By KLAS STOLPE
Sentinel Staff Writer
Mt. Edgecumbe High senior Sanora Bell scored a layup with 4.1 seconds remaining to give the Lady Braves a 33-32 win over the Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears Monday night in the B.J. McGillis Gymnasium.
Lady Braves senior Brystel Charlie had stolen a Juneau-Douglas inbounds pass in front of the Crimson Bears bench with 9.2 seconds remaining in the game, and coach Kathy Forrester called a time out to set up a play for Bell. When play resumed senior Vernae Ramoth and Bell were on opposite sides of the half court line. Ramoth set a screen for Bell as she curled toward the Lady Braves bench, catching the inbounds pass from senior Catherine Sunny and driving straight to the hoop. The Crimson Bears’ defense collapsed and Bell euro-stepped around JDHS senior Caitlin Pusich for the go-ahead basket.
“It feels great,” Bell said after the game. “I really didn’t want to miss that shot, but it went in and it feels great.”
A last-second desperation dribble and shot by JDHS sophomore Kiana Potter fell short and the Lady Braves (12-8) won their eighth straight game, and their first win over the Crimson Bears since January 23, 2016.
“That was a pretty good feeling,” coach Forrester said. “I’m pretty ecstatic for some of these kids. I appreciate their hard work. We struggled a little bit with our shots, but if we make half the shots we put up we’re going to be OK. We missed a lot of shots; hopefully, if we make some of those in our next game we can make it not quite so close.”
The Lady Braves began the game in a full court press to match the pressure the Crimson Bears usually open games with. The result was a barrage of shots by both teams that didn’t find the mark until Potter scored with five minutes remaining in the stanza for a 2-0 JDHS lead and Sunny buried a deep shot with 3:37 left to give Mt. Edgecumbe the 3-2 advantage. A steal by Autumn Beans, who fed Bell inside to earn two free throws, gave the Lady Braves a 5-2 advantage until Pusich hit a basket with 1:54 remaining.
Mt. Edgecumbe junior Maggie Miller (Nome) followed with a rebound basket, and Charlie stole the ball and fed Beans for a basket at the buzzer and a 9-4 first quarter advantage.
“We know they like to press,” Forrester said. “So we kind of wanted to do that, to make them work as hard as we have to work, or we work as hard as they work. I think we were really excited about this game.”
The Crimson Bears were without the services of starting senior point guard Alyxn Bohulano, who was feeling the effects of the flu, and the Lady Braves forced five turnovers in the first stanza. JDHS also struggled to find the inside of the hoop.
“I think the first quarter decided that game,” Juneau-Douglas coach Steve Potter said. “It didn’t feel like it because the fourth quarter was so exciting but I think we had too many turnovers in the first quarter and missed six free throws in the second quarter in a one-point game and we had double digit turnovers. We just weren’t ready to go to start the game. We have to be ready to go.”
MEHS senior Catherine Sunny (11) defends JDHS sophomore Kiana Potter during the Lady Braves 33-32 win over the Crimson Bears on Monday night at the B.J. McGillis Gym. (Sentinel Photos by Klas Stolpe)
Mt. Edgecumbe opened the second quarter on a 7-0 run with baskets by Ramoth off a rebound, Miller on a drive, and two free throws by Beans.
JDHS’ Potter hit at 5:22 to make it a 10 point deficit, 16-6, and so. Jenae Pusich cut it to 8.
Bell responded with another drive for another 10 point advantage but JDHS closed the stanza on an 8-4 run to close the gap to 22-16 at the half.
“I think missing Alyxn (always hurts our energy level,” coach Potter said, “because she is such a dynamic player, especially on the defensive end and especially when teams press. That is no excuse though. I think we started to make a couple shots in the second half so we know they do go in here, and that’s something that we need to know.”
The Lady Braves managed just 3 points in the third quarter and the Crimson Bears tied the score at 25-25 with 1:17 remaining. A basket by JDHS junior Sadie Tuckwood and two free throws by Potter gave the Crimson Bears a 29-25 with just one quarter remaining.
Turnovers and misses continued to plague both sides in the final round.
Bell scored inside to pull MEHS within 29-27 at the 5:56 mark but JDHS’ Potter answered with a deep shot for a 32-27 lead.
MEHS’ Beans scored back-to-back baskets off of a JDHS turnover and Sunny’s fourth steal of the game to trail by just one, 32-31 with 1:24 left.
“Sometimes I have a pretty hard time with not reaching and fouling,” Sunny said. “But I’m improving on that.”
JDHS worked the ball on the perimeter and Mt. Edgecumbe, whose solid defense was a positive in the first half, tried to aggressively foul to earn the bonus and put the Crimson Bears at the line.
With 26.6 seconds remaining Charlie committed her first foul and the Lady Braves’ sixth team foul. The Crimson Bears called time out but on the inbounds pass Charlie stole the ball, passing it to a teammate at half court. JDHS’ C. Pusich stole it back, but the Crimson Bears turned the ball over under pressure from Bell, Charlie, and Sunny.
Mt. Edgecumbe senior Sanora Bell (30) is fouled on a shot by Juneau-Douglas senior Skylar Hickok. MEHS senior Brystel Charlie (24) and JDHS sophomore Jenae Pusich (15) move into the action. (Sentinel Photos by Klas Stolpe)
With 13.4 seconds left Edgecumbe also lost the ball out of bounds.
That set up the final exchange, with JDHS trying to find a player open on the inbounds pass and Charlie earning her 10th steal of the game for possession.
Forrester drew up the final play, the referee handed the ball to Sunny, Ramoth and Bell moved together, Bell broke for the basket, catching the pass in stride, pounding the ball into the court, then stepping to the left to draw Pusich forward and then right to lay the ball on the glass for the game’s deciding basket.
“It feels good to beat a 4A team,” Bell said. “That ups our power rankings in case we can’t make it to state with a first place at regions. Our communication and patience were key tonight.”
Beans (St. Mary’s) led Mt. Edgecumbe with 11 points, Bell (Yakutat) added 9, Charlie (Kwethluk) and Miller (Nome) 4 apiece, Sunny (Nightmute) 3, and Ramoth (Ambler) 2. Charlie led the Lady Braves with 10 steals and 8 rebounds. Bell and Miller had 5 rebounds apiece, Beans and Ramoth 4 apiece, Sunny and so. Lizzy Allen (Dillingham) 3 apiece. Sunny had 4 steals, Allen 2, Beans, Ramoth, and Bell 1 each.
The Lady Braves were 4-7 from the line, the Crimson Bears 2-8.
C. Pusich led JDHS with 11 points, Potter added 9, Tuckwood 6, freshman Trinity Jackson, J. Pusich, and junior Chloe McAdams 2 each.
Mt. Edgecumbe senior cheerleaders Angelina Kimoktoak and Sierra Felts were honored at half-time.
Mt. Edgecumbe and Juneau-Douglas play again today at 4:30 p.m. at the B.J. McGillis Gymnasium.
