Haines boys fly past Tikigaq 68-34 to open 2A state play
- Mark Sabbatini
- 2 hours ago
- 10 min read
Metlakatla boys also earn semifinal berth, Klawock, Skagway win in 1A
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
The Haines Glacier Bears scored from every nook and cranny of Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center in their opening 68-34 win over the Tikigaq Harpooners in the March Madness Alaska 2A Basketball State Championships on Thursday.
“Man, we have been sitting for six days, wasn’t quite sure how we would come out,” Haines coach Bryan Combs said. “Four days in Anchorage sitting in hotel rooms, minimal gym time. Man…Big stage that none of us on this squad are used to. So it was a big question mark how we would come out. We started a little bit slow and not taking care of the ball, and we woke up on the defensive end and made it real tough for that team. They didn’t make shots and I think we caused part of that.”
The #3 seeded Glacier Bears never trailed from the start over #6 seed Tikigaq as senior James Stickler hit his patented up-and-under inside basket for an opening sign of things to come.
Tikigaq senior Jacob Lane would tie the game on a drive, but the Harpooners would be chasing the Glacier Bears the entire game.
Haines would take a 9-2 lead on a free throw by junior Brody Ferrin, a Stickler outback, a steal and full court layup by senior Colton Combs, and then a Combs assist to Stickler.
Tikigaq battled back to trail 9-7 behind two Lane jumpers, one from past the arc, but Haines’ Combs drove in through traffic again for an 11-7 lead.
Tikigaq junior Samuel Jackson scored as the quarter ended for 11-9 and it would be the closest the Harpooners would get to the Glacier Bears again.
Combs would score 10 points and Stickler six in the second quarter. Sophomore Isaac Jones came off the bench to add five points in the stanza, and senior John Davis and junior Wade Lloyd hit a basket as well.
As the first half came to a close Combs hit from the arc and on the Glacier Bears' next possession he fed Stickler who scored inside at the buzzer for a 36-18 lead.
Haines’ inside-outside duo of Combs and Stickler would prove to be too much for Tikigaq as they scored a game-high 26 and 20 points, respectively.
“Those two kids have grown up together,” Haines coach Combs said. “They have been best friends since they were in diapers. They have hunted together, trapped together, fished together, wrestled together, play basketball together…They are just two Southeast boys just like every other community that have grown up being around each other…Man, what better combo than a nice smooth guard and a big meathead. It is a beautiful thing.”
Haines opened the second half outscoring Tikigaq 18-6 and led 54-24 heading into the final stanza. Tikigaq senior Jacob Lane hit two shots past the arc in the fourth quarter but the Harpooners were still outscored 14-10 in the stanza.
“Three or four minutes of game time we played not real good basketball,” Haines coach Combs said of the game. “But we pulled through before the end of the first quarter. To be on this stage that they have never been on before and to be able to respond to not playing well for four minutes was a real eye opener.”
Combs had two made shots past the arc, eight closer in, and four free throws to total his 26 points. Stickler had 10 shots in the paint for his 20 points. Davis added seven points, Jones and Ferrin five apiece, Lloyd four and junior Kyran Sweet one. The Glacier Bears totaled four made shots past the arc, 25 closer in and hit 6-10 at the free throw line. Haines will play a semifinal at 7:45 p.m. Friday against the winner of #2 Unalakleet and #7 Tok.
Lane led Tikigaq with 19 points on three shots past the arc and 10 inside, Jackson added six points, junior Justin Attungana and sophomore Jacob Lane IV three apiece, freshman Caleb Logan Lane two and senior Luther Lane one. The Harpooners made five shots past the arc, eight closer in and hit 3-6 from the line. Tikigaq plays a consolation semifinal at 12:30 p.m. Friday against the Unalakleet/Tok loser.
2A Boys - METLAKATLA 50, SU VALLEY 39
The Metlakatla Chiefs, seeded fourth heading into the state tournament, showed the state their ranking was a little soft as they methodically dismantled the No. 5 seed Su Valley Rams 50-39 on Thursday to open their March Madness Alaska 2A Basketball State Championships in Anchorage.
