Gold Medal Live: Haines and Metlakatla clash in B semis

9:35 p.m.

Haines beats Metlakatla 94-77 behind a big second-half by Kyle Fossman and Tyler Swinton. Fossman and Swinton scored 42 points of their 66 combined points over the final two quarters. Here’s Swinton speaking about the chemistry of the winners.

9:05 p.m.

Haines’ Kyle Fossman, who sat for much of the third quarter, has his hands all over a 7-0 Haines run to begin the fourth. After knocking down a 3-pointer, Fossman draw an offensive foul on Metlakatla, who is currently down 72-63.

8:58 p.m.

Tyler Swinton paces Haines with 17 points in the third quarter, but Metlakatla is hanging tough, and only down 66-63 heading into the fourth.

8:40 p.m.

Metlakatla closes the first half on a mini-run but still trails Haines 42-39.

8:19 p.m.

Haines leads Metlakatla 32-24 after the first quarter.

8:07 p.m.

The B Bracket semifinal is starting to heat up. Haines is on an 8-0 run and leads Metlakatla 19-12 with 5 minutes left in the first quarter. Orion Falvey has two 3-pointers for Haines.

7:45 p.m.

Klukwan defeats Yakutat 63-58 to set up a rematch with Kake, who’s been rolling this tournament, in the championship game tomorrow. The reigning Masters champions are 3-0 have won all three games by over 25 points.

Here’s some stats on

7:30 p.m.

Klukwan’s Dave Buss knocks down a 3 to take a 56-53 lead and complete a five-point possession for Klukwan. They started the possession down 56-51. Under four minutes left in the game.

7:20 p.m.

Klukwan leads Yakutat 47-46 after the third quarter. Dave Buss has 16 points for Klukwan through three quarters.

6:48 p.m.

After an hour-long break the action resumes. Klukwan is leading Yakutat 26-22 early in the second quarter of their Masters Bracket duel. Klukwan lost 85-57 to Kake last night. Their first two tournament games went much smoother: slipping past Hoonah on Sunday 78-76 and crushing Yakutat on Monday 82-62.

Prior to the start of this game, the Lions Club presented the Dr. Walter Soboleff Award to Klukwan player Andrew Friske. The award is given to Gold Medal participants who meet a bunch of different criteria like volunteerism, leadership and sportsmanship. Friske, who just stepped off the court from his C Bracket game, had this to say after receiving the award.

Just before that longtime Hoonah participant Kamal Lindoff was inducted into the Gold Medal Hall of Fame. Lindoff has played for Hoonah since 1994 and has been apart of two championship teams. Here he is coming down to the floor to receive the recognition. About 20 Hall of Famers were there to greet him on the court.

5:15 p.m.

Klukwan outscores Hoonah 30-11 in the third quarter and advances to the championship with a 88-67 victory.

5:05 p.m.

Travis Dybdahl just banked in a 3, and Hoonah’s going to need a few more of those. They’re down 73-62 with four minutes to play.

4:55 p.m.

At the end of the third quarter Klukwan leads Hoonah 61-47.

4:45 p.m.

Jason Shull knocks down three 3-pointers in a row and Hoonah decides to talk things over with 5:55 left in the third quarter. Those Shull 3’s are part of a 16-5 run for Klukwan to start the second half.

4:36 p.m.

This one could go down to the wire. Klukwan ends the first half on a 5-0 run, but they still trail 36-31. The momentum is trading back and forth between these teams at a fast clip. Hoonah’s Jeremy Martin and Travis Dybdahl have 25 combined points. Michael Gainey is keeping Klukwan afloat with 10 points.

4:08 p.m.

The C Bracket semifinal is off to a good start for Hoonah. They take an early 8-2 lead over Klukwan. When these two teams played each other in the first round, Hoonah won by 21 points.

3:24 p.m.

