JDHS girls sweep 3A Sitka

Early in the third quarter and leading by seven points, Kendyl Carson and Caitlin Pusich traded 3-point attempts, each missing two in a row on an extended Crimson Bears possession. It was that kind of night for the Juneau-Douglas High School girls basketball team. Fortunately, visiting Sitka also shot poorly, and JDHS escaped Friday with a 41-31 win.

After splitting last weekend’s series with Ketchikan, Friday’s win give the Crimson Bears a sweep over Sitka. JDHS has now won 12 of their last 14 games heading into next weekend’s matchup against Thunder Mountain.

Pusich and Cassie Dzinich scored 11 points apiece as Carson contributed seven, almost entirely off free throws.

“We took a lot of shots in the second half that didn’t fall and so the score should have been higher if our shooters were hitting,” JDHS head coach Lesslie Knight said.

Knight is used to seeing hot and cold shooting nights from her run-and-gun squad. She was more concerned with her team’s fundamentals during Friday’s game.

“We were clearly the taller team and we just stand there and hope we get the rebound as opposed to blocking out,” Knight said of the first half, when JDHS led 18-12.

On Thursday night, the Crimson Bears led 36-23 at the half and 65-42 when it was all over.

Junior guard Tatum Bayne and senior guard Zosha Krupa accounted for 15 of Sitka’s 31 total points.

Senior guard Georgia Robinson would have liked to play more on senior night, but was hampered with foul trouble much of the game.

After a fight for possession of the ball with just over a minute remaining in the fourth quarter, Robinson fouled out, fighting back tears as she ran off the court.

“I’ve been kind of fouling a lot lately and then I don’t get to play and then the whole senior night was mixed up in it,” Robinson said of her emotions coming off the court.

Robinson and the rest of the Crimson Bears have two more regular season games to clean up play before the Region V tournament March 8-11.

“Everything we’re doing is to prepare ourselves for Regions,” Knight said. “We know we need to work on some stuff, we’ll bring some women in [practice], some boys in [practice], so we can get fast-paced. Everything is to prepare ourselves for the next level.”


Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nolin.ainsworth@juneauempire.com.


More in Sports

Metlakatla’s Drena Hayward (#15) passes the ball to a teammate in their opening game against Yakutat during the 75th Gold Medal Basketball Tournament on Sunday morning at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
75th Gold Medal Basketball Tournament opens with all harboring hopes for week ahead

Winners and losers not reading too much into opening games with some teammates still to arrive.

The Thunder Mountain High School Falcons Region V champion girls basketball team pose for a photo during practice at the Thunderdome on Friday. The Falcons begin state tournament play Wednesday at Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center. (Klas Stolpe / For the Juneau Empire)
Thunder Mountain girls basketball team ready for back-to-back state tournament play

No. 4 Falcons begin school’s final chase for a title against No. 5 Dimond High School on Wednesday.

The Thunder Mountain High School Falcons Region V champion boys basketball team pose for a photo during practice at the Thunderdome on Friday. The Falcons begin state tournament play Wednesday at Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center. (Klas Stolpe / For the Juneau Empire)
Thunder Mountain boys basketball team begins final state tournament play

No. 6 Falcons (19-9) open Wednesday against No. 3 West Valley High School from Fairbanks.

Hoonah’s Mark Prpich (22) drives the lane against Juneau’s Doug Draowski (5) on Saturday during last year’s Gold Medal championship game for M bracket at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé on March 25, 2023. Prpich finished the game with 10 points. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire)
75th Gold Medal Basketball Tournament tips off Sunday

25 regional teams to compete for titles in four brackets; no Juneau teams playing this year.

From left, Lauren Shea, Chantale Bégin, Isabelle Côté and Noelle Helder propel their 28-foot boat Emma off the coast of Florida during a training run for their crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. (Photo courtesy Noelle Helder)
Alaska Science Forum: Marine scientist rows across the Atlantic

The first days were the hardest days, Noelle Helder said. Imagine being… Continue reading

The author and his wife ride a lift at Eaglecrest over the weekend. (Photo by Jeff Lund)
I Went to the Woods: All you can eat pizza

There are times you’re confronted with the culmination of your career as… Continue reading

Dallas Seavey sits with his lead dogs Sebastian, left, and Aero after his sixth Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race win on Tuesday in Nome. (Anne Raup/Anchorage Daily News via AP)
Dallas Seavey wins 6th Iditarod championship, most ever in the world’s most famous sled dog race

Dallas Seavey’s path to an Iditarod championship was like none he’s faced… Continue reading

The 2024 Alaska Airlines Region V Basketball Tournament mass pep band, a combined musical extravaganza of Southeast high school pep band members, prepare to play during a game between Haines and Craig last week at the B.J. McGillis Gymnasium in Sitka. (Heather Gluth / MEHS)
Region V Basketball Tournament awards

The conclusion of the Alaska Airlines Region V 2A/4A Basketball Tournament on… Continue reading

A pine grosbeak munches on some old berries. (Photo by Kerry Howard)
On the Trails: Animal tracks and pine grosbeaks

February had an extra day this year, a cold and gusty one.… Continue reading

Most Read