Haines earns state final, Metlakatla falls in semifinals
- Klas Stolpe
- 3 hours ago
- 10 min read
1A Klawock and Skagway will meet in consolation bracket final
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
The #3 seed Haines Glacier Bears won a 42-41 semifinal cliff hanger over #2 Unalakleet and the #4 Metlakatla Chiefs fell 49-32 in a semifinal to #1 Ninilchik at the March Madness Alaska 2A Basketball State Championships on Friday in Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center. Haines will face Ninilchik at 7:30 p.m. Saturday for the state championship. Metlakatla will play Unalakleet in a 12:30 p.m. third-place game.
2A Boys - HAINES 42, UNALAKLEET 41
In the nightcap of the March Madness Alaska 2A Basketball state championships the game came down to a free throw, or two.
With 14.3 seconds remaining in a semifinal clash between the #3 seed Haines Glacier Bears and the #2 Unalakleet Wolfpack, senior James Stickler was on the line with the score tied 39-39.
Stickler banked in the first free throw, which elicited a joyous jump in the air from the 6’3” center. His next shot bounced away, but junior Kyran Sweet put the rebound up and in for a 42-39 lead.
Unalakleet sophomore Oliver Ivanoff was fouled on the other end with 3.5 seconds remaining in the game and he hit the first shot to pull to 42-41 but missed the second, and Stickler was involved in the rebounding carnage that ended the game with the Glacier Bears heading to the state championship game on Saturday.
“I feel amazing,” Stickler said. “But there are a lot of things we can fix to make our game a little bit better. That was a pretty rough game. But we made enough points.”
Stickler was key for battling inside against Unalakleet’s 6’3” senior Isaac Smith and 6’2” sophomore Joshua Smith.
“It was pretty physical,” Stickler said. “A lot more physical than down in Southeast, they actually let us play up here.”
Haines led 37-34 starting the fourth quarter, and both teams suffered a series of miscues, one missed dunk, and missed easy shots.
Unalakleet scored the first basket of the stanza with three minutes left on a fast break by Ivanoff and 20 seconds later senior Carter Gray hit from the arc for a 39-37 lead.
Both teams went through steals and turnovers before Stickler hit a layin with 1:35 left to tie the game at 39-39. The excitement followed for the Glacier Bears as they earned the state title matchup against the state’s top seed, the Ninilchik Wolverines.
“One more step,” Haines coach Brian Combs said. “An even bigger game tomorrow. We have to do a better job of handling pressure and keeping our heads up. If you make a bad play you have to keep your head up and move on. When that pressure comes you have to accept it and be strong with it. You have to be strong mentally and strong with the ball...We know as a team we can play a whole lot better than that. But give credit to Unalakleet, they played hard. They were scrappy and we didn’t handle their pressure all that well.”
2A Boys - NINILCHIK 49, METLAKATLA 32
The Metlakatla Chiefs were hit with an early barrage of three-point shots from the Ninilchik Wolverines on Friday and could not fully recover in a 49-32 semifinal loss at the March Madness Alaska 2A Basketball State Championships in Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center.
“We knew that the pressure they were going to apply full court was going to be a problem because we have never seen it. We don’t play teams that do that to us, at least we haven’t this year,” Metlakatla coach TJ Scott said. “It shocked us early.”
Ninilchik opened the game on a 14-2 run behind four straight shots past the arc, two apiece from sophomore Onyx Allen and freshman Andon McCorison. Allen added a lay-in.
Metlakatla had an early basket from junior Gianni Scudero-Hayward. Junior Rocco Lindsey added a score and was answered again from the arc by Allen for a 17-4 lead.
A basket by Metlakatla junior Cruz Lindsey was answered by two scores from Ninilchik senior Kade McCorison for a 21-7 lead after eight minutes.
“Then we just battled,” Scott said. “We got it to eight or nine a couple times, but they always hit a big shot. We got looks once we adjusted and just relaxed a little bit… I thought we played fine, we just didn’t knock down shots.”
