Defending state champion Kamehameha held off Punahou, 47-43, and Iolani dispatched Kahuku, 55-44, tonight to advance to Saturday's state boys high school basketball championship.

The Warriors (16-4), who finished third in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu and had to qualify by beating Honokaa Monday, and the Raiders (14-2) will meet 7 p.m. at Stan Sheriff Center

The Warriors, who won last season's state title by beating Kahuku, will be playing their fifth meaningful game in six days on Saturday. Following Monday's play-in victory, the Warriors beat Campbell Wednesday and Oahu Interscholastic Association champion Moanalua Thursday.

IOLANI VS. KAHUKU

Turning to its staunch defense on a poor shooting night, �Iolani held off Kahuku to advance to its first Hawaiian Airlines Boys Basketball Championship game since 2006.
The No. 1 seed and Interscholastic League of Honolulu champ Raiders improved to 14-2 in the regular and postseason and will face ILH rival and defending state champ Kamehameha (17-4) for the title.
The game will be televised live statewide on OC16.
�Iolani made just 16 of 48 field goals (33.3 percent) Friday night at the SSC, including only 5 of 19 shots (26.3 percent) from 3-point range. But the Raiders made up for it with a scrappy defense, especially in the fourth period when they held O�ahu Interscholastic Association runner-up Kahuku (15-5) without a basket until 1:18 remained in the game.
That allowed �Iolani to stretch a 39-36 lead after three periods to 48-38.
�It started with our defense,� said Raiders guard Kainoa Chu, a 6-foot senior who finished with a game-high 22 points. �We started to get some steals and make them play on their heels.�

KAMEHAMEHA VS. PUNAHOU

Kamehameha took a successful final step in its long journey of return to the Hawaiian Airlines Boys Basketball State Championship game, holding off Punahou, 47-43, in semifinal action at Stan Sheriff Center.

The game � Kamehameha�s ninth in the past two weeks � will be televised live statewide on OC16.
�It�s a relief, all our hard work paid off so far,� said Warriors sophomore guard Dyrbe Enos, who hit a baseline jumper with 59 seconds remaining to put Kamehameha up, 45-40, and then sealed the game by converting two free throws with 2.4 ticks on the clock. �We�re tired, but we just need to go home, rehydrate, get some sleep and then stretch our legs tomorrow.