Crimson Bears girls declare ‘Warr’ on Lady Kings
- Klas Stolpe
- 7 hours ago
- 7 min read
JDHS aggressive in the post, and past the arc in 55-43 win
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears won some key battles in the paint on Friday to defeat the visiting Ketchikan Lady Kings 55-43 behind 11 rebounds from senior Gwen Nizich and an aggressive post presence by sophomore Athena Warr who blocked two shots and altered a few more.
“The last couple games I have kind of been in a slump and I have not been aggressive,” JDHS’ Warr said. “So I went into this game, even though I wasn’t going to score a lot, just knowing that I needed to be a presence on the court both on offense and defense, and just kind of be big to help my teammates out. Just kind of hustle and keep my head up.”
The Crimson Bears needed a head up as the Lady Kings stayed within a basket or two throughout the game.
JDHS junior Layla Tokuoka scored on a drive 10 seconds into the contest and Ketchikan sophomore Peyton Nickich answered from past the arc for a 3-2 lead.
JDHS responded with a shot past the arc by Nizich, two Tokuoka free throws and a shot past the arc by senior Cambry Lockhart for a 10-3 momentum boost.
Kayhi answered back with two free throws from senior Kylie Brendible, a drive by Nickich, a back door cut and score by Nickich, and a scoring drive by freshman Addison Secrest that included a foul shot and a 12-10 lead.
“We definitely are fixing our attitudes and working together and not against each other,” Kayhi’s Addison Secrest said. “We are getting used to this court now for regions.”
Nizich would hit from the arc and Tokuoka added two free throws to push JDHS to a 15-12 lead, but Kayhi’s Brendible hit two free throws to close to 15-14 as the stanza ended.
The second quarter opened with Nickich giving Kayhi a 16-15 lead and Nizich rebounding for a 17-16 JDHS advantage. Crimson Bears freshman Blythe Lockhart hit a free throw for 18-16 and Kayhi’s Brendible answered with a score to tie the game.
Warr would take a power dribble and hit a jumper shot in the key for a 20-18 JDHS lead and Kayhi’s Nickich hit from the arc for a 21-20 lead with sophomore Claire Ruaro adding a free throw for 22-20.
Tokuoka rebounded a missed shot to tie the game at 22-22 and then Warr blocked a shot at one end of the court and was rewarded in the post on the other end with a made basket and a foul shot for a 25-22 lead.
Tokuoka and Nizich both scored for a 29-22 advantage, and Kayhi’s Brendible closed the half with a drive and score to pull to 29-24.
“I don’t think we were worried as much as we were just frustrated with the first half,” JDHS coach Tanya Nizich said. “We were just exchanging baskets. We were doing really good things and we would make a basket and then just quickly exchange. We talked about that at halftime that we have to get a stop, getting more stops than not to just punch ahead a little more. But I thought we controlled the rebounds really well tonight. Athena did great all around as far as just being a big presence inside and Gwen had a huge night rebounding as well.”
JDHS opened the second half on an 8-0 run behind a turnaround jumper by Warr, a steal by sophomore Sadie Lockhart who fed Nizich for a layup, a steal by Tokuoka who fed senior Cambry Lockhart for a basket and a free throw by Tokuoka for a 39-27 lead.
“Overall, Layla had a really great game,” Coach Nizich said. “Maybe not as many points as we are accustomed to her having, but she did all the other little things around us that make our team turn.”
A basket and free throw by Ruaro and a shot past the arc by Brendible were all the Lady Kings would score in the stanza as they pulled to 39-34. JDHS’ B. Lockhart ended the stanza with a basket for a 41-34 lead.
“I am happy that we played very cohesively,” JDHS’ senior Camby Lockhart said. “We kind of struggled to do that with missing players the past weeks and I think we did a really good job of attacking the hoop. Our three’s weren’t spectacular tonight, but we started to attack and rip and go, and Layla had great drives, and we were in great position to kick and hit the middle and all of that. I am just really proud that we didn’t give up when those shots weren’t falling and we kept driving to the hoop and just ripping. And Athena did great. I am so proud of her. She has been in kind of a slump, more mentally than physically so I am just glad she went out there and battled. Some of those players can really get in your head so I am glad she went out there and played really hard, and she didn’t give up. That is one of the biggest things, she didn’t give up on rebounding, on defense, on her shot and following her shot, so, very proud of her.”
Ketchikan came back again as Brendible hit from the arc and freshman Sofia Schulz added two free throws to pull to 41-37.
“I am just going to keep shooting,” Ketchikan’s Brendible said. “I think we just need to get better at passing the ball and moving the ball around and our spacing…I am really proud of our defense, especially our younger players, and how well we have come together since the beginning of the season. We are just going to keep working and see what we can do at the region tournament.”
JDHS’ S. Lockhart would hit a free throw with 5:30 left in the game, Nizich rebounded a missed shot and fed C. Lockhart for a score, Nizch stole the next Kayhi possession and fed C. Lockhart who hit again, and S. Lockhart scored off the Crimson Bears' press for a 48-39 lead.
Kayhi’s Secrest scored to pull to 48-41, but Tokuoka found C. Lockhart who was fouled and hit two shots for a 50-41 lead. Kayhi responded for the last time as freshman Jazlynn Ramsey scored and JDHS iced the game on a Nizich scoring drive and a jumper from the arc by S. Lockhart for the 55-43 final.
“Hopefully the girls learned that they belong here,” Ketchikan coach Kelly Smith said. “The last time we played Juneau they did not have Gwen so in the back of our girls’ minds was ‘can we compete.’ I think they proved to themselves that they can compete. Juneau is a good basketball team and, I don’t want to take anything away from anyone, but in my mind Gwen and Layla are all-state guards. So for our freshmen and sophomores to chase those two around is pretty good. We are giving ourselves some tape to watch against them and give ourselves a chance in two weeks. I hate that it went to 12 points at the end but that was a good basketball game.”
G. Nizich led JDHS with 17 points, Tokuoka added 11, C. Lockhart 11, Warr nine, S. Lockhart four and B. Lockhart two. The Crimson Bears hit 11-13 from the charity stripe.
Brendible led Kayhi with 17 points, Nickich added 10, Secrest seven, Ruaro five, Schultz and Ramsey two apiece.
The JDHS and Ketchikan girls play again Saturday at 5:30 p.m., followed by the Crimson Bears boys game against the Kings at 7:30 p.m
Friday night was also the boys and girls sixth annual Take A Timeout To Talk fundraiser, hosted by Find Your Fire, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition. Players wore purple warmups to show support and share messages of hope among the fans.
Find Your Fire, formed in 2019 by the McCormick family after losing their son, Speier McCormick to death by depression (suicide), began Take A Timeout to Talk in 2020 at the beginning of COVID. “It is our effort to assist other young adults living with mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses,” Melissa McCormick said in an earlier interview. “The mission of the organization is to empower young adults to find their passion and what success means to them, while building a strong mental health foundation.”
To learn more about Take A Timeout To Talk information is available online at www.findyourfire.net.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