A few stats from Haines’ win over Yakutat:

– Fran Daly continues to have a big tournament. She scored 31 for Haines today, getting 18 in the second half.

– Daly herself outscored Yakutat in the fourth quarter, 12-10.

– Rose Fraker, the defending tournament MVP, scored 19 points in the losing effort, 14 in the second half.

– Skagway defeated Haines 62-55 in the first game of this tournament. The two teams have been dominant since then, and will play at 2 p.m. Saturday.

3:15 p.m.

The Women’s Bracket will have a new champion this year. Yakutat falls to Haines, 64-48. Haines will face Skagway at 2 p.m. Saturday in a championship game that should be fascinating and fast-paced.

3:09 p.m.

Yakutat got the lead down to 10 early in the quarter after a Rose Fraker three-pointer, but Haines always has an answer. More importantly, Fraker looks like she’s out of gas. She’s committed a couple turnovers here down the stretch and Haines is taking advantage. Haines leads 58-44 with just under four minutes left.

2:58 p.m.

Haines leads 49-38 at the end of the third, but missed three chances on the final possession to make a layup to extend the lead. Rose Fraker did it all for Yakutat in the third, handling the ball most of the time and scoring nine points. She’s visibly tired, though, so we’ll see if she has enough gas to keep Yakutat alive.

2:33 p.m.

At halftime, Haines leads Yakutat 35-20. It’s far from over, but Haines has found its stride on offense this quarter.

Brittenham has nine points at halftime and is all over the floor on both ends. A few notes about Brittenham, who is playing in her first Gold Medal:

– She played college basketball at Wofford, setting a single-season school record for assists as a sophomore and then breaking that record as a junior. She ended up as the school’s all-time leader in assists.

– Her father Greg is currently the head coach of the Haines High School women’s team. He’s a former college strength and conditioning coach.

Here’s a photo of her from today’s game.

2:25 p.m.

Haines’ Rachel Brittenham, who will surely be in the running for the All-Tournament Team, hits a buzzer-beating 3 at the close of the first quarter to extend Haines’ lead to 14-6 to end the opening frame in this video below.

2:10 p.m.

Haines and Yakutat, a rematch of last year’s W Bracket championship game, get today started with a semifinal matchup. Haines has an early 14-6 lead near the end of the first quarter. Doesn’t look like either team has been able to get into a rhythm yet.

11 p.m.

Kake ended up winning 85-57, with Jay Peterson leading the way with 17 points.

Read our recap of the late games here.

10:03 p.m.

Kake’s just dominating this game, though some sloppy play allowed Klukwan to get the lead to under 30 points. Kake leads 67-41 going into the fourth quarter.

Assuming this lead holds, Kake will await the winner of the Klukwan-Yakutat game at 6:30 p.m. Friday. Kake, the defending champion, has made easy work of its competition this year. Kake beat Sitka 90-58 in the first round before defeating Angoon 94-54 in the second round.

9:55 p.m.

Here’s a common sight here at Gold Medal: Children running across the court carrying flags of their favorite team during timeouts. This is from the Angoon-Metlakatla game. It’s past most kids’ bedtimes at this point.

9:45 p.m.

Klukwan sticks with Kake during the second quarter, but Kake’s 19-point cushion remains, as they lead 45-26 at halftime. Seven players scored for Kake in the first half, as they spread the ball around pretty well.

9:35 p.m.

Kake leads Klukwan 29-10 at the end of the first quarter. Rudy Bean had 11 points that quarter, and Jay Peterson hit a trio of 3s to help fuel the fast start.

9:25 p.m.

Kake races out to a fast start over Klukwan in this M Bracket semifinal. Kake leads 22-7 after seven minutes of play. This place has cleared out quite a bit since the B game ended. That was the main event tonight.

9:15 p.m.

Some stats from that Angoon victory:

– Angoon ended on a 36-13 run, as mentioned before.

