Houston Hosoda knows free throws.

In a semifinal win over University, he made two clutch free throws to preserve a Punahou win. This time, his free throws extended Punahou’s lead to 43-40 with 7.9 seconds left and lifted the Buffanblu to their first HHSAA boys basketball state championship since 2018, ending Saint Louis’ quest for a four-peat.

Saint Louis’ last-chance shot, a 23-footer from the left wing by Shancin Revuelto, missed long at the buzzer, ending the Crusaders’ three-year reign. The championship is No. 12 in Punahou’s boys basketball history and the third under Darren Matsuda, who guided the Buffanblu to titles in 2012 and ’18.

“2012 was awesome, the first one with DeForest (Buckner) and Malik (Johnson) and (Steven) Lakalaka and all those guys,” Matsuda recalled. “2018 was awesome because we lost the two before. This one was really unexpected, especially after losing Tanoa (Scanlan, to a hand injury). That’s what makes this one special. The kids really had to grind and really face adversity, and find a way. I think they’re going to carry that lesson the rest of their lives.”

Hosoda missed chunks of his senior year but delivered in his specialized role as a charity-stripe closer.

“He’s had various illnesses — the flu and whatever. He finally got some rhythm at the end. He’s had some big games for us the last six to eight games. He’s nails at the line,” Matsuda said.

“Tanoa was our best free-throw shooter, almost 90%, so when he went out, Houston stepped up to that role.”

Hosoda basked in the lights as his team cut the net down.

“I don’t even know. I’m so happy. There’s no words,” the senior said.

Against a team that beat Punahou (28-8) three times in ILH play — a three-time defending state champion led by legendary coach Dan Hale and two-time All-State Player of the Year Pupu Sepulona — it seemed to be Saint Louis’ title to take. With Punahou’s leading scorer Scanlan sidelined and fellow sophomore Zion White battling the flu all week, Punahou didn’t seem to be a big threat on paper.

“I lost 12 pounds this week. I was 190, then I went down to 178,” White said. “I’m still sick.”

He had nine points, 14 rebounds, two assists and a big run-down block on a Saint Louis fast break. With the Crusaders applying heavy pressure on Punahou guards, he became a point forward in the second half. His push on the fast break helped Punahou score crucial points in a tight fourth quarter. With three- and four-guard lineups, Punahou relied heavily on senior leadership and an unselfish offense. White’s athleticism in a 6-foot-5 frame was unmatched.

“We just put our heads down. We put our faith in God. Saint Louis is a great team, a wonderful team. We just told ourselves, it doesn’t matter if we’re down 20 or up 20, we’ll keep going,” White said. “I kept praying, I kept praying. I knew with God anything is possible. It’s the outcome God intended.”

Dane Kellner was excellent, driving for buckets and crashing the offensive glass. He finished with a team-high 13 points on 6-for-7 field-goal shooting with five rebounds, three on the offensive board. Senior guard Dash Watanabe also had nine points along with a team-high three steals. His role as a glue guy was crucial.

“I’ve kind of been through the program through four years and I just try to bring the boys together. I try to emphasize defense,” Watanabe said.

Caelan Fernando led Saint Louis (32-2) with 11 points, adding four assists. Sepulona finished his prep basketball career with nine points, going 2-for-5 from the field and 5-for-9 at the foul line, with seven rebounds. The Crusaders shot 2-for-13 from the 3-point arc and 8-for-17 from the free-throw line. Revuelto, playing with an injured shooting hand, had six points on 2-for-13 shooting from the field. The two seniors won three state titles together and would have possibly made history with a grand slam in boys hoops, but Punahou was slightly better on the last night of the season.

Punahou took just nine free throws and made five. They were 4-for-11 from the arc.

“It’s a life lesson. There’s a lot of other seniors that we sent with the same feeling (of losing). When the dust settles, I’m sure our guys can look back and be proud of what they did for the school and our community,” Saint Louis coach Hale said.

Saint Louis trailed 38-30 with 5:09 left before going on a 9-1 run to tie it at 49 on a steal by Fernando, who passed to Revuelto for a layup with 1:12 left.

White wasted no time, going coast to coast, putting up a 7-footer in traffic that tumbled in for a 41-39 Punahou lead with 58 seconds remaining.

Revuelto missed a 23-footer. The ball lodged in the armpit of the rim, and the possession arrow pointed to the Crusaders.

Keanu Meacham missed a 17-footer from the corner, but Sepulona rebounded and was fouled on the follow attempt with 11.8 seconds left. His first shot rattled out, and he made the second, making it 41-40.

Saint Louis played without key defensive stopper Stone Kanoa, who suffered an arm injury in the semifinal against Kahuku.

“It’s tough and you don’t have time to adjust, but that’s part of tournament basketball. You’ve just got to go with what you’ve got. The guys we have played as hard as they could and that’s all I ever ask of them,” Hale said.

In their previous matchups, Saint Louis won 53-52 (Jan. 9), 52-44 (Jan. 23) and 63-56 (Feb. 12).