By KLAS STOLPE
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Thunder Mountain High boys basketball team gave up a technical and the lead to Juneau-Douglas on Tuesday with 2:32 left in the fourth quarter but survived a shot fest that ended with the Falcons on top 52-51 in the opening Region V 2A/3A/4A tournament game for both teams.
“I argued a traveling call,” TMHS coach John Blasco said. “I argued the call and the ref said I was out of the coach’s box.”
Juneau-Douglas sophomore Cooper Kriegmont drives to the net Tuesday against Thunder Mountain. (Sentinel Photo by Klas Stolpe)
On a night when both coaches, and a season in which coaches, strayed from the assigned markings along the sideline, the call raised some eyebrows and some fan disapproval.
The Falcons had just taken a 50-48 lead on a rebound put back by sophomore Meki Toutaiolepo.
On the change of possession the Crimson Bears lost the ball and in the scrum a travel was called on control by the Falcons. Blasco questioned the call and the technical ensued.
JDHS senior Philip Gonzales hit one of the two free throws to pull within 1 point and on the technical possession sophomore teammate Cooper Kriegmont found the net for a 51-50 lead with 2:32 left.
Brock McCormick shoots against Thunder Mountain. (Sentinel Photo by Klas Stolpe)
To add to the events the Falcons’ M. Toutaiolepo drew a charging foul on the next play and the Crimson Bears gained possession, looking to work the ball inside.
With 1:38 remaining JDHS had possession of the ball at the perimeter and tried to enter a pass to Kriegmont at the foul line but TMHS senior Vaipuna Toutaiolepo slipped in behind to knock the ball away to junior Brady Carandang, who scored on a break-away layup for a 52-51 lead.
“That was huge for us,” Blasco said. “To put us up 1 was huge.”
JDHS would miss two shots on their possession and then sophomore Garrett Bryant fouled out with 1:11 remaining.
The Falcons could not capitalize and the Crimson Bears had four shots to score but couldn’t get the ball to like the net.
In a scrum under the basket, TMHS hit the ball out of bounds with 5.5 seconds remaining. JDHS fumbled the inbounds pass but recovered to call time out with 2.6 seconds left.
Another inbounds play misfired but TMHS was called out of bounds and the Crimson Bears set up one last play with .7 remaining on the score clock. The desperation shot was contested from outside and missed right, giving the Falcons the win.
“It was a long minute with the extra possessions,” Blasco said. “They probably got five or six shots up and offensive rebounds. We’re grateful those shots didn’t fall through. Every game here matters, obviously, so it was a huge first game for us. JD was very tough tonight and I am proud of my boys’ effort. That fourth quarter, the way they played was huge. They never quit and now we have a tough game (Wednesday) against Kayhi.”
The first quarter saw the Falcons hit four shots from beyond the arch, two by senior Hansel Hinckle and one apiece from Carandang and junior Bryson Echiverri as they pushed out to a 14-8 lead over the Crimson Bears.
In the second quarter the Crimson Bears found their rhythm, scoring 24 points in the stanza including four shots from deep behind the arch by Gonzales, sophomore Brock McCormick and senior Krishant Samtani.
“Our ball movement and player spacing was very good,” JDHS coach Robert Casperson said.
Baskets by Samtani and Gonzales, and free throws by senior Israel Yadao and Kriegmont, gave the Crimson Bears their first lead of the game, 18-17, since they hit the opening night’s bucket.
That lead was part of a 22-5 run that gave JDHS a 30-19 advantage with 3:10 remaining before the half.
TMHS’ V. Toutaiolepo hit a basket and two free throws and M. Toutaiolepo added a single charity shot to close within 6 at 30-24 but Gonzales and Kriegmont also added free throws for the 32-24 JDHS advantage at the half.
Samtani, Gonzales and Bryant pushed JDHS’ lead out to 45-33 in the third quarter, while TMHS’ Echiverri fired up the Falcons’ defense for the final stanza.
TMHS went on a 13-1 run to start the fourth quarter as Echiverri canned three straight shots, including two steals, Carandang hit a layup, V. Toutaoilepo scored and sophomore Oliver Mendoza found the net to tie the score at 46-46 with just over half a stanza remaining.
Two free throws by JDHS’ Samtani gave the Crimson Bears a 48-46 lead and a Carandang layup tied it up again.
M. Toutaoilepo stole the ball, was fouled and missed the free shots. Carandang rebounded and missed but M. Toutaoilepo put in the follow-up for the 50-48 advantage. A lead they would lose via technical but regain for the 52-51 win.
Echiverri led Thunder Mountain with 15 points, Carandang 11, V. Toutaiolepo 8, M. Toutaiolepo and Hinckle 7 apiece, Mendoza 3, and junior Braden Jenkins 1.
The Falcons were 5-11 at the line, the Crimson Bears were 13-22.
Samtani led JDHS with 16 points, Gonzales 14, Bryant 7, Kriegmont 6, Yadao 5, and McCormick 3.
“We’re certainly playing better as a team, and I believe we saw that tonight,” Casperson said. “This is a position we have been in before. We will keep working and try to get it right moving forward.”
TMHS is to play top seeded Ketchikan today at 4:45 p.m. and JDHS will await the loser of that game at 9:45 a.m. Thursday in an elimination game.
2A action begins at 11:30 a.m. today and 3A games begin tomorrow. See the schedule in Sports or online at Sitkasentinel.com.