– Aquino Brinson was the spark plug for Angoon, scoring 20 of his 33 points after halftime. He was consistent, scoring 10 points in the third and 10 points in the fourth.

– Dominique Brinson scored 31 and Clayton Edwin scored 25. That left just five points for the rest of the team.

– Chris Bryant ended with 22 points for Metlakatla, and Franklin Hayward added 20.

– Angoon last won the B Bracket in 2016, and Metlakatla last won the B championship in 1996.

9:03 p.m.

Metlakatla led 67-66 late in the third quarter. From there, Angoon went on a 36-13 run and wins 102-80. So much for this one coming down to the wire. Angoon is in the championship game. Metlakatla will face a red-hot Haines team tomorrow for a chance for a rematch with Angoon in the final.

8:48 p.m.

Angoon builds to a double-digit lead thanks to a 13-3 run to start the fourth quarter. Metlakatla’s not done, though, cutting the lead to 85-78 with 5:53 left.

8:40 p.m.

There were three lead changes and a tie in the final 90 seconds of the third quarter, and it’s Angoon on top, 71-68, heading to the final quarter. The winner of this game goes to the B Bracket championship game, remember.

Angoon’s most recent B Bracket victory was in 2016. Metlakatla’s only B Bracket title came in 1996. The most recent title of any kind for Metlakatla was in the 2006 Women’s Bracket.

8:25 p.m.

Metlakatla’s Chris Bryant comes out of halftime absolutely sizzling. He nails three 3s to spur a 14-2 run to start the half and put Metlakatla up 59-48. He’s up to 17 points now, and has hit five 3s this game.

8:15 p.m.

We officially have a barnburner on our hands, folks. Angoon leads 46-45 at halftime after there were three lead changes in the final 90 seconds of the half. Dominique Brinson has 14 points for Angoon, and Aquino Brinson has 13. For Metlakatla, Howard lead the way with 17 points. He had 12 in the first quarter.

7:55 p.m.

It was an eventful quarter, with teams trading baskets the whole time. Metlakatla took a 28-23 lead into the second quarter, but Angoon just scored on a fast break to cut the lead to three before Metlakatla’s Franklin “Mace” Howard hit a 3 on the other end. He’s been on fire, and Metlakatla currently leads 31-27 after another Angoon basket.

Below is video of Howard hitting a 3 as time wound down at the end of the first quarter.

7:43 p.m.

This B Bracket game between Angoon and Metlakatla is off to a fast start. Metlakatla leads 14-10 after just three and a half minutes of game play. This could be a fun one.

7:23 p.m.

Hydaburg is heading to the C Bracket championship game, with an 86-75 win over Hoonah. It ended up being a little exciting, but not quite exciting enough for Hoonah to really have a chance to tie or take the lead.

7:20 p.m.

Travis Dybdahl can’t stop hitting 3s for Hoonah, but it looks like it will be too little, too late. Hydaburg leads 84-73 with 58 seconds left. Hoonah’s put together a ferocious comeback here, but Hydaburg is making most of its free throws and is taking care of the ball.

7:13 p.m.

Things are getting a little more interesting here. Hoonah finally feels like it’s getting legitimate momentum. Hoonah’s Anthony Lindoff converts on an old-fashioned 3-point play, which cuts the lead to 15 and whips the crowd into a frenzy. Then back-to-back stops and transition layups cut the lead down to 11 with four minutes to play.

This place is getting loud and Hydaburg looks a little rattled. They’ve missed a few layups, letting Hoonah get back into it here.

7:01 p.m.

At the end of the third quarter, Hydaburg’s lead is 68-46. Hoonah just can’t get enough stops to put any kind of a run together.

A tough tournament for Hoonah teams continues. This Hoonah team is the last one remaining, and will head to an elimination game against a tough Klukwan team tomorrow with this loss.

[Check out photos from today’s action]

6:35 p.m.

