By KLAS STOLPE
Sentinel Staff Writer
The 9th and 10th movies in the Fast and Furious franchise won’t be released until 2020, but basketball fans got a preview of true breakneck speed at its finest Wednesday night in the Sitka High School gym as the Wolves were passed at the finish 50-41 by the Lathrop Malemutes.
Sitka (3-8), one of the fastest 3A squads on the court, was evenly matched by 4A Lathrop (2-11), a slippery fast team from the Mid-Alaska Conference in Fairbanks.
“Tonight there was great energy at times, there were good decisions at times,” Sitka coach Jarrett Hirai said. “But in the second half we lost that energy and decision-making and then we just got on our heels and they were more aggressive than we were.”
The Wolves were the aggressor in the first quarter.
An early block by Fairbanks freshman Tyriq Luke was quickly returned on the other end of the court by Sitka senior Austin Morrison, and the resulting fast break put junior Mason Eubanks on the free throw line and he hit the game’s first points.
The next basket wouldn’t come until the 5:36 mark on a deep triple by Lathrop sr. Jayce Johnson. Malemutes jr. Mekhi Briggman and Luke scored for a 7-2 lead and then Sitka’s Eubanks earned two more free throws on an aggressive drive and jr. Asa Demmert and sr. Aedon Dumag went back-to-back on shots beyond the arch for a 10-7 advantage.
Sitka senior Aedon Dumag (1) tips a pass by Lathrop
junior Jhon Ross (3) as Sitka senior CJ Taccad (11) moves to the play during the Wolves 50-41 loss to the Malemutes Wednesday in the Sitka High School gym. The teams meet again tonight at 7 p.m. Also tonight, the Mt. Edgecumbe girls and boys host Homer in the B.J. McGillis Fieldhouse at 6 and 7:30 p.m., respectively. (Sentinel Photos by Klas Stolpe)
A steal and basket by fr. Jakobee Johnson seemed to give Lathrop momentum but Sitka sr. CJ Taccad scored inside and after a Lathrop turnover, sr. John Arce found the bottom of the net as the buzzer sounded for a 14-9 Wolves lead.
Eubanks and Demmert provided the fire power for Sitka in the second quarter. Eubanks had two deep shots and Demmert two closer in as the Wolves capped off the stanza with a pair of free throws by jr. Gavin Flores for a 26-17 half-time lead.
“We came out in the third quarter flat, which is usually my biggest fear,” Hirai said. “We were on our heels. Their press kind of surprised us a little bit and we weren’t able to match the physicality of what they were trying to do. We just didn’t come out with the same energy. It created a momentum shift from the first half.”
Sitka junior Mason Eubanks takes his shot to the rim against Lathrop juniors Carter Mahler, left, and Mekhi Briggman, right, in the Wolves 50-41 loss to the Malemutes
on Wednesday at the Sitka High School gym.
Lathrop’s J. Johnson, Luke and jr. Jhon Ross all scored out of opportunities caused by the Malemutes press and trailed just 26-24 with five minutes left in the third quarter.
Sitka’s Arce scored and the Wolves called time out to set their press.
Lathrop attacked and earned two foul shots by J. Johnson and a tough basket by Luke to tie the game at 28-28 with 2:24 left in the stanza.
Arce gave Sitka the lead back and blocked another shot on defense but Lathrop answered with a block of their own and scores by Ross and Luke for a 32-30 advantage after three quarters.
“I just wanted to stay focused,” Ross said. “I wanted to bring up my team because we are kind of new, a lot of my teammates are freshmen and sophomores. We are still finding the chemistry in our game. I am trying to help my team and just think positive every game. We are serious and take the game serious. The Sitka guards were good. We worked really hard and worked like a team and that was what it took tonight.”
Lathrop junior Jhon Ross (3) blocks a shot by Sitka junior Gavin Flores (24) during the Malemutes 50-41 win over the Wolves on Wednesday in the Sitka High School gym. The teams square off again tonight at 7 p.m.
