Hailey-Ann Maeda scored 17 points and Julia Brand added 11 as Punahou rallied from a 12-point deficit for an astounding 52-47 win over defending champion Lahainaluna last night in the semifinals of the Hawaiian Airlines/HHSAA girls basketball Division I state championships.

A crowd of about 1,500 at Blaisdell Arena saw Lahainaluna surge to a 31-19 third-quarter lead with Maiki Viela (32 points) leading the way. But Punahou’s fullcourt pressure and Brand’s ability to finish off the fast break against Lahainaluna’s high-pressure defense turned the game around.

It came down to team defense and mental toughness for Punahou.

"We’re down 12, call timeout and said, ‘This is it right here. Either come out and fight or get knocked out,’" coach Mike Taylor said. "We ain’t the prettiest, but our guts, togetherness and persistence, they make me proud."

It was a unique scenario for Taylor, who helped Viela connect with a Nike all-star team last summer (Team Taurasi).

"She’s got the heart of a lion," he said. "She was outscoring us for most of the game."

Viela was sad, but proud of her team.

"I’m fine. It’s just heartbreaking," she said. "We tried our hardest, but it wasn’t meant to be. They put a lot of pressure on us. In your face all the time."

Mysha Sataraka was key during the comeback, scoring five of her 11 points, and reserve guard Reina Furuya hit a clutch 3-pointer as the Buffanblu went on an 18-4 run.

Maeda, who grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds, hit two free throws with 6 minutes left to give Punahou a 37-35 lead.

The Lady Lunas tied it at 39 on a pull-up jumper by Viela, but couldn’t get over the hump.

Maeda hustled for five of her team’s next seven points, and Brand scored in transition as Punahou opened a 47-42 lead with 2:55 remaining.

"We got good ball movement and I was down court," Brand said. "We value the ball, but if you’re wide-open, you take it."

"Big credit to Julia," Taylor said. "She was hustling all night, creating plays."

Jen Ching, assigned to cover the hot-shooting Viela, came through with a steal and a free throw for a 48-44 lead, but Viela drained a long trey with the help of a screen to cut the lead to one point with 57 seconds to go.

Brand hit two foul shots to make it 50-47 and Viela missed a tough 3-pointer before Sataraka nailed two free throws for a 52-47 lead with 23 ticks left.

Viela missed an NBA-range trey moments later, and Punahou shut down the Lunas the rest of the way.

Viela, who signed to play for Gonzaga next season, shot 12-for-27 from the field against a harassing defense.

Punahou’s comeback began when Lahainaluna’s posts, Ana-Marie Lauese and Petiola Tuakoi, got in major foul trouble.

Lunas coach Todd Rickard played his reserve posts for a stretch, but decided to take a gamble.

"We were going to save Ana for the fourth quarter when we were up 12, but we had our younger players in and the lead started slipping away," he said. "At states, it’s a different level. Our mistakes came back to haunt us."

Rickard’s squad came a long way since preseason, when Viela sat for several weeks due to a back injury.

"I feel like we let one slip away. I feel real bad for our seniors, but tomorrow’s a new day. Eventually, they’ll get over it."

Now, the Buffanblu face their longtime nemesis, Konawaena, for the crown.

"They’re doing pretty good," Ching said. "All we can do is give it our all."