JDHS girls ‘lights out’ in 63-50 home win over Mt. Edgecumbe
- Klas Stolpe
- 12 hours ago
- 10 min read
Crimson Bears boys endure 80-71 road loss to Braves
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé dance team did not perform their Light March during Saturday’s halftime break at the JDHS girls basketball game against visiting Mt. Edgecumbe. Blame it on the Crimson Bears.
The JDHS girls shot the lights out in a 63-50 win, avenging Friday’s 55-26 loss to the Lady Braves and making a statement on the season.
“This means a lot to our team because I feel it more accurately represents who are and how we play,” JDHS senior Gwen Nizich said. “Last night was definitely an off night for us, but we regrouped and talked about it and did what we had to do tonight.”
JDHS sophomore Sadie Lockhart hit the first basket of the game from past the arc and the Crimson Bears would never be behind.
“I just attacked,” she said. “My mentality is just attack and look for my teammates and do whatever I could to get the win…We just need to work as a team and rebound.”
MEHS’ junior Gracelynn Friske (Sitka) followed that opening shot with a swish from past the arc for the game’s only tie score, 3-3.
JDHS would go on a 16-4 run to end the first quarter behind a shot past the arc by junior Layla Tokuoka, a baby hook by sophomore Athena Warr, a swish from the arc by Nizich, a free throw by Nizich, a pull-up jumper by senior Cambry Lockhart and an inbounds play for C. Lockhart from the arc and another shot closer in.
“It felt great to see our team come right out and begin to make those shots,” C. Lockhart said. “We knew that yesterday was just off so I was in some ways expecting for those to fall. They are routine shots that I know we can make. I tried to work purposefully on defense especially guarding Gracelynn Friske most of the night. She is a great shooter so I knew I had a task. I worked to take away her three the best I could. As for offense, I was focusing on penetrating and scoring off of the dribble. I think we did a good job of attacking gaps tonight and being much more patient on offense. The movement and aggressive rebounding created a lot of solid opportunities for everyone.”
MEHS’ Friske hit two free throws to pull to 12-5 in that run and freshman Evangeline Hank (Point Hope) a pair from the line to end the stanza trailing 19-7.
The Crimson Bears would not allow the Lady Braves to get closer than 10 points in the second quarter.
“Before the game we talked about four things to focus on that can make or break a game and they had a chat amongst themselves,” JDHS coach Tanya Nizich said. “They came out like the team we are and need to be every night we play and practice. We need to have that kind of confidence every time we step foot on that court because they are smart and they do trust each other. They played well tonight on both sides.”
JDHS’ S. Lockhart hit from the arc to open the second quarter, and Tokuoka followed from the arc after a free throw by MEHS senior Tahira Akaran (Kotlik) and a rebound score by Hank.
MEHS’ Friske buried a shot from the arc and Hank added a free throw to pull to 25-14.
JDHS freshman Bela Pyare hit a shot in the key for a 27-14 lead, but MEHS’ Akaran was fouled on a scoring drive and hit the free throw to pull to 27-17 with 2:51 left in the half.
The Crimson Bears' S. Lockhart and the Lady Braves’ Friske exchanged swishes from the arc, and JDHS’ Nizich and MEHS junior Ashlynn Lonewolf (Bethel) from closer in for a 32-22 score.
Nizich ended the half with a basket and free throw for a 35-22 lead.
“I think our biggest obstacle was regaining our confidence,” she said. “Because I don’t think we have had a game that we shot so low, percentage-wise, as last night, we just kept letting them fly. Tonight we got open and just moved the ball and were looking for the most open shot.”
JDHS opened the second half on a 12-4 run that included two more shots past the arc by C. Lockhart and Tokuoka, an old-fashioned three-point play by C. Lockhart, a Nizich free throw, and a S. Lockhart basket to take a 47-27 lead with four minutes left in the third quarter. In that run, MEHS’ Friske hit from the arc and Akaran on a drive.
JDHS freshman Blythe Lockhart hit a jumper while MEHS closed out the quarter with a Friske swish at the arc and free throws by junior Charity Mila (Barrow) and Akaran to pull to 49-33.
“We knew Juneau is a good team and they have a lot of shooters, and tonight they were on,” Mt. Edgecumbe coach Ryan Gluth said. “I feel like our girls hustled well. We were down quite a bit and we clawed our way back, but just couldn’t quite get back far enough.”
JDHS’ Nizich and C. Lockhart would hit in the fourth quarter only to be answered by two baskets and two free throws from MEHS’ Hank for a 53-39 game. Nizich hit another jumper for 55 and Akaran and Lonewolf brought MEHS to 55-42. Hank scored twice to pull the Lady Braves within nine points at 55-46 with three minutes left in the game.
JDHS’ Nizich followed a shot for a score, and MEHS’ Akaran answered for 57-48.
Nizich was fouled on the next Crimson Bears possession and hit both free throws for a 59-48 lead only to have Akaran answer for the Lady Braves to pull to 59-50 with 1:22 to play.
With under a minute remaining, JDHS’ C. Lockhart scored for 61-50, S. Lockhart grabbed her 10th rebound of the night and scored for 63-50, and Warr blocked the last shot attempt by MEHS as the clock expired.
“I just told our team it was a loss,” MEHS team captain Akaran said. “We definitely could have went into the game how we ended it, with more aggression and confidence. But we will learn a lot from it and be ready again for the next game with the same aggression we ended with…I don’t think we were overconfident. We knew it was going to be a tough game, but we just didn’t come with the same intensity. We just didn’t have a really good start.”
