By KLAS STOLPE
Sentinel Staff Writer
Sitka High School junior Gavin Flores played like a senior, a college senior, in the Wolves 45-38 win over the visiting Lathrop Malemutes on Thursday.
“He played with a lot of energy,” Sitka coach Jarrett Hirai said. “I think he picked the team up after our last game.”
The Wolves had lost to the Malemutes on Wednesday 50-41.
Flores scored Sitka’s only 4 points in the opening quarter, back-to-back buckets that stopped an early Lathrop run and soothed the Wolves’ 4 fouls and 8 turnovers in their 12-4 deficit.
“We had some turnovers,” Hirai said. “We are always going to have turnovers, that’s the way we play. How we respond to it in the end and sticking together is kind of key. Even when there are a lot of mistakes, we know if we stick together we can continue to battle until the end.”
An 8-3 run helped that battle as seniors John Arce and Garrison Lass closed the Wolves to 13-12 two minutes into the second quarter.
After a Lathrop free-throw by freshman Tyriq Luke gave the Malemutes a 15-12 advantage Flores spotted up from beyond the arch and drained a shot to tie the score. Arce followed with an inside shot and Flores added another.
Senior Austin Morrison earned an inside shot and a free throw with four seconds left to give the Wolves a 22-20 halftime lead.
“I was happy,” Sitka coach Jarrett Hirai said. “We bounced back from not playing together very well and really playing together as a team.”
The Wolves press, and press break, fought the talented backcourt of Lathrop freshman Jakobee Johnson and jr. Jhon Ross in the second half.
A deep shot from jr. Mason Eubanks, two closer in by sr. CJ Taccad, and a pair of free throws from Flores and sr. Aedon Dumag offset the athletic play from Lathrop’s Johnson, Luke, and jr. Mekhi Briggman and gave Sitka a 33-30 lead after the third quarter.
Flores and Morrison benefited from the defensive pressure of jr. Asa Demmert, Dumag and Taccad on the perimeter and Eubanks, Arce, Lass and jr. Liam Miller inside, scoring a pair of baskets apiece on quick changes of possession in the fourth quarter.
Lathrop jr. Carter Mahler and Luke closed the Malemutes to within five points, 43-38, with a minute remaining but Taccad hit the final point of the game from the free-throw line to ensure Sitka’s win.
“The biggest thing we were working on is just trusting each other and playing unselfish,” Hirai said. “And tonight they stuck together and took care of the ball fairly well and came out on the other side. It was kind of nice. We didn’t panic. One of the things we say, and believe, is that it’s not how we start it’s how we finish.”
Flores led the Wolves with 15 points, and Morrison 7 apiece, Taccad and Eubanks 5 each, Lass 3, and Dumag 2.
Sitka senior Austin Morrison (32) and junior Gavin Flores (24) defend a shot by Lathrop junior Carter Mahler during the Wolves 45-38 win over the Malemutes on Thursday in the Sitka gym. (Sentinel Photo by Klas Stolpe)
The Wolves hit 11-17 at the line, the Malemutes went 7-17.
Lathrop’s Johnson scored 12 points, Briggman 11, Luke 9, Ross 8, and Mahler 2.
Sitka (4-8) and Lathrop (2-12) return to action tonight, the Wolves at home and the Malemutes at Mt. Edgecumbe.
The Sitka Wolves will play the Homer Mariners (5-8) at 7 p.m. in the SHS gym, following the Lady Wolves (5-9) game at 5:30 p.m. against the Homer Lady Mariners (4-6). On Saturday the Wolves and Mariners play at 5:30 p.m. and the Lady Wolves and Lady Mariners at 7 p.m.
The Homer boys are midpack in the 3A Southcentral Conference, behind top state ranked Anchorage Christian School, Grace Christian, Kenai, and Seward and ahead of Nikiski, Houston, and Redington.
The Homer girls are near the bottom of the 3A Southcentral Conference, which includes top state ranked Anchorage Christian School, Nikiski, Kenai, Grace Christian, Redington, Seward and Houston.
The Mariners lost to the Mt. Edgecumbe Braves (3-6) 37-28 on Thursday and the Lady Mariners lost to the Mt. Edgecumbe Lady Braves (4-7) 46-24.
Lathrop plays Mt. Edgecumbe at 6 p.m. tonight and 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
