Crimson Bears boys fall by a basket to Kings in tourney opener
- Klas Stolpe
- Mar 6
- 10 min read
JDHS now faces elimination game against Kayhi in Region V tournament on Friday
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears survived a series of deficits of 10-plus points to earn a lead in the final minute of the fourth quarter against Ketchikan in the first game of their best-of-three series at the Alaska Airlines Region V 2A/3A/4A Basketball Tournament on Thursday — only to come up short in a 58-56 loss in their home gym.
“Ketchikan came out and played great,” JDHS coach Robert Casperson said. “They were really aggressive and attacking, shot a really high percentage against what we thought was good defense, clearly not good enough.”
Trailing 37-24 at the half, the Crimson Bears would claw their way back into the game midway through the third quarter and both teams would take a share of the lead numerous times through the fourth stanza and to the end.
Trailing 55-52 with two minutes left in the game, Elias Dybdahl scored inside to pull to 55-54.
The JDHS defense then forced Kayhi sophomore Anthony Talauega to shoot from the arc and the miss resulted in a loose ball for the Crimson Bears.
JDHS missed two shots and a scramble they recovered was called over and back, and the Kings had another shot.
Kayhi missed and JDHS senior Brandon Casperson would score on a drive for a 56-55 lead with 35 seconds left to play.
JDHS senior Joren Gasga stole Kayhi’s next possession, but a traveling call gave the Kings the ball and senior Jozaiah Dela Cruz floated a shot off glass for a 57-56 lead.
JDHS senior Kurt Kuppert had a shot go in and out, and Kayhi’s Talauega rebounded and was fouled with 3.2 seconds left, missing the first and hitting the second for a 58-56 lead.
The Crimson Bears set up a desperation play and B. Casperson drove to halfcourt and his shot was challenged. A call could have gone in favor of either team, but instead the ball was blocked and the game ended with Ketchikan earning its first win of the season against the Crimson Bears.
Kayhi opened the game on an 11-3 run behind eight points from an athletic Talauega and led 26-9 after eight minutes.
JDHS would go on their own run to open the second quarter behind eight points from Dybdahl and two shots past the arc from junior Logan Carriker as they closed to 28-18 at one point, but the Kings pushed back to a 37-24 lead at the half.
“We were down quite a bit and had to dig out of that hole and I thought our guys took the adjustments we made at halftime and implemented them and did a great job,” Casperson said. “Got us right back into the game. A couple things didn’t go our way down the stretch. It is unfortunate, it shouldn’t have happened that way. There were some opportunities. Human error, human nature. We make mistakes. Just have to keep playing and make the next play.”
JDHS opened the second half with a Gasga scoring drive that was answered by one from Kayhi’s J. Dela Cruz and then JDHS senior Tyler Frisby hit from the arc, and Gasga scored three baskets in a row including one past the arc.
Dybdahl would continue to be a force inside with two blocks and JDHS pulled to 41-40 with three minutes left in the third quarter.
A shot from the arc by Kayhi’s J. Dela Cruz was answered with a JDHS score by Kuppert to pull to 44-42 and with 1:54 left in the stanza Dybdahl passed inside to senior Christian Rielly to tie the game.
Kayhi’s Talauega score for 46 and Carriker tied it up for JDHS.
Talauega would earn free throws on the next Kayhi possession and made one for a 47-46 lead but Dybdahl answered with a scoring drive for a 48-47 lead with under a minute remaining.
Kayhi’s Talauega earned another basket for the 49-48 as the quarter ended.
“I thought Elias was a lot more active today and that is what we were looking for from him,” coach Casperson said. “I appreciate the way he was working to get the ball and just doing all the things we know he can do. Joren did a good job in the second half of attacking the paint and getting buckets. He is really shifty and hard to guard. We had guys that hit threes in the second half, Logan Carriker had a couple… it takes everybody to bring it back. We don’t have one dominant guy that is going to go out and get us 20 points in a quarter. It is multiple guys chipping in and I thought we did that.”
When Ketchikan pulled out to a 55-49 lead in the fourth quarter, JDHS’ Dybdahl brought the Crimson Bears back to 55-52 with a block, a free throw and a basket, and then 55-54 on another score that allowed B. Casperson to give JDHS their brief final lead at 56-55.