For Akaran, her home gym in Kotlik is not open in the summers when she returns home so she attends camps.
“But once it opens I get in and put in the work,” she said.
“I thought we played with a lot of the things we wanted to do,” coach Gluth said. “They were on, and sometimes you can’t get there quick enough when they are moving the ball around and everybody is hitting. I felt like the difference in the game was their shot-making. I think we will come back from this. We play four times this next week so we will be ready to go.”
C. Lockhart led JDHS with 17 points, Nizich added 16, S. Lockhart 15, Tokuoka nine and B. Lockhart, Warr, and Pyare two each. The Crimson Bears hit 6-9 from the free throw line and made nine shots from the arc and 15 closer in.
Friske led MEHS with 17 points, Akaran and Hank added 15 apiece, Lonewolf two, and Mila one. The Lady Braves hit 15-21 at the line, made five shots past the arc and 10 closer in.
“We have four players very consistently in double figures with Cambry, Gwen, Layla and Sadie,” JDHS coach Nizich said. “Sadie had a double-double tonight, big game for her. Everyone that came off the bench added the spark we needed. Raynona Fraker does exactly what she needs to do and always adds the extra level of intensity that we are looking for.”
JDHS BOYS 71, MEHS BOYS 80
The Crimson Bears boys lost a close game for the second night in a row at Mt. Edgecumbe, falling 80-71 on Saturday, one night after their 75-66 loss to the Braves.
JDHS held a 53-52 lead over MEHS starting the fourth quarter Saturday.
“We played much better, from start to finish,” JDHS coach Robert Casperson said. “We made a change to the starting lineup, which allowed us to make better use of our talents and improve the rotation...We moved Tyler Frisby into the starting lineup to bring Kurt Kuppert's scoring in off the bench. I liked the defensive intensity from Tyler and the scoring lift from Kurt. They both responded very well, and I was proud of them.”
Braves junior Guy Goldsberry (Nome) opened the final eight minutes with a swish from the arc, and Crimson Bears senior Kurt Kuppert answered with a score.
MEHS junior Royce Alstrom (Anchorage) scored, and Goldsberry followed with a steal and score for a 59-55 lead. JDHS tied the score with scores by senior Brandon Casperson and Kuppert.
MEHS went on a 14-2 run that included an old-fashioned three-point play by Goldsberry, a shot past the arc by junior Kaden Herrmann (Koliganek), baskets by senior Elden Andrew (New Stuyahok) and Goldsberry, two free throws from junior Xavier Gundersen (Sand Point) and an old fashioned three-point play by Alstrom for a 73-61 lead with three minutes left to play. In that run, JDHS senior Elias Dybdahl scored inside.
Dybdahl would score on a rebound to pull the Crimson Bears to 73-63 and, after MEHS’ Gundersen scored for a 75-63 lead, JDHS’ Kuppert hit from the arc to trail 75-66.
MEHS’ Goldsberry hit from the arc for 78-66, and JDHS’ Casperson answered with a scoring drive and then a shot past the arc to pull to 78-71 with 22 seconds remaining. MEHS’ Gundersen and Alstrom each hit a free throw to finish the game, 80-71.
MEHS led 21-17 after the first quarter despite a balanced scoring attack by JDHS’ Kuppert, Casperson, and seniors Christian Rielly, Joren Gasga, Tyler Frisby and Dybdahl.
JDHS would take the halftime lead 37-35 as they continued to run the floor with the athletic MEHS team, building a seven-point lead midway through the third quarter.
“Unfortunately, some old habits crept in late in the third quarter, and Mt. Edgecumbe took advantage of that to erase our seven-point lead,” coach Casperson said. “That took some of the wind out of our sails. We are still learning how to be mentally tougher in those situations and stay focused to execute for a full 32 minutes. We made a lot of progress from Friday to Saturday, though.”
Dybdahl led the Crimson Bears with 20 points, Kuppert and Gasga added 14 apiece, B. Casperson 12, Carriker five, Frisby four and Rielly two. JDHS hit 6-11 at the charity stripe, made five shots past the arc and 25 closer in.
Herrmann led MEHS with 20 points, Goldsberry 19, Gundersen 18, Andrew 10, Alstrom nine and senior Carlos Sandoval (Hoonah) four. The Braves hit 14-20 at the line, made eight shots past the arc and 21 closer in.
JDHS GIRLS JV 45, MEHS GIRLS JV 32
JDHS - B. Lockhart 16, So. Lydia Goins 12, So. Kyndal Saceda 6, Pyare 4, Jr. Kierstin Johnson 2, So. Sofia Contrevas 2, So. Aurelia Field 2, So. Shandin Frommherz 1. MEHS - So. Shiona Vent (North Pole) 10, Mila 7, Fr. Audrina Dull (Napakiak) 5, So. Masey Langlie (Bethel) 5, Zoya Tuzroyuck (Pt. Hope) 3, Sr. Angela Ayuluk (Chevak) 2.
JDHS GIRLS C 15, MEHS GIRLS C 41
JDHS - Johnson 5, So. Sunny Dutton 4, So. Ashley Rosales 4, Fr. Autumn Katasse 2. MEHS - Sr. Ariana Wassilie (Eagle River) 17, Sr. Breana Nelson (Napakiak)15, Fr. Fairah Huntington (Anvik) 4, Dull 3, Fr. Brea Hunter (Scammon Bay) 2.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
