Konawaena coach Bobbie Awa rode her starting five the entire season, and she wasn't about to change things in the biggest game of the year.

Guards Liana Hanato-Smith and Kara Hanato-Smith, and forwards Jazzmin Awa-Williams, Mana Hopkins and Marissa Minor all played 32 minutes in a 59-47 victory over Punahou in the final of the Hawaiian Airlines/HHSAA Girls Basketball Division I State Championship at the Stan Sheriff Center.

The only rest they got was in the final seconds, when five new players came in.

No. 2 seed Konawaena, the Big Island Interscholastic Federation champion and The Advertiser's No. 1-ranked team, stayed in a 2-3 zone the entire way, but had to deal with the Buffanblu's full-court pressure.

"We normally substitute during the course of the game if we have to, if our girls get into foul trouble and stuff," Awa said. "But we stayed in a zone, they didn't get into foul trouble and that was the big thing. They sucked it up and they hung in there the whole game. That was pretty awesome by them."

Liana Hanato-Smith, Awa-Williams and Minor are seniors. Kara Hanato-Smith is a sophomore and Hopkins is a junior.

Konawaena, which improved to 17-0, won its second state title in four years.

The Wildcats won the 2004 state title and lost to Punahou in double overtime in 2005.

"It feels twice as good because it's my last year and I'm going out strong like I wanted to," said Awa-Williams, who was a freshman on the 2004 title team.

Liana Hanato-Smith hit Konawaena's first three shots — all 3-pointers — to give the Wildcats a 9-4 lead with 4:45 left in the first quarter. In two previous tournament games, she, scored 15 points in 62 minutes.

"I felt great. It was the championship, my last game. I just went for it all," Liana Hanato-Smith said.

Hopkins scored 26 points and Awa-Williams added 15. They both grabbed nine rebounds.

"Mana kind of struggled the past couple games," Awa said. "She got double-digits (in points) but still kind of forced things. Off the boards, she was incredible this whole tournament. She pounded the glass this whole tournament for us."

Kara Hanato-Smith and Awa-Williams were the primary ball-handlers against Punahou's pressure.

"Jazzy played good, too," Awa said. "She's strong with the ball so it's easy to give her the ball and let her bring it up the court."

Awa-Williams, Hopkins and Liana Hanato-Smith all made the all-tournament team.

"In the earlier games, we weren't working as a team as much," Hopkins said. "When we work as a team we make magic. We just sucked it up."

Punahou, the Interscholastic League of Honolulu runner-up, ended its season at 12-6. The Buffanblu, unlike Konawaena, didn't have a first-round bye.

Reach Kyle Sakamoto at ksakamoto@honoluluadvertiser.com.