When Kayhi hit a basket and free throw, and the clock expired, the JDHS Crimson Bears looked determined that tonight would not happen again.
“They just weren’t bringing the same energy and intensity that a Region V tournament deserves,” coach Casperson said of his team’s opening quarter of play. “Ketchikan did and we weren’t ready for it. That’s on me. I have got to do a better job of having them prepared. Xs and Os is one thing, but the crowd noise and the excitement and all those things that lead up to that day, and having them ready in that sense I didn’t do a good enough job to have their heads right. Now they know. Now they are ready and we will go from here.”
Dybdahl led JDHS with 17 points, Gasga added 14, Carriker 13, Kuppert five, Frisby three, and B. Casperson and Rielly two apiece. JDHS hit seven shots past the arc, 15 closer in and were 5-16 at the line, according to the court-side scorebook.
Talauega led Kayhi with 24 points, J. Dela Cruz had 18, Edward Dela Cruz and junior Henry Vail five apiece, junior Zyrus Manabat four and sophomore Rylan Hanchey two. The Kings hit six shots from the arc, 17 closer in and were 6-14 at the line.
JDHS and Kayhi play at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Kings can win the region title or the Crimson Bears can force a third game on Saturday.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
REGION V TOURNAMENT HIGHLIGHTS
3A Boys
Sitka 72, Mt. Edgecumbe 53
The Mt. Edgecumbe Braves swept the three-game Battle of the Bridge during the regular season, but the Sitka Wolves drew first blood in the best-of-three Alaska Airlines 2026 Region V 3A Championship series on Thursday in Juneau, rolling to a 72-53 victory.
The Wolves led 33-21 at the half and then piled on 25 points in the third quarter to claim a commanding 58-34 lead en route to winning by 19 points.
Senior forward Trey Johnson led Sitka with 23 points, doing all his damage in the first three quarters of play. Johnson scored nine points in the first quarter and then erupted for 12 points in the third. Senior guard Kai Hirai added 17 points for the Wolves, hitting three 3-pointers in the game. The Wolves had nine players scored in the game, with five different players hitting 3-pointers.
Junior Kaden Herrman led Mt. Edgecumbe with 18 points. Junior Guy Goldsberry added 12.
The teams play again Friday at 1:30 p.m. If Sitka wins, it claims the region title. If Mt. Edgecumbe wins, a third game will be played at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
Sitka 72, Mt. Edgecumbe 53
Sitka 18 15 25 14 — 72
Mt. Edgecumbe 10 11 13 19 — 53
Sitka — Shan Carlos 5, Josh Partido 5, Brett Ross 4, Kai Hirai 17, Colton McGraw 7, Shane Tincher 5, Ashton Peterson 2, Koen Hirai 4, Trey Johnson 23.
Mt. Edgecumbe — Elden Andrew 6, Kaden Herrmann 18, Royce Alstrom 2, Guy Goldsberry 12, Gordon Lie 4, Xavier Gunderson 7, Carlos Sandoval 3, Kaden KKulukhon 1.
2A BOYS
Metlakatla 62, Craig 32
By RICHARD LARSON
Ketchikan Daily News Sports Editor
The Metlakatla boys basketball team scored the first nine points of the game and never looked back, rolling to a 62-32 win over Craig to stay alive in the Region V 2A Championships on Thursday in Juneau.
After playing great defense, but struggling to score in a 42-31 loss to Haines on Wednesday, Metlakatla put it all together on Thursday, hitting shots and forcing turnovers in a dominant win.
The Chiefs led 21-5 at the end of the first quarter and 35-10 at the half before cruising to the 30-point victory.
“You know Haines is a lot more physical defensively and does some different things, but we just went back to trying to simplify what we were trying to do offensively and not get into situations where we were trying to do too much,” Metlakatla coach TJ Scott said. “We really focused on creating for our teammates and sharing the ball, getting good ball movement and attacking. I just think we got better looks today.”
Against Haines, the Chiefs drove into the lane and often forced shots even when they were cut off. Against Craig, if the drive inside was blocked, the Chiefs did a better job of kicking the ball out for open 3-pointers, and they hit those 3-pointers at a much higher percentage than they did in their opener.
“Instead of forcing something up against two or three people, today we stopped short of the help (defense) and kicked out,” Scott said. “And then what happens when you knock down some shots like that, all of a sudden they can’t help anymore and we were able to get in and get to the rim. So, you know, we just played a lot smarter and better brand of basketball today.”
