By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
In the most intense rivalry match of the season so far, the Sitka High Lady Wolves rallied from a first quarter deficit and overcame the Mt. Edgecumbe Lady Braves basketball squad, Monday at the B.J. McGillis gym.
In the first eight minutes of the game, the Lady Braves netted a narrow 9-7 lead, but Sitka High shifted into high gear in the second and led 26-15 by the half. The Lady Wolves have won every rivalry game of the season so far. The teams face off again next week for the final time before the regional tournament.
Over the course of the season, the cross-bridge rivals have adapted to each other’s play styles, Lady Wolves senior Tawny Smith said.
“It’s been a while since we played them. I feel like Edgecumbe is always like that – they get tremendously better with every game and the spreads get less and less with every game,” Smith said after the match. “And that’s what happens when you play a team so often, you get to know them, know what they do and adapt to how they play.”
The Lady Wolves won 43-34. In the junior varsity game that opened the night, the Lady Wolves came from behind and notched a narrow 38-36 victory.
Sitka’s tough defense and rapid-fire offense was enough to turn the tide in the end. But Edgecumbe did not let down their tempo and rebounded in the third, outscoring Sitka 11-8. The teams remained neck-and-neck in the fourth, with Sitka only extending their lead by a single point.
While Sitka only fouled the Lady Braves four times through the game, the Lady Braves fouled 16 times as their defense sought to stymie the Lady Wolves’ offense.
Sitka High’s Chloe Morrison is fouled by Lady Braves Charlee Korthuis (32) in a rivalry basketball game in Sitka earlier this month. (Sentinel photo)
Compared to previous games, Sitka junior Ava Brady said Edgecumbe has improved.
“(Their) energy and their defense was really good,” she said.
On her team, she cited good communication as a key strength.
Smith noted that the Lady Wolves work as a cohesive unit.
“We all have very good chemistry on our team. We’re all playing as a team and there’s good ball movement. Whenever you hear our points at the end of the game, it’s not like there is one player that’s way ahead of everyone,” she said.
Smith scored 11 points Monday, followed by Brady with 10, Chloe Morrison with 8 and Maitlin Young 7.
Coach Mindy Bartolaba agreed with Smith’s assessment.
“Their chemistry is really good, they’re understanding when they need to be patient and when they need to push the ball. So they’re just getting more gelled together and we hope that continues,” the coach told the Sentinel.
Edgecumbe’s higher-tempo gameplay was apparent to Bartolaba.
“They had a lot of great energy with it being senior night… Everyone has seen each other a lot of times and they’re making adjustments to how each other plays,” she said.
Prior to the game, the Lady Braves celebrated their trio of seniors: Charlee Korthuis, Mia Anderson and TeHana Baldwin.
“It was a great senior night, something I’m going to remember – just having everybody here, knowing that they care,” Baldwin said following the game. She’s from Noorvik.
Anderson described the event as “bittersweet. I think I got a little emotional just realizing that this is our last home game before regions.”
With the regular basketball season only a week from its conclusion, Korthuis said her senior night felt surreal.
“It’s surreal for me knowing this is our last time playing together (at home) before regions, and I couldn’t ask for a better senior night,” Korthuis said. “I loved the dance in the beginning and everything that everyone said - especially our coach giving us all individual speeches and just knowing that our entire crowd and families were here to support us.”
Korthuis is from Bethel.
MEHS coach Kathy Forrester said her seniors have been “extraordinary.”
“I’m going to miss coaching this team and I wish I could put into words how I feel about them all… They’re just been amazing, they’re just so kind and hard-working,” she continued.
She praised Korthuis for her efforts to include younger athletes.
“Charlee, she’s all inclusive. She wants JV and C team to know things and be included… She’s worked hard to get where she’s at and I’m proud of her,” the coach said.
Forrester also highlighted Baldwin’s tenacious defense. She described the athlete as a “Tasmanian tornado.”
Along with honoring seniors, the Lady Braves put up stiff resistance in the face of Sitka’s formidable team.
Baldwin credited some of this to her team’s improved conditioning.
“We’re getting more in shape to the point that we’re able to stay in the game more. We’re able to move our legs a lot more on defense and keep our arms up,” she said.
Anderson agreed with her teammate.
“We’re getting in better shape, we’ve been working together now for a couple weeks and I think we’re understanding each other and working together and everything we’ve been working on in practice and in past games is really just coming together in one go,” she said. Anderson lives in Sitka.
For Korthuis, it was apparent her team was driven to play hard on Monday.
“What’s different is the team chemistry and being in the game, in the moment, especially the dance at the beginning of the game. And I think we just had more of a drive tonight than in the past,” she said.
Win or lose, Anderson was happy with her team’s performance.
“Everything together made it honestly feel like we won tonight, even if the score didn’t reflect it,” she said.
Her coach noted this as well.
“The score didn’t reflect it, but I feel like we won too, and we’re getting there, we’re getting closer and I’m excited,” Forrester said.
Last week, the Lady Braves competed against northern conference rivals Houston and Redington high schools. Though a snow storm made road travel difficult, Edgecumbe’s team made it to Wasilla and toppled Redington by a narrow margin, Friday. Edgecumbe turned around and beat Houston the next day, but fell to Redington in a tight game Saturday afternoon.
The Sitka High Wolves and Lady Wolves travel north to face Redington and Houston this week.
