JDHS girls fall to North Pole in Wasilla, boys split games in Las Vegas
- Klas Stolpe
- Dec 19, 2025
- 4 min read
Girls lose 53-46, boys defeat Wasatch 75-31 and fall 62-57 to St. George’s
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears boys and girls varsity basketball teams continued their respective road trips Friday, with the girls falling to North Pole 53-46 at the Doc Larson Roundball Classic in Wasilla, and the boys playing two games in the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas, Nevada, defeating Wasatch Academy (Utah) 75-31 and losing to St. George’s (Vancouver, British Columbia) 62-57.
The JDHS boys have now put every player in the season scorebook as they opened a 42-10 halftime advantage over the Wasatch Wasps behind 14 points from senior Elias Dybdahl and 10 from classmate Jordan Gasga.
“We defended and rebounded very well,” JDHS coach Robert Casperson said. “And we got out in transition for a few layups early. Our full-court pressure wore them down, too. Offensively, we executed with much more purpose.”
The Crimson Bears continued their scoring with 33 points in the second half for the 75-31 win.
“Brandon (Casperson) didn't score today, but he directed the offense and facilitated very well, ending up with a handful of assists,” coach Casperson said. “Elias and Joren took advantage of spacing and shot a high percentage today, too. Everyone has scored on varsity now, which is nice this early in the season.”
Gasga finished with 24 points, Dybdahl 20, senior Noah Ault and junior Logan Carriker five apiece, senior Tyler Frisby and sophomore Zach Polasky four apiece, senior Ryland Carlson three, and senior Christian Rielly, juniors Erik Thompson and Hunter Carte and sophomore Micah Nelson two each.
Henrique Barreto led Wasatch with 13 points, Dennis Fu five, Diego Valenzuela four and Koga Toritani, Elijah Trader and David Jimenez three each.
The team voted Dybdahl player of the game and awarded him with a kid's fire hat at Firehouse Subs where they ate between games. The day was also Noah Ault’s birthday so the team celebrated with ice cream after their second game Friday.
In that game, JDHS was in a shootout with St. George’s and trailed 33-25 at the half. The Crimson Bears would outscore the Saints in the second half but lost 62-57.
Gasga led JDHS with 19 points, Dybdahl 12, B. Casperson 10, Carriker seven, Frisby six and Thompson three.
Willem Urban led St. George’s with 26 points, Roman Simmons 13, Inno DeCottis nine, Pierce Simmons seven, Jack Redpath four and Aiden Glynn three.
The JDHS girls ran into a scoring machine in North Pole junior Dawson Smothers, who scored a game-high 24 points as the Lady Patriots overcame a 23-19 halftime deficit to defeat the Crimson Bears 53-46.
“We get a second chance tomorrow against them and hopefully can contain number 13 (Smothers) and have better help side defense,” JDHS coach Tanya Nizich said. “We need to be stronger with the ball and more aggressive. I like that we had more shot attempts and looked to attack the basket more than yesterday.”
JDHS again struck first as senior Layla Tukuoka hit a pair of free throws. Sophomore Athena Warr then grabbed a rebound and outlet the ball to senior Cambry Lockhart, who fed Tokouka on the fly for another score. Sophomore Kyndal Saceda would hit past the arc as well in the stanza.
North Pole would strike back with a shot past the arc by Smothers and baskets by junior Alyssa Pearson and sophomore Anneliese Holsing. The teams would exchange baskets into a 13-13 first-quarter tie.
JDHS senior Gwen Nizich, Tokuoka and sophomore Lydia Goins all hit in the second quarter, while Lockhart and Warr notched a pair of free throws apiece and the Crimson Bears earned a 23-19 halftime lead.
JDHS’ Saceda hit two shots past the arc in the third quarter but North Pole’s Smothers had three of her own as the Lady Patriots outscored the Crimson Bears in the stanza for a 37-34 lead to start the final eight minutes of play.
JDHS would pull to within 40-39 on a C. Lockhart layup and a shot from G. Nizich past the arc.
North Pole junior Jade Skipps drove full court to push the lead out and both sides would exchange baskets down the stretch with G. Nizich scoring twice and Dawson twice, until the Lady Patriots held on for a 53-46 win.
Nizich led the Crimson Bears with 11 points, Saceda nine, C. Lockhart eight, Warr seven, Tokuoka six, sophomore Sadie Lockhart and Goins two apiece, and sophomore Freyja Shelton-Walker one.
Smothers led the Lady Patriots with 24 points, while Pearson had 14, Skipps 11 and Holsing and senior Julia Good two apiece.
The JDHS girls finish their tournament action Saturday against North Pole in the fourth/sixth place game and the boys finish their tournament action against Sunnyside, California.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