At halftime, Hydaburg is cruising, up 50-29. Every time Hoonah gets even a hint of momentum, Hydaburg shoots it down (pun intended). One illustrative moment was when Hoonah went on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 21 points. Hoonah’s fans unleashed a thunderous “DE-FENSE” chant, only to watch as T.J. Young hit a long three-pointer to extend the lead to 44-20.

6:15 p.m.

Hydaburg has opened it up a little, and leads 21-8 at the close of the first quarter. Fred Hamilton, who appears to be a late addition to Hydaburg’s roster, hit a few shots early on to spark the team’s offense.

6:06 p.m.

After an hour break for dinner, we’re back at it. Hoonah and Hydaburg are playing each other for a spot in Saturday’s C Bracket championship game. The pace is fast but the rims are unforgiving early on, as both teams are struggling to score. Hydaburg is up 10-5 about halfway through the first quarter.

5:05 p.m.

Haines finishes off Hydaburg, 78-52. A few stats:

– Tyler Swinton continues to have a huge tournament, finishing with 33 points. He hit a ridiculous eight three-pointers tonight.

– Kyle Fossman hit four shots from long distance, and finished with 26 points.

– Damen Bell-Holter led Hydaburg with 19 points, followed by Vinny Edenshaw’s 16 points.

– Swinton said after the game that a large part of their gameplan was to have two guys bothering Bell-Holter all game, just to wear him out. It worked. He got his points, but wasn’t able to lead any kind of comeback.

4:55 p.m.

At the end of the third, Haines leads Hydaburg 72-47. Hydaburg players are visibly frustrated, knowing their tournament is on the verge of being over.

[Read our recap of today’s action so far here]

4:37 p.m.

At halftime, Haines leads Hydaburg 45-32. It’s been a hotly contested one and has even been a little chippy at times. Haines went on an 18-5 run in the middle of the second quarter, keyed by aggressive defense and getting Hydaburg to turn the ball over a few times. The video below of Haines’ Tyler Swinton hitting a transition three helps demonstrate how aggressive and confident Haines’ players have been.

4:15 p.m.

We’re on to B Bracket action here between Haines and Hydaburg. It’s a rematch of the first-round game where Hydaburg got the better of the defending champs. Early in the second quarter, Haines leads 25-21. Teams matching each other blow-for-blow so far. The winner moves on to the semifinals and the loser goes home.

3:48 p.m.

That’s all she wrote. Skagway bested Yakutat 61-40 and will proceed to the championship game.

3:45 p.m.

Yakutat continues to play hard, but little ground is being made up. Skagway leads 58-37 with two minutes to go.

3:36 p.m.

Skagway is maintaining a comfortable 20-plus-point lead. It’s 51-28. Seems extremely likely they’ll be playing in the women’s bracket championship.

3:30 p.m.

After a couple of Yakutat missed shots, Skagway got the ball back and came up with two points. They followed that up with a 3-pointer and now lead 47-26 heading into the fourth quarter.

3:28 p.m.

Yakutat is chipping away at the Skagway lead. It’s 42-26.

3:25 p.m.

Yakutat is doing a good job getting to the line, but aren’t capitalizing once they get there. It’s 42-24 with Skagway in the lead and just over three minutes left in the third.

3:23 p.m.

Flashback to the last tournament game: Klukwan’s Jesse McGraw talks about how his team feeds off of each other when someone is in a shooting groove.

3:22 p.m.

Skagway’s Savannah Ames went coast to coast with a steal and layup. Yakutat wasted no time answering back. It’s 42-22 Skagway.

3:19 p.m.

Neither team has been able to get a ton going in the first few minutes of the first half, but Skagway is starting to find the hoop. It’s 40-20 with more than six minutes to go in the third quarter.

3:11 p.m.

At the half it’s Skayway 33, Yakutat 17.

3:06 p.m.

Skagway is keeping the pressure on and playing fast. It’s 33-15 Skagway.

3:05 p.m.

