Crimson Bears boys end season with strong effort at state
- Klas Stolpe
- 6 days ago
- 7 min read
JDHS plays down to the wire in 64-61 consolation bracket semifinal loss to athletic Service
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
For the second game in three days at the March Madness Alaska 4A State Basketball Championships, the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears boys showed they belonged on the biggest stage in the state with some of Alaska’s best players.
With the final seconds ticking off and JDHS trailing Service 64-61, the Crimson Bears had a shot from near the arc contested. The ball would miss and no whistle was heard, but that of the score clock buzzer signaling the end of the game.
“This is not the outcome we wanted, but we battled until the end,” JDHS senior Joren Gasga said. “We never gave up, and I feel good about that. We were all staying positive with each other. I just feel like we tried our best but didn’t get the outcome that we wanted.”
Gasga and classmates Elias Dybdahl, Brandon Casperson, Noah Ault, Tyler Frisby and Kurt Kuppert, along with the various substitutions willed their teammates through another of the state tournament’s exciting contests.
“I really thought we were going to pull that one out this morning, based on how hard we worked to close the gap,” JDHS coach Robert Casperson said. “If we had another minute on the clock, I think we could have pulled off the upset. You could feel the momentum swing our way. Joren and Elias put us on their backs and carried the scoring load in that second half, and that was impressive.”
JDHS never led in the game but tied the contest once and were within striking distance numerous times. The second half started with JDHS trailing Service 29-19.
Service junior Jace Griffith hit to open the second half, but JDHS’ Gasga answered. The Cougars’ Griffith hit and was fouled and missed the free throw, but junior teammate Alexander Unks rebounded and scored for a 35-21 lead and what seemed to be a momentum boost.
JDHS responded with a Kuppert shot from the arc that initiated a 16-3 run and tied the game at 38-38 with 2:39 remaining in the stanza. That Crimson Bears barrage included three straight scores inside by Dybdahl, another shot past the arc from Kuppert, a Dybdahl old-fashioned three-point play and two free throws from B. Casperson.
Service responded with a basket by Unks and JDHS’ Dybdahl hit a free throw to trail 40-39. The Crimson Bears upped their defensive pressure, but the Courgars responded with an old-fashioned three-point play by senior Kevan Henderson and two more free throws on his next touch for a 45-39 lead with a minute left in the third quarter.
JDHS junior Logan Carriker went back door and took a pass from Dybdahl to score and trail 45-41, but Service freshman Tyler Aszmus scored for a 47-41 lead. With 10 seconds left in the stanza, a turnover gave Gasga a scoring shot, and then the crafty senior stole the inbounds pass and was fouled on a scoring shot with seconds left and hit the extra free throw to trail 47-46.
“Defensively we were trying to get them to turn the ball over,” JDHS’ Ault said. “We were working hard to get stops. We did execute a bunch of key stops and I know we came up short, but I feel like we did a really good job of getting back into the game. Hopefully next year our boys can go back up here and win it all.”
Service’s Griffith started the final stanza with a block and junior Gavin Dimatulac hit from the arc for a 50-46 lead and Griffith hit a reverse lay-in on their next possession for 52-46.
Gasga answered from the arc to trail 52-49.
Service went on a 6-2 run with scores by Griffith at the line and Henderson and senior Adrien Phiachantharath on short jumpers. JDHS got a tough shot inside by Carriker.
The Crimson Bears edged closer with a score by Ault and a block for possession by Dybdahl, who then scored to trail 58-55 with under three minutes to play.
Service would get a score from senior Dominique Nicdao and a steal and score from Phiachantharath for a 62-55 lead with under two minutes to play.
JDHS’ Dybdahl would score three straight possessions, two on full court rebound possession dribbles, as the Crimson Bears' defense led to a 62-61 deficit with 35 seconds to play.
A fourth foul called on Kuppert in the press led to one free throw by Nicdao for a 63-61 lead.
Service’s Griffith blocked a shot and JDHS’ Kuppert was forced to earn his last foul and the Cougars’ Henderson hit the first for the 64-61 lead.
Henderson missed the second shot and Dybdahl pulled the rebound.
JDHS set up a final play with eight seconds left and the ball was swung to Crimson Bears sophomore Micah Nelson, who had the best look under the defensive pressure being applied and the ball just missed long.
“It is the best being out on the floor with them,” Gasga said of his Crimson Bears teammates. “I always wanted to play with Brandon and Eli, like, all together since we went to separate middle schools. And I have had the chance and it has been great.”
The first half started with a 9-0 run by Service and the Courgars would hold a 14-8 lead after eight minutes.
JDHS’ Gasga hit a layup to close the first quarter and then from the arc off a steal by senior Brandon Casperson to open the second quarter and again on a drive to pull to 14-13. Service would close the stanza on a 15-6 run for a 29-19 lead at the half. The JDHS scores came from Dybdahl at the free throw line, Gasga on a drive and Dybdahl on a follow.
“I feel like the first half didn’t really go how we wanted,” JDHS’ B. Casperson said. “We were not executing how we needed to, but we turned it around in the second half. There were some plays that could have been turning points that we didn’t capitalize on but we still had chances to tie it up and win it. But it was just fun. It didn’t go how we wanted it to go, but I am proud of our effort.”
Dybdahl led JDHS with 24 points, Gasga added 19, Kuppert eight, Carriker four, and B. Casperson, Ault and Nelson two each. The Crimson Bears made four three-point shots, 20 closer in and 9-12 from the free throw line. Of their 17 fouls, five were earned by Kuppert, four by B. Casperson, three apiece by senior Christian Rielly and Dybdahl, two by Ault and one each by Gasga, Carriker, senior Hunter Carte and sophomore Zachary Polasky.
Henderson and Griffith led Service with 14 points apiece, Phiachantharath added 10, Unks nine, Nicdao five, Aszmus four, junior Saidu Kabia and Dimatulac three apiece and senior William Rosario two. The Cougars made three three-point shots, 22 closer in and 11-19 at the line. Of their 15 fouls only Phiachantharath had four and Dimatulac three.
“Another slow start, but what a battle in the second half,” JDHS coach Casperson said. “Service is a very good team and has beaten a lot of talented schools this season by much bigger margins… I like that everyone played in both of our games at state. The returning players will benefit from that experience. The departing seniors have left their mark on our program and set the standard for the next season. They can be proud of their leadership and what we accomplished as a team. I am proud of this team.”
JDHS ends its season with a 15-12 record. The Crimson Bears lost to the No. 1 seed West Valley 71-48 to open state play. West Valley lost to No. 5 South Anchorage 59-52 in a Friday semifinal. South will play #2 Grace Christian, a 66-51 winner over #3 Lathrop in Friday's late semifinal, for the state championship at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. West Valley will play Lathrop in the third/fifth-place game at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Service lost their state opener to South 69-67 and now advances to the Saturday consolation bracket final for fourth/sixth place against No. 6 Dimond, a 61-49 winner over No. 7 Wasilla in the other consolation bracket semifinal on Friday.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
