Sentinel Staff
The Southeast Region V 1A/2A boys and girls basketball teams fell short of state championships last weekend during the ASAA March Madness State Tournament at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage.
On the 2A boys side Metlakatla lost in their third straight state championship game 53-47 to Tikigaq. The Harpooners forced Metlakatla into 21 turnovers. Metlakatla senior Conrad Hudson scored 16 points and had 19 rebounds, senior Desmond King scored 12 points, sophomore Aidan Rolando 8, sophomore Elijah Caspersen 6, and junior Coleton Hayward 5. Tikigaq sophomore Henry Kowunna scored 17 points for the Harpooners. The Chiefs had won the two previous state titles.
The Chiefs opened state play with a 46-45 win over Unalakleet, then beat Unalaska 39-30.
The Haines Glacier Bears opened state play with a 73-45 loss to Glennallen. Glacier Bears sophomore Mark Davis scored a game-high 25 points, sophomore Carson Crager 11, junior Kirby Faverty 5, freshman David Strong 2, and sophomore Wesley Verhamm 2. Glennallen senior Aidan Fields scored 24. Haines was eliminated by Cordova 59-49 in their next game.
On the 2A girls side, the Craig Lady Panthers lost in the third/fifth place game to Unalakleet 44-41. Senior Ashley Hansen scored 13 points, senior Johanna Skan-Allen 12, senior Sarah Yates 6, freshman Shaylee Johnson 5, Syvannah Bird 2, sophomore Kennedy Stumpf 2, and freshman Dayna Johnson 1. Unalakleet’s Summer Sagoonick scored 16.
Kake junior Willow Jackson dribbles past a Skagway defender during the Region V 1A tourney at Juneau earlier this month. (Sentinel Photo)
Craig opened state play with a 52-26 win over Cordova, then lost to Tikigaq (Point Hope) 51-43.
Region V champion Wrangell opened with a 58-55 loss to Unalakleet. The Lady Wolves junior Kaylyn Easterly led with 21 points, junior Maddy Harding 11, senior Abigail Gerald 10, senior Helen Decker 6, freshman Jamie Early 4, sophomore Elizabeth Armstrong 2, and freshman Liana Carney 1. Wrangell was eliminated by Unalaska 49-40 in their next game.
The Tigigaq Harpoonerettes repeated as the 2A girls state champion with a 49-39 win over Nenana.
In 1A action the Klawock girls beat St. Mary’s 50-37 in the third/fifth place game at the Alaska Airlines Center. Klawock freshman Kenai Holien scored 24 points, junior Alexia Isaacs 13, junior Taya Marvin 7, and junior Malory Smith-Turpin 6. Marvin had 16 rebounds and Isaacs 15. Holien had 7 steals. St. Mary’s was led by 10 points apiece from Traci Evan and Johanna Prince.
Klawock opened state play with a 64-44 win over Russian Mission, defeated Buckland 60-56, and then lost to Tri-Valley 54-34.
The Kake girls lost to Buckland 54-36 in the fourth/sixth place game. Kake junior Willow Jackson scored 11 points, junior Jade Beer 8, freshman Felicia Ross-Shaquanie 5, eighth-grader Mamie Crookes 4, junior Courtney James 4, freshman Alexis Copsey 2, and sophomore Kylie Rose-Wooton 2. James had 9 rebounds, Beer 8, Jackson 7. Ross-Shaquanie had 4 steals, Beer 3. Buckland’s Jacquelyn Berline scored a game-high 16 points.
Kake opened state play with a 33-28 win over Cook Inlet Academy, then lost to King Cove 74-25, and beat Noorvik 40-39.
King Cove beat Tri-Valley 72-34 for the state championship, the Rookies earned their second title in school history and first since 2004.
On the 1A boys side Thorne Bay beat Noatak 66-50 in the fourth/sixth place game. Stockton Schwab led Thorne Bay with 21 points, freshman Kyle Congdon 20, junior Jacob Congdon 20, senior Devin Reid 3, and junior Payton Cottrell 2. Jacob Congdon had 17 rebounds, and Schwab 10. Schwab had 7 steals and 4 assists. Noatak’s Roland Pen, Steven Stalker, and Kenneth Walton scored 11 points each.
Thorne Bay opened state play with a 83-74 win over Savoonga, lost to Nunamiut 83-49, and beat Sand Point 57-40.
The Hydaburg Warriors opened the tourney with a 52-40 loss to Noatak. Sophomore Cadence Peele scored 17 points, junior Willis Washington 12, junior Trever Olsen 8, and senior Guy Sanderson 3. Sanderson had 9 rebounds, Peele 6. Naotak junior Kenneth Walton scored 15 points. Hydaburg was eliminated by Kipnuk 44-41.
King Cove beat Nunamiut 59-54 for the state championship, this was the T-Jacks’ first boys title.