A Yakutat score-steal-score sequence cuts the Skagway lead to 16. It’s 28-12.

3:03 p.m.

3 p.m.

With just over five minutes until the half Skagway is up 28-8 against Yakutat.

2:57 p.m.

Skagway adds to its lead. 24-8 over Yakutat. Yakutat uses a 30-second timeout to stop the bleeding.

2:56 p.m.

Skagway and Yakutat trade baskets. It’s 21-8 Skagway.

2:54

Skagway just scored four in a hurry. It’s 18-6 Skagway over Yakutat.

2:52 p.m.

Another two minutes, another two Skagway dives for loose balls. Some of thse look painful.

2:50 p.m.

With the first quarter in the books it’s 14-6, Skagway over Yakutat. Skagway is playing swarming defense and hitting the deck for every loose ball. It will be interesting to see how thay style holds up over the next 30 minutes of hoops.

2:46 p.m.

Yakutat score twice to cut the Skagway lead to 12-6.

2:41 p.m.

Skagway is cooking. They now lead 12-3 against Yakutat.

2:38 p.m.

A scrum for the ball sent most of both teams to the floor. Skagway came up with it and turned it into two points. They now lead 7-3 against Yakutat.

2:36 p.m.

It’s been slow going early on, but a shooting foul by Yakutat and some Skagway free throws have Skagway up 5-3.

2:33 p.m.

After two minutes in the first quarte, Yakutat leads Skagway 3-2.

2:17 p.m.

A clutch performance at the line by Klukwan’s Chris Dixon, a quick steal and some cold-blooded free throws from Stuart DeWitt made the final score 96-88, Klukwan over Filcom.

2:15 p.m.

Klukwan is leading 92-85 with just over 27 seconds to go.

2:15 p.m.

Filcom is trying their darndest in a bid for a comeback. They’re forcing Klukwan to the line every possession and sprinting down court in the ensuing possessions.

2:11 p.m.

Filcom is staying feisty despite facing an 13-point deficit with 90 seconds left in the game.

2:09 p.m.

There was a brief stop in action for a Filcom injury. Looked like a player got bumped in the face. Klukwan enjoys an 83-72 advantage with three minutes left in the game.

2:06 p.m.

Halfway through the fourth quarter it’s 83-64 Klukwan. They’re not taking their feet off the gas in 3-point land.

2:03 p.m.

Klukwan has built a 20-point lead over Filcom. It’s 78-58.

2 p.m.

Klukwan just turned a pair of steals into a quick 5 points. They now lead 74-57 with just less than seven minutes left in the game.

1:55 p.m.

Klukwan drilled another three , Filcom answered back with a short two, and a trip to the line for Klukwan’s Stuart DeWitt puts the score at 67-54 Klukwan.

Filcom needs to heat up from the outside fast if they want to pull off the comeback.

1:51 p.m.

A full-court heave just allowed Klukwan’s Jesse McGraw to take one of the more leisurely layups possible. His teammate Andrew Friske followed it up with a 3-pointer. It’s 63-52 Klukwan over Filcom heading into the fourth.

1:49 p.m.

Klukwan is playing hard defense in the restricted are, but Filcom just has them beat in length. They’re having great success in the post either scoring or drawing a foul. It’s 58-48 Klukwan.

1:47 p.m.

Each team has added six points. It’s 58-44 with Klukwan in the lead with three minutes to go in the third.

1:42 p.m.

Klukwan just capitalized on a 4-point play opportunity. They now lead Filcom 52-38. The shots have been flying and falling in the past half minute.

1:41 p.m.

Another Klukwan 3-point shot is answered by a Larry Cooper basket. It’s 46-38 Klukwan with six minutes left in the third quarter.

1:39 p.m.

McGraw did it again. It’s 43-33 Klukwan.

1:37 p.m.

Klukwan’s Jesse McGraw canned a 3-pointer to open up the second half scoring. It’s 40-33, Klukwan over Filcom.