Metlakatla had good looks from the perimeter, but the shots wouldn’t fall and Ninilchik had one gear when they touched a rebound.
The Lindsey brothers scored two shots from the arc and two closer in to keep Metlakatla within 10 points at 27-17 in the second quarter. Scudero-Hayward hit to make the score 27-19, but was answered by Ninilchik sophomore Eric Radar for 30-19. Ninilchik’s K. McCorison blocked a shot at the buzzer to give the Wolverines momentum going into halftime.
“They just hit threes that kept us at a distance,” Scott said. “It’s sad. But they were a good team and certainly the better team tonight, so respect to that coach and how he runs that program.”
Both teams forced an offensive turnover to start the third quarter, and Metlakatla pulled to 31-22 on a pair of Scudero-Hayward free throws. Ninilchik answered with a shot past the arc by K. McCorison, forcing a timeout by the Chiefs.
“I just told them right then that we had to gamble,” Scott said. “Julian and Danny (assistants Russell and Marsden) shared some insights with me, they have been crucial working with these boys, and we told the boys to just keep doing what we are doing. If we knock some shots down, if we get this thing to six they are going to get tight.”
Metlakatla would break down the Ninilchik defense with drives and kick it out to the perimeter yet couldn’t break the 10-point deficit the remainder of the game and trailed 36-24 after three quarters.
“We just never hit that one more shot to get the deficit to single digits,” Scott said. “Super proud of my kids and the fight they had because we could have rolled over and gotten beat by 30 tonight pretty easy. But what I really like that I saw was our guards actually wanted the ball, went to the ball, spaced the floor well and then we got the ball across. We didn’t turn the ball over that much after the first quarter. That first quarter was rough, we were just in panic mode.”
Metlakatla plays in the third-place game at 12:30 p.m. Saturday against Unalakleet, a 42-41 loser to Haines. Ninilchik advances to the 7:30 p.m. championship to face the Glacier Bears.
“We’re going to play somebody really good,” Scott said before the final nightcap game had begun. “We’ll either play Haines for the sixth time this season or Unalakleet for the first time, and I have a ton of respect for both those teams. I want to thank my team and my two assistant coaches. They carried the load for me this season. We are here because of them.”
Scudero-Hayward led Metlakatla with 13 points, C. Lindsey added eight, R. Lindsey seven and senior Sebastian Martinez four. The Chiefs made three three-point shots, 10 two-point field goals and were 3-4 from the line.
Allen led Ninilchik with 17 points, K. McCorison had 14, A. McCorison eight, junior Brandt Mill five and junior Holden Corwin two. The Wolverines hit nine three-point shots, eight two-point field goals and were 6-10 from the line.
1A Boys - KLAWOCK 66, CHIEF IVAN BLUNKA 36
The Klawock Chieftains will play in the consolation bracket finals Saturday at the March Madness Alaska 1A Basketball State Championships at Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center.
“Live to play another day,” Klawock coach Nate Yockey said. “I told the guys before the game that the consolation bracket is hoops at its purest form. Because you are not playing for any accolades, not playing for a trophy, just having another opportunity to extend your career because if things go your way in this gym this team is no more. Some guys may continue to play, but this team won’t survive. So it’s a beautiful thing. They will know and remember each other, but as a team, will not be playing after Saturday.”
The Chieftains defeated the Chief Ivan Blunka Eagles 66-36 Friday in the state consolation bracket semifinals.
“This team, to come to state our senior year just means a lot,” Klawock senior Connor Bagby said. “We worked our butts off in practices all season. We started off with a struggle, but have turned into a real family. It is fun, and I am glad we will be able to keep it going and have one more game tomorrow.”
In the span of two minutes, Klawock showed why the Chieftains are heading into the consolation bracket finals.
With under four minutes to play in the second quarter, and Klawock leading 16-9, senior Tristin Ryno followed a shot to score. On the other end, Bagby rebounded a missed shot and threw an outlet pass to junior Paul Lingley, who moved the ball on to Ryno for a lay-in.