Both teams upped the pressure in the final eight minutes.
Sitka’s Arce answered baskets by Lathrop sr. Jayce Johnson and Luke, with a rebound score and a press breaking layup off a pass by Demmert.
Lathrop so. Stanley John hit a short shot for a 38-34 advantage but Taccad answered inside. The Sitka press was led by Dumag, Demmert and Flores throughout the game. Dumag raised the intensity to another level and pressured a bad pass that jr. Liam Miller stole and scored to tie the game with 5:46 remaining.
“On my team I like to consider myself a defensive player, because I like it honestly,” Dumag said. “I like trying to get steals and blocks and whatnot, and I think that really helps me in my game personally. As a team I would say we’re working on it… we’re getting there.”
Sitka regained the lead one last time as Miller took a charging foul and then 90 feet later scored for a 40-38 advantage.
Lathrop’s Ross was fouled on the Sitka press, hit two free throws to tie the score, and the Malemutes press forced two turnovers in a row that Ross scored on, the last one on a euro-step move for a 44-40 lead.
Jakobee Johnson stole the next ball and was fouled on a made layup to earn a three-point play and a 47-40 lead with 1:16 left in the game.
Lathrop freshmen Jakobee Johnson (1) and Tyriq Luke (35) press Sitka junior Asa Demmert (0) during the Malemutes’ 50-41 win over the Wolves Wednesday in the Sitka High School gym.
A final free throw by Sitka’s Eubanks was matched by Lathrop’s Ross and an inconsequential layup by his teammate Briggman for the 50-41 final.
“During the second half we came out a little flat and we didn’t box out as much, so I guess that contributed to our loss,” Dumag said. “Other than that I think that is what we need to work on.
“I think we became a little bit overconfident. We did come into the first half kind of expecting that they were a lot better than us, because they are a big 4A school, so we kind of gave them a little punch but they punched us right back in the second half.”
Sitka was led by 11 points from Arce, Eubanks added 9, Demmert 7, Miller and Taccad 4 apiece, Dumag and Flores 3 each.
The Wolves were 7-11 at the charity stripe, the Malemutes 12-18.
Lathrop’s Luke led the Malemutes with 14 points, Ross 11, Jakobee Johnson 9, John and Jayce Johnson 5 apiece, Briggman 4, jr. Carter Mahler and sr. Michael Fernandes 1 apiece.
“We just have to make sure that every game, every scenario and situation we get ourselves in, there’s always something to learn and teach,” Hirai said. “We came out kind of sheepish sometimes and we have to remind them that when there is a lull we have to figure out how to get ourselves out of it. Sticking together, keeping our heads together, usually that’s what it takes.”
Sitka lost to 4A Palmer by 48 points recently and the next two nights regrouped to battle in tight losses to top 3A talent Grace Christian by 7 and top 4A school West Valley by 8.
“We turned something around,” Hirai said. “We played better and bounced back.”
Fairbanks coach Matt Wilkens said the Malemutes are a young team with a lot of inconsistency.
“Before the second half, in the locker room, we told them to remember what you do well and when you work hard you typically do things well,” Wilkens said. “I think that’s what we did in the second half. We just concentrated on working hard and things started to fall into place. Hopefully we can continue doing that. It’s hard to struggle alone. It’s easier when there is a team next to you and on the bench that can help you out. We are learning that, if we see a teammate down we are picking them up, I think you saw a little bit of that in the second half.
“Sitka is scrappy, they move well. They burned us several times on back cuts and cuts. Watching them in the past I knew it was coming. They read defenses so well that just caught our guys off guard so many times, it was very frustrating and they’re a team that works incredibly hard for their coach and you can tell they enjoy doing what they do.”
The two teams will play again tonight at 7 p.m. in the Sitka gym.
Across the bridge, Mt. Edgecumbe girls will host Homer Lady Mariners at 6 p.m. in the B.J. McGillis gym, Mt. Edgecumbe Braves play Homer Mariners at 7:30 p.m.
