By KLAS STOLPE
Sentinel Staff Writer
Mt. Edgecumbe High School boys basketball team fell to the visiting Lathrop Malemutes from Fairbanks over the weekend, losing 48-42 on Friday and 48-39 on Saturday despite a strong performance by senior Emmett Dunaway (Dillingham), cleaning up both ends of the court and leading the Braves in the score column.
“Emmett played hard all week,” Mt. Edgecumbe coach Archie Young said. “I appreciated the effort he gave us this weekend.”
Mt. Edgecumbe senior Emmett Dunaway grabs a rebound over Lathrop
juniors Carter Mahler and Jhon Rones (3) and senior Kyler Hall (24) during the Braves 48-39 loss to the Malemutes on Saturday in the B.J. McGillis Gymnasium. (Sentinel Photo by Klas Stolpe)
Dunaway and classmate Bear Brown (Anchorage) each scored 10 points to lead the Braves on Friday. Dunaway added 10 rebounds in the contest.
Dunaway, Brown, junior Drew Jackson (Kake) and sophomore Jeff Adams (Mentasta) all found baskets in both the first and second quarters to keep the Braves close to the Malemutes, who featured an athletic attack led by juniors Jhon Rones and Mekhi Briggman and freshman Tyriq Luke. Lathrop led 8-7 after eight minutes and 20-15 at the half.
Lathrop found their long-range touch in the third quarter as Luke buried two and Rones another while Mt. Edgecumbe’s Brown, Dunaway and Jackson went to the boards for their points to keep the Braves close at 32-25 after the third quarter.
The Braves saved their best eight minutes for last and fought back into the game with timely outside shooting and an attacking presence that put them at the free throw line 11 times in the stanza but they hit just 5. Junior David Dock (Togiak), so. Frederick Myers (Pilot Station), and so. RJ. Alstrom-Beans (St. Mary’s) scored all their game points in the stanza while Dunaway and Brown continued their output to cut into the lead, getting as close as 4 points with under a minute to go. But Luke and Rones scored their final points at the free throw line for the 48-42 win.
Dunaway and Brown led the Braves with 10 points apiece on Friday, Dock and Jackson 6 apiece, Adams 4, Alstrom-Beans 3, jr. Vladimir Bourdokofsky (St. Paul) 2, and Myers 1.
The Braves hit 8-16 at the charity stripe, the Malemutes 9-19.
Lathrop’s Luke hit a game-high 18 points, Rones 11, Briggman 10, so. Jayce Johnson 3, so. Stanley John, sr. Kyler Hall, and sr. Michael Fernandes 2.
On Saturday both teams started with similar results, staying even at 7-7 after eight minutes and then the Braves took a 17-16 halftime advantage as Dunaway hit five free throws, Dock two, and Alstrom-Beans a shot from beyond the arch.
Lathrop began to slowly work into a lead in the third quarter as Rones and so. Graham Wappett hit from deep and four different Malemutes scored inside while the Braves relied on Dunaway, Brown, Jackson and Adams inside and trailed 30-26.
The Braves out-rebounded the Malemutes in the contest but Lathrop shot better from the field and secured the win 48-39.
“We also did a better job trying to take charges,” Young said. “We took more charges this weekend than we have all season. That’s something we can build on. Right now we need small successes and that was a success for us.”
On Saturday Dunaway led Edgecumbe with 17 points, Alstrom-Beans and Jackson 5 apiece, Brown 4, and Dock 2.
The Braves were 18-31 at the line, the Malemutes 8-26.
Rones scored a game-high 21 points for Lathrop, fr. Jakobee Johnson 8, jr. Carter Mahler 6, Luke 5, Briggman and Wappett 3 apiece, and so. Stanley John 2.
“We need practice and experience,” Young said. “We threw some guys into the fire this weekend and they struggled. With practice and time to improve our chemistry we can get a lot better.”
The 3A Southeast Conference Braves, who beat 3A Southcentral Conference Homer on Thursday, fell to 3-8 on the season. The 4A Mid-Alaska Conference Malemutes, who split with Sitka on Wednesday and Thursday, improved to 4-12.
Mt. Edgecumbe travels to the Kotzebue Invitational Touranment this week, playing Unalakleet, Kotzebue, and Noatak.