Another rebound by Klawock junior Raymond Fairbanks led to an outlet pass to Lingley, who hit a lay-in for a 22-9 lead. Fifteen seconds later, Lingley hit from the arc for a 25-9 lead and a lead that would not be lost.
“That is Chieftains basketball,” Yockey said. “That is what we have been preaching all year and waiting for it all to come together. And that is what it looks like when we play the right way. Have that program mentality. Really proud of the guys.”
The Chieftains led 27-12 at the half and pulled out to a 46-20 lead after three quarters. The Chieftains had led 20-15 after the first eight minutes of the game.
Fairbanks led Klawock with 24 points, Ryno added 14, Lingley 12, C. Bagby nine, Cesar Vasquez three, and freshman Quinton Bagby and eighth grader Charlie Roberts two apiece. The Chieftains had six three-point shots, 23 two-point field goals and hit 2-4 from the free throw line.
Sophomore Kevin Andrew led Chief Ivan Blunka with 12 points, sophomore Bryson Andrew added seven, seniors Joel Hanson and Hunter Gumlickpuk six apiece, senior Camellia Andrew three and senior Wassillie Chunak Jr. and freshman Cade Petla one apiece. The Eagles had eight three-point shots, three two-point field goals and hit 6-18 at the line.
Klawock will face familiar Southeast Conference foe Skagway at 11 a.m. Saturday. The Panthers defeated Aniak 83-48 in an early Friday consolation bracket semifinal.
“This means a lot,” Klawock senior Tristin Ryno said. “We played them in the championship game and we lost by three. It is nice to have the opportunity to play them again. State has meant a lot. Losing in the first round was tough for us. We want to come back and do the best that we can.”
Added C. Bagby, “We had a heck of a game against them in the regional tournament, so this will be a revenge game, but among friends. We know each other pretty well.”
1A Boys - SKAGWAY 83, ANIAK 48
The Skagway Panthers broke open a close first-quarter game to run away with an 83-48 win over the Aniak Halfbreeds.
“We are just playing better,” Skagway coach Ross Barrett said. “That first tournament game was an off game and we are kind of back to normal. A balanced scoring attack, roll players are doing good things, our starters are doing good things so just back to where we should be.”
Skagway seniors Royce Borst and Camden Lawson and juniors Malcom Lawson and Ryder Calver each hit a pair of baskets in the first eight minutes, and senior Kaleb Cochran and C. Lawson added two free throws as the Panthers held a 20-15 first-quarter advantage.
Skagway held Aniak to nine points in the second quarter and took a 45-24 lead into the half. The Panthers led 66-40 after three quarters with Aniak junior Marshall Dallmann and sophomore Gavin Smith each scoring seven points in the stanza to give the Halfbreeds hope. The Panthers defense shut the door in the final eight minutes.
“The state tournament has been hard,” Skagway senior Kaleb Cochran said. “Especially the first game. I think we could have won. We came out slow. I think we underestimated them and now we are expecting a hard game. Hopefully we can come out with some fire and scrape by. We know those guys, Klawock, we played them for regionals and won by three. They are good. We are just hoping we can come out strong, play our game that we know how to play and win.”
Seniors C. Lawson and Borst led Skagway with 21 points apiece, M. Lawson added 20, R. Calver 12, sophomore Logan Rupprecht five, senior Kaleb Cochran and sophomore Julius Thole two apiece. The Panthers hit four three-point shots, 30 closer in and hit 11-15 at the line. Skagway will play in the consolation final against Southeast Conference foe Klawock at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Junior Marshall Dallmann led Aniak with 13 points, sophomore Muhammad Konteh added eight, sophomore Gavin Smith seven, freshman Ralph Steeves six, seniors Dylan Nicholson and Rylan Lang five apiece, and senior Karson Peterson two. The Halfbreeds made four three-point shots, 13 closer in and 10-12 from the line.
“We’re just telling the kids to stay locked in,” coach Barrett said. “Just keep doing what we have been doing. We will see a familiar foe on Saturday so we are excited to get the chance to play one more game.”
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
