very end. The game was tied at 48 on Dec. 20 when Cole Arceneaux made the winning shot, giving Punahou a first-day win over Kahuku in the St. Francis Holiday Hoops Classic. Photos after the game showed that the ball was still in Arceneaux’s shooting hand when the clock hit :0


Kahuku stuffs Kamehameha-Hawaii
CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM Kahuku’s Tolu Smith was up to the challenge, blocking the shot of Kamehameha-Hawaii’s Nalu Kahapea. The epic showdown between two of the state’s top big men didn’t quite happen. Tolu Smith did his part, pouring in all 17 of his points in the first half as unseeded Kahuku dominated Kamehameha-Hawaii 62-37 on Wednesday night at Moanalua gym in the quarterfinals of the Snapple/HHSAA Division I Boys Basketball State Championship.


Timely 3s lift Kahuku over KS-Hawaii
Kahuku's starters got some time to rest on the bench in a blowout win over Kamehameha-Hawaii in the quarterfinals of the state tournament. Photo by Cindy Ellen Russell/Star-Advertiser. It probably would’ve been a 35-point night for Tolu Smith, who had 17 points by halftime in Kahuku’s 62-37 win over Kamehameha-Hawaii on Wednesday. Smith saw sparse minutes in the third quarter before departing for good with 2:24 left in that period and the Red Raiders ahead 41-18. With the sem


Here we #GoBigRed ! The road has been set but we know you're up for the task! #PrideoftheNorthSh
#BujuTuisavura #SolJayMaiava #QuintonSpencer #LokanaEnos #JamesMiller #MarcusDamuni #GalenToluSmithIII #EthanErickson #RobbieSauvao #KenaiLiua #RuanuiWinitana #KalunaNihipali #KJMacatiag


Chiu’s long-range 3 caps upset of Kahuku
Kalaheo’s Cannen Chiu rose up and hit the game-winning 3-point basket to defeat Kahuku. Photo by Jay Metzger/Special to the Star-Advertiser. If you are a Kahuku boys basketball fan, it may be best to stop reading right here. Unranked Kalaheo proved, with a miraculous 55-53 win over Kahuku in the Oahu Interscholastic Association championship game on Wednesday night, that in this league, it’s never how you start. Kalaheo not only learned to finish, the Mustangs finished strong
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