The 30-year history of the HHSAA Girls’ State Basketball Tournament began in 1977 when eight teams gathered at Mid-Pacific Institute.

All three ILH schools scored first night wins, including #7 seed Punahou, which defeated second seed and OIA champion Kalaheo.

Opening night proved to be a sign of things to come as ILH teams won the tournament for the first six years, during which time there were five all-ILH finals.

Two well-known college coaches took part in the first title-game.  Former HPU men’s basketball coach Russell Dung guided Maryknoll to a win over Punahou, which was led by UH Wahine volleyball coach Dave Shoji, for the first of the Spartans’ back-to back.
championships

The eight-team format continued for the next six years, through 1983.  Starting in 1979, Punahou, coached by Robin Durand, captured three consecutive state titles, beating University High each time in the final game.  The Junior Bows finally turned the tide in 1982, edging the Buffanblu in the title match.

In 1983, Kahuku, coached by the late Harry Kahuanui, won the OIA’s only championship prior to 2001, defeating University in the finale.

The first seven years produced many highlights, including:

***  ILH teams won all 14 of their first round games and conversely, neighbor island    
        teams lost all 27 of their openers.
***  In 1981, Kohala’s Lynette Liu set a still-standing 3-game tournament scoring record
        with 85 points, despite the fact that the three point shot did not become part of the
       rules until 1985.
*** The only double and triple overtime games prior to 2003 took place and both times
       Waiakea was the victim.  In 1980’s first round, Leilehua edged the Warriors 70-69 in
       two Ots and in 1983’s Consolation Final, Lahainaluna defeated the Big Island team
       61-54 in three Ots.

In 1984, the tournament – won by University – changed to a twelve-team format, with the
champions of the ILH, OIA, BIIF and MIL (except in 1988, 1993 and 1994 when the KIF winner replaced the MIL) being seeded and earning first-round byes.

Top seeded teams have gone on to win 18 tournaments.  Unseeded teams have won three times.  Kamehameha prevailed in1988 and 1993, both requiring four games, while Aiea won three games to gain the 2001 title.

Waiakea registered back-to-back championships in 1985 and 1986.  The Big Island Warriors, along with Punahou, have competed in the most state tournaments –20.
The Buffanblu rank second in games played (including consolation), with 63, trailing
Kamehameha’s 64.

After Iolani won its first of four titles in 1987, Kamehameha, coached by Al Apo, became a dominant force in the years 1988-1993, winning five of the six years (including four in a  row) and finishing second once (to Iolani).

The ILH continued to dominate as the century came to an end.  From 1994 to 2000, Punahou won three times,while Kamehameha and Iolani each won twice.  Four of those years saw an all-ILH final.

The twelve-team format was intended to be permanent, but a state-wide teachers’ strike
in 2001 forced HHSAA officials to scramble just to save the tournament.

The 2001 event was an eight-team affair with no consolation rounds and took place for the first time at three sites.  Quarterfinals were held at McKinley and Kamehameha, while the semis and finals were at the Stan Sheriff Center.  It also marked the first ever all-OIA final, in which Aiea upset Kalaheo, a team it had lost to one week earlier in the OIA title game.

The twelve-team format returned in 2002 and Kamehameha won for the eighth time.  The Warriors’ Clay Cockett joined Durand, Iolani’s Bernie Ching and Punahou’s Shelley Kahuanui  Fey as three-time winners, trailing only Apo who coached five champions.

In 2003, Punahou, coached by Mike Taylor, returned to the winner’s circle for the first time since 1998, earning a seventh title.  Highlights included Kahuku’s 69-64 double overtime quaterfinal win over Konawanea and the Wildcats’ Nancy Hoist’s tournament
record 20 of 20 free throws in three games.

In 2004, Hoist finally missed a pair (13-15) of free throws, but she scored 19 points and
grabbed 11 rebounds to lift Konawaena to a 51-41 championship game victory over Kahuku.  The Wildcats, coached by Bobbie Awa, completed regular season and HHSAA tournament play undefeated.

Another milestone was established in 2004 when Roosevelt won the initial four-team Division II championship, defeating St. Andrew’s Priory 67-44 in the title game.

In 2005, the tournament’s first ever double overtime championship game was won by Punahou which overcame a 26-point performance by sophomore Jazzmin Awa-Williams to score a dramatic 52-50 win over defending champion Konawaeana.  It was the Buffanblu’s eighth title and completed an undefeated regular and tournament season.

Kamehamehama-Hawaii, with no seniors on the roster, captured the Division II crown beating Saint Francis 55-49 in the finale.

Last year, Punahou’s Shawna-Lei Kuehu scored a tournament record 37 points to lead the Buffanblu to a 61-39 championship game win over Roosevelt.  Her 16 field goals tied a tournament record.  For Punahou, which led 37-14 at halftime, it was their ninth title and third consecutive for coach Mike Taylor.  The result was the second most lopsided in tournament history (Maryknoll beat Kalaheo 61-29 in 1978).

Kalani won the Division II title, defeating defending champion Kamehameha-Hawaii 58-51 in the finale.  For the first time,  in its brief three-year history, the Division II tournament had a twelve-team field.

The HHSAA girls’ tournament has been held on all of Hawaii’s four major islands.
Oahu is hosting for the 21st time, the Big Island has had five, Maui three and Kauai two.
UH-Manoa’s Stan Sheriff Center has been the site for all tournament games since 1996
(when it was known as the Special Events Center), except in 1997 when Hilo hosted,  in 2001 when quarterfinals were at school gyms, and in 2006 when all Division II games were held at McKinley.