1:34 p.m.

After this game, Skagway and Yakutat will tangle in the women’s bracket semi-finals.

1:29 p.m.

Ever time Filcom closes the gap, Klukwan has answers back with a 3-pointer. It’s 37-33 Klukwan at the half. Larry Cooper for Filccom is starting to heat up from downtown though. Both teams look like they’re clicking heading into the second half.

1:24 p.m.

A Klukwan corner three and another Filcom layup makes the score 27-20 Klukwan with a little more than 5 minutes left in the first half.

1:19 p.m.

It’s 23-18 Klukwan. Filcom is making the most of in-the-paint opportunities while Klukwan continues to push the pace.

1:16 p.m.

Klukwan is continuing to move the ball and hoist 3-pointers. They’re not yet hitting them at very good clip, but if they start to fall it could built their 21-14 lead in a hurry.

1:12 p.m.

Heading into the second frame it’s 20-14, Klukwan. Two potent offenses started relatively slow with some short shots and easily picked off passes, but the run-and-gun Klukwan offense came to life from beyond the 3-point arc, but Filcom answered with a rebound and putback to end the quarter.

1:08 p.m.

Ben Hohenstatt with the Juneau Empire taking over live blog duties.

It’s the final two minutes of the first quarter in game between Klukwan and Filcom. Klukwan holds a 15-9 lead.

53-33

Haines defeats Hoonah 53-33 and plays tomorrow afternoon against either Skagway or Yakutat. Those teams will play in an hour against each other.

12:30 p.m.

Hoonah goes on a mini-run to bring them within 30-25, but Haines closes out the third quarter strong. With the time winding down, Brittenham drove past everybody and coverted a tough shot for the 34-25 lead.

12:20 p.m.

Rachel Brittenham keeps her eyes trained upcourt whenever she gets the ball. That’s because Fran Daly is often open. Daly continues to find open shots in transition, and she’s scored about half of the Haines’ points.

12:10 p.m.

It’s halftime in this Women’s Bracket loser-out game between Haines and Hoonah. Haines currently up 24-10 thanks to a strong first quarter by Fran Daly, who scored 10 points in the opening 10 minutes.

12 p.m.

Yakutat defeats Hoonah 73-62 and will play either Kake and Klukwan, the teams playing in tonight’s winner’s bracket semifinal.

Here’s some final stats from that game:

– Jerry Riddlington scored 21 points for Yakutat.

-Yakutat shot 25 of 34 from the foul line.

– Kamal Lindoff scored 17 points for Hoonah.

10:52 a.m.

Hoonah takes a timeout with 6:58 left in the third quarter. Just before the break, Yakutat’s Ralph Johnson made a 10-foot jumper to extend the Yakutat lead to 42-35. Hoonah’s still waiting to find their stride.

10:40 a.m.

Yakutat on top at halftime 38-33.

10:35 a.m.

Hoonah currently on a 13-4 run to get as close as 30-29. Yakutat trying to get the momentum back — the longer they can keep the Hoonah fans out of the game, they better chance they’ll have of winning. Hoonah teams really feed off their fans’ energy.

10:20 a.m.

There’s some uneasy Hoonah fans right now. Their team trails Yakutat 21-16 after the first quarter as Yakutat is knocking down contested 3-pointers left and right.

Jerry Riddlington lifted both his arms as he walked to the huddle after the last 3 made by his teammate.

Thursday, 10 a.m.

Good morning from the fifth day of the Gold Medal Tournament! We have eight games on tap from the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé gymnasium.

[PHOTOS: Wednesday’s Gold Medal games]

– 10 a.m.: Yakutat vs. Hoonah in Masters Bracket

– 11:30 a.m.: Haines vs. Hoonah in Women’s Bracket

– 1 p.m.: Klukwan vs. Filcom in C Bracket

– 2:30 p.m.: Skagway vs. Yakutat in Women’s Bracket

– 4 p.m.: Haines vs. Hydaburg in B Bracket

– 6 p.m.: Angoon vs. Hydaburg in C Bracket

– 7:30 p.m. Metlakatla vs. Angoon in the B Bracket

– 9 p.m. Kake vs. Klukwan in the Masters Bracket

10:40 p.m.