Metlakatla opened the game with a couple of transition layups from Sebashtin Martinez and Bryce Olin. Then, after a couple of free throws from Rocco Lindsey, Gianni Scudero Hayward hit a 3-pointer. Another 3-pointer from Cruz Lindsey on a kick-out pass made the score 12-1 with five different players scoring in the opening four minutes of the game for the Chiefs.
“I just thought everybody played with a lot more confidence today,” Scott said. “Just every guy that hit the floor, I thought played their tail off, and really played to their strengths.”
Defensively, Metlakatla forced 25 turnovers and held Craig’s Joshua Bennett in check, holding the senior to 11 points.
“We didn’t completely shut him down, but we made life tough for him,” Scott said. “That is all you can ask the kids to do. I thought we executed our game plan really well today, unlike yesterday. Now we just have to play that way the rest of the way.”
Metlakatla faces Wrangell in another elimination game at 10:30 a.m. Friday. The winner of that game will play the loser of the Petersburg-Haines championship game in the second-place game on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. with a state tournament bid on the line.
“It is an old cliché, but we are just focused on one game at a time,” Scott said. “I feel like if we play an unselfish brand of basketball where we move the ball and play with defensive energy, we are going to be tough to beat. If we get stagnant and a little selfish offensively, we are not going to make it to state. This team is capable of making it. If we play the brand of basketball that we played today, you know we have a puncher’s chance of getting through this loser’s bracket.”
Gianni Scudero Hayward led a balanced Metlakatla attack with 12 points against Craig. Sebashtin Martinez and Rocco Lindsey each finished with nine points. Cruz Lindsey scored eight, and Bryce Olin finished with seven.
Metlakatla 62, Craig 32
Craig 5 5 14 8 — 32
Metlakatla 21 14 17 10 — 62
Metlakatla — Cordell Buxton 4, Gianni Scudero Hayward 12, Bryce Olin 7, Cash Martinez 5, Sebashtin Martinez 9, Marsden Bentley 3, Rocco Lindsey 9, Cruz Lindsey 8, Xavier Olsen 5. Craig — Joshua Bennett 11, Adam Vickers 7, Aiden Goheen 3, Tate Arndt 5, Jack Conaster 3, Allen Trimmer 3.
Petersburg 48, Wrangell 12
The top-seeded Petersburg Vikings completely shut down Wrangell on Thursday, holding the Wolves to three field goals in the game and earning a convincing 48-12 victory to advance to the championship game of the Region V 2A Championships in Juneau.
The Vikings led 5-4 after first quarter of play, then outscored Wrangell 31-2 over the second and third quarters, including shutting the Wolves out in the second.
Ben Houser hit a pair of 3-pointers for the Wolves, otherwise Wrangell was held to one 2-point field goal and went 4 of 15 from the free-throw line in the loss.
Nine players scored for the Vikings, led by Brayden Tucker with nine points. Logan Tow and Camden Johnson each finished with eight points.
Petersburg will face Haines in the championship game on Friday. The Vikings won three of four games against Haines during the regular season, sweeping by scores of 57-38 and 59-46 in Petersburg before splitting a pair of games in Haines with the Glacier Bears winning the first game 49-41 and Petersburg earning a narrow 52-51 victory in the second game.
Petersburg 48, Wrangell 12
Petersburg 5 11 20 12 — 48
Wrangell 4 0 2 6 — 12
Petersburg — Brayden Tucker 9, Tyler Ward 4, Noah Pawak 2, Logan Tow 8, Mason Knudsen 5, Nolan Lutomski 4, Camden Johnson 8, Eli Anderson 2, Aiden Knudsen 6. Wrangell — Ben Houser 8, Jackson Powers 2, Aadyn Green 2.
Region V 2A Boys
Wednesday
No. 4 Wrangell 61, No. 5 Craig 43
No. 2 Haines 42, No. 3 Metlakatla 31
Thursday
Elimination Game
Metlakatla 62, Craig 32
Winners Bracket
No. 1 Petersburg 48, Wrangell 12
Friday
Elimination Game
Wrangell vs. Metlakatla, 10:30 a.m.
Championship Game
Petersburg vs. Haines, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday
Second-place game, 2:30 p.m.