Su Valley had trapped in the half and full court early through the first quarter, forcing some Metlakatla turnovers and earning transition baskets for a 12-5 lead behind the leadership of senior Austin Barnard. The Chiefs’ Rocco Lindsey scored two shots off the glass and Gianni Scudero-Hayward hit a free throw to close to 12-10.
The Chiefs had faced the Rams earlier in the season, beating the Rams 45-37 on Jan. 9.
“We knew about Austin Barnard, he is just a really incredible athlete,” Metlakatla coach TJ Scott said. “A great player. He can shoot from the perimeter and, as you saw, if we let him get out in transition he is putting two-hand dunks down and getting the crowd revved up.”
Su Valley’s Barnard got the crowd revved up on the first play of the second quarter. With a 12-10 lead, he threw down a dunk that started an 8-0 run and put the Rams up 20-10.
A time out by coach Scott settled the Chiefs and Rocco Lindsey put a shot in off glass, and junior Cruz Lindsey buried a shot past the arc. Su Valley’s Barnard answered with scores in between. But Metlakatla knew then they belonged on the court and finished the quarter on a 10-0 run to lead 25-24 at the half. The scoring splurge included a rebound cutback by C. Lindsey, shots from the arc by senior Sebastian Martinez and junior Gianni Scudero-Hayward, and a drive by Martinez.
“We kind of played into their game in the first half,” Scott said. “It is all about ball control for us and getting into the half-court, and stops on defense...Cruz Lindsey hit a corner three that kind of stopped the bleeding, but that corner three made us all take a deep breath, relax and then we got back. From that moment on we played our game at our speed, took care of the ball, got great looks which was what we needed to do.”
The Metlakatla defense clamped down on Su Valley in the third quarter, holding the Rams to just two points while the Chiefs methodically ran their offense to find three-point shots from Scudero-Hayward and C. Lindsey and two driving shots by senior Bryce Olin and Martinez for a 35-26 lead.
“We did a really good job of taking number 12 (Barnard) away in that quarter,” Scott said. “We talked about it at half, about how we would play him off the screen and just make him take tough shots. If he wants to take a 25-footer going to his left we will allow that, but we’re not going to let him get to the rim.”
Su Valley started to throw the ball away and feel the pressure and trailed 40-33 with four minutes left in the fourth quarter, and Metlakatla heeded the words of Scott.
“I told them it may seem like there was an endless amount of time on the clock, but it’s not,” Scott said. “It is just four minutes to go. We are up seven. If we don’t give up seven points we are going to win. So if you don’t have turnovers and get back in the half-court and make them take one shot and block out and get the rebound, they are not going to score seven points, therefore, we are going to win this game. About the second or third timeout they started to believe me.”
Su Valley would not score seven points and Metlakatla’s Scudero-Hayward orchestrated a half-court offense that had the Rams chasing and the Chiefs scoring. Scudero-Hayward assisted on baskets by R. Lindsey and C. Lindsey for a 42-33 lead.
Two scores by Su Valley cut the lead to 42-37 Martinez answered on a pull-up jumper and then double-teamed the inbounds pass with R. Lindsey to force a turnover and Lindsey would score for a 46-37 lead.
Su Valley was forced to foul down the stretch and, despite hitting just 4-10, Metlakatla’s defense allowed just one basket by the Rams to take the win 50-39.
“I was out this year for five weeks with back surgery,” Scott said. “I was away from this group. My assistants Julian (Russell) and Danny (Marsden) did a great job with these kids. But we had a rough go. We lost some games we shouldn’t have, kids had to make some hard adjustments. Literally we had to hit a three to send our regions to overtime against Petersburg and needed double overtime or we are not here. Southeast was really good this year. And where we have come in the last six weeks is remarkable. This team six weeks ago, we get beat by 25 tonight. So really proud of the kids, really proud of the coaching staff getting them ready. And they believe now. We face Nilnilchik. We’ll have something good for them but they are a really good team.”
Scott grew emotional talking about Metlakatla.
“We had a senior girl pass away,” Scott said. “We still don’t know a lot about what happened and…you know…there have been a lot of tragedies in the last 15 years I have been there. It is just tough. The kids are kind of rallying together but some of them were related or some of them were friends and..it is just tough.”
