Mt. Edgecumbe Braves open state with win over Houston Hawks
- Klas Stolpe
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
Number one seed Mt. Edgecumbe advances to face No. 4 Sitka in semifinals
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
The Mt. Edgecumbe Braves opened the 2026 March Madness Alaska 3A boys Basketball State Championships on a tear with a 79-35 win over the Houston Hawks on Wednesday in Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center.
“A slow start, but we put it together in the second half,” Mt. Edgecumbe coach Marshall Vest said.
The Braves blew apart a semi-close 27-19 game in the second half led by a fast break layup by junior Kaden Herrmann (Koliganek) that unleashed a 27-1 run and for a 54-20 lead with 3:19 left in the third quarter.
“I was just preaching defense and rebounding and letting them know that we were taking decent shots and they would fall eventually,” Vest said. “It was just a matter of time. We were just anxious in the first half. We weren’t playing our game, just weren’t hitting the shots, didn’t get to the paint instead were just shooting threes. It was just a matter of time before we warmed up and started hitting shots. I was just trying to keep them energized enough and not frustrated.”
That barrage also included 12 points from junior Guy Goldsberry (Nome), seven from Herrmann, three from junior Xavier Gundersen (Sand Point), three from junior Royce Alstrom (Anchorage) and two from senior Elden Andrew (New Stuyahok).
Mt. Edgecumbe was never threatened the remainder of the contest, leading 69-25 starting the final stanza and coasting to the 79-35 final.
Goldsberrry led MEHS with 18 points, Gundersen added 16, Herrmann 12, Alstrom 10, Andrew seven, senior Carolos Sandoval (Hoonah) six, senior Donald Olson (Golovin) five, senior Kaden Kulukhon (Kaktovik) three and junior Gordon Lie (Kiana) two. MEHS made seven three-point shots, 24 closer in and hit 10-12 at the line. The Braves advance to face Sitka in a 6:15 p.m. semifinal on Thursday. Sitka defeated Delta 53-42.
Senior Blake Baskett led Houston with 11 points, William Rusher added nine, Sebastian Sanfor five, Blade Christensen four, Elias Johnson two, Nate Davies two, and Mason Green and Koko Sua one apiece. The Hawks had 13 two-point field goals and hit 9-19 at the line.
Sitka Wolves open state with 53-42 win over Delta Huskies
The Sitka Wolves opened the 2026 March Madness Alaska 3A Boys Basketball State Championships on Wednesday with a 53-42 win over the Delta Huskies at Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center.
The Wolves were bitten early by the Huskies and trailed 15-5 before Sitka junior Ashton Peterson hit a free throw to close the first quarter trailing 15-6.
“We came out really flat, without a lot of energy,” Sitka coach Steve Compagno said. “I have been around these guys for about three years. I knew they would come around. It is just sticking to the process.”
Sitka junior Colton McGraw would hit three shots past the arc in the second quarter, senior Shane Tincher added another, and freshman Koen Hirai steadied the floor with a basket and two assists as the Wolves tied the game at the half 20-20.
“We talked about detaching from the outcome of the game,” Compagno said. “We were down nine at one point and just stayed with it. It was 15-6. Colton McGraw hit some big shots and everybody else seemed like they might be sleepwalking. And Shane Tincher came off the bench and helped us.”
The second half belonged to the Sitka defense as they limited second chances by Delta and slowly kept control of the game.
Senior Kai Hirai opened the third quarter with a shot from the arc that was answered by Delta senior Jaylon Jackson. Junior Josh Partido added three free throws and the Wolves would edge out to a 26-23 advantage.
Both sides would exchange baskets through the quarter with Sitka junior Kenneth Helem giving the Wolves a 31-26 lead on a fast break with under two minutes in the stanza. Delta answered with a shot past the arc from junior Noriel Lugo, two free throws from Jackson and another free throw from junior Anttwone Evans for a 32-31 lead.
Sitka answered back with a backdoor layin by Tincher and then a fast break layin by Tincher for a 35-32 lead with the final eight minutes to play.
Sitka opened the fourth quarter on a 10-2 run that included two blocks and two scores by Trey Johnson, a deep three by Tincher and a steal and layin by McGraw.
A lob pass by senior Brett Ross to Johnson cutting backdoor resulted in a slam dunk and the air was sucked out of the Delta squad. Sitka continued to press their way to the 53-42 final.
“We always talk about our defense,” Compagno said. “It always has to be about our defense and our rebounding. Fortunately they missed some shots and we got some rebounds. And that gave us a chance to get to play again tomorrow.”
McGraw led Sitka with 16 points, Tincher and Johnson 10 apiece, Partido six, Koen Hirai four, Kai Hirai three, Helem two, Ross and Peterson one apiece. Sitka hit eight three-point shots, 10 closer in and 5-14 from the line. Sitka advances to face Mt. Edgecumbe in a 6:15 p.m. semifinal on Thursday.
Lugo led Delta with 12 points, Brady Bevard and Edward Kulikovskiy six apiece, Jackson five, Owen Morley four, Philip Kilmnik and Joseph Glass three apiece, Tristan-David Wilson two and Evans one. The Huskies hit four three-point shots, 12 closer in and 5-9 from the line.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