Scott said basketball is crucial for the town.
“It is a huge thing in Met, they love their basketball,” Scott said. “But also it is a way…to..get away from it. Get away from all the problems and all the things that aren’t going right. The tragedies and stuff. Just focus on basketball and also for the kids to deliver a good product that they can be proud of. And, win or lose tomorrow, all these fans should be proud of these kids from where they have come from the beginning of the year until now. I have never coached a team that has come that far in one season. Super proud of them.”
C. Lindsey scored 14 points to lead the Chiefs, Martinez added 13, Scudero-Hayward 11, R. Lindsey 10 and Olin two. Metlakatla hit six shots past the arc, 13 closer in and shot 6-17 from the line. They will face No. 1 seed Ninilchik, a 52-25 winner over eight seed Cordova, at 6:15 p.m. Friday.
Barnard led Su Valley with 13 points, junior Douglas Drover added 12, junior Peter Jokey and sophomore Sawyer Larrabee five apiece, and seniors Gideon Bedingfield and Earl Davidson two apiece. The Rams hit four shots past the arc, 13 closer in and went 1-5 at the line. Su Valley faces Cordova in a consolation semifinal at 11 a.m. Friday.
1A Boys - KLAWOCK 67, EEK 42
The Klawock Chieftains may not have a state championship to contend for anymore, but they kept their state goals alive with a 67-42 win over the Eek Cougars on Thursday in the consolation quarterfinals of the March Madness Alaska 1A Basketball State Championships in Anchorage.
Klawock went into the state tournament with goals to finish in the top 10, play four games and win state. Wednesday’s 64-60 loss to Shishmaref diminished the state title hope but not the state experiences as the Chieftains showed the caliber of play they can bring to the court on Thursday.
“One game at a time,” Yockey said. “Just the opportunity to play again. I think the boys showed how well they can play together. Eek is a competitive team that can play with a chip on their shoulder and we picked ourselves up after last night and really came together as a team.”
The Chieftains opened the game on a 22-0 run behind nine points from senior Tristin Ryno, eight from senior Conny Magby and five from junior Paul Lingley before Eek Cougars sophomore Caleb White found the basket.
Klawock led 28-4 after eight minutes and with liberal substitutions took a 36-13 advantage at the half and led 56-23 after three quarters.
Ryno and Lingley led the Chieftains with 18 points apiece, senior Connor Bagby had 14, junior Raymond Fairbanks nine, freshman Quinton Bagby four, and junior CJ Vasquez and eighth grader Charlie Roberts two apiece. The Chieftains made six three-point shots, 22 closer in and were 5-13 at the free throw line. Klawock advances to a consolation semifinal at 9:30 a.m. Friday.
Eek senior George Dylan Hoffman led the Cougars with 11 points, senior John Friendly, junior Kenneth Mark and White had nine each, and junior Richard Mark four. The Cougars made three shots past the arc, 15 closer in and hit 3-5 at the line. Eek has been eliminated from the state tournament.
1A Boys - SKAGWAY 99, NUNAMIUT 41
The Skagway boys will continue on in the consolation bracket with a 99-41 win over the Nunamiut Amaguqs to play in the consolation semifinals at 8 a.m. Friday.
Skagway led 23-9 after eight minutes, 56-16 at the half and 79-25 starting the final eight minutes.
Senior Royce Borst led Skagway with 21 points, junior Malcolm Lawson 17, senior Kaleb Cochran and sophomore Zane Coughran 12 apiece, sophomore Logan Rupprecht 11, junior Luca Tronrud nine, senior Camden Lawson eight, sophomore Dane Ames five, junior Ryder Calver and sophomore Julius Thole two apiece. The Panthers hit 11 three-point shots, 17 closer in and went 12-16 at the line.
Senior Tyler Hugo led Nunamiut with 24 points, junior Kevin Gordon added 13, senior Cameron Gordon three and freshman James Nageak one. The Amaguqs had four three-point shots, 11 closer in and hit 7-17 at the line. Nunamiut is out of the state tournament.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