Hoonah downs Angoon 58-45, rebounding from their bleak 38-point loss on Tuesday. They will play Haines tomorrow.

Here’s some stats from Hoonah’s win:

– Zhane White scored 12 points, Melissa Fisher had 10 for Hoonah.

– Patricia O’Brien led 10 Angoon scorers with 9 points.

9:50 p.m.

Alice Johnson came to play in the third quarter. After a scoreless first half, the Hoonah point guard scored the first points of the second half and drained a 3-pointer for the 34-29 lead. It’s now 39-35 Hoonah with about two minutes left in the third session.

9:40 p.m.

Hoonah leads Angoon 25-23 at halftime in the women’s bracket. This is the final game of the night with both teams hoping to take on Haines tomorrow morning at 11:30 a.m. Zhane White has scored 10 points for Hoonah so far.

9:10 p.m.

Hydaburg defeats Kake 86-78 and will play Haines tomorrow afternoon in another B Bracket elimination game. Here’s some stats from the game.

– Damen Bell-Holter scored 35 points for Hydaburg.

– Tracy Jackson of Kake had 24 points.

– Kake made 16 3-pointers.

Here’s what Devin Edenshaw (15 points) said about Hydaburg this year: “Stalling (the ball) doesn’t work for us. Run and gun, that’s the way we always play. Make sure we feed off the big guy (Bell-Holter) because getting him the ball we’ll get open shots.”

8:26 p.m.

Hydaburg finished the third quarter with several big plays to go up 63-51, including these two in the final 30 seconds. On the first, Damen Bell-Holter takes his defender one-on-one and hits the fadeaway, and on the second, Hydaburg turns a turnover into a buzzer beater.

8 p.m.

Hydaburg closes the first half on a 6-0 run to lead 42-36 over Kake in the B Bracket. It’s been an entertaining first half and my hunch is the second half will be just as good.

7:45 p.m.

Final stats from that Hoonah win:

– Marti Fred and Ken Willard Jr. scored 14 points apiece.

– For Angoon, Jeff Duncan and Andy Lee each scored 10 points.

7:05 p.m.

Hoonah defeats Angoon 75-44 and now will hit the hay — they take the floor against Yakutat at 10 a.m. tomorrow.

6:35 p.m.

It’s 48-16 Hoonah at halftime. In the midst of the blowout there’s been a few lighter moments. In the first quarter, Angoon’s Jay Booth ripped a rebound out from the grasp of teammate Andy Lee, drawing some chuckles from the crowd. Both teams are now ready for the third quarter.

Hoonah’s stars — Albert Hinchman, Kamal Lindoff and Ken Willard Jr. — are ready to go for another quarter. All three are on the court to start the second half.

6:20 p.m.

Hoonah leads this one 23-10 after the first quarter and playing with their characteristic teamwork. Their defense and offense is really shining, often times in conjunction with one another. On one play, Kamal Lindoff instinctively started running up the court as soon as his teammate deflected a pass, and was quickly flipped the ball while racing up the court for an easy score.

6:02 p.m.

Hoonah and Angoon just tipped off in the second Masters elimination game of the day. Hoonah is rolling right now with an 8-0 lead with 8:30 left in the first quarter.

4:45 p.m.

Haines cruises after the fast start, winning 71-32. A few stats:

– Three players did essentially all the scoring (65 of 71 points) for Haines. Tyler Swinton had 35 points, and Dylan Swinton and Kyle Fossman had 15 points each.

– Tyler Watkins scored more than half of Hoonah’s points, finishing with 17.

– Haines made 10 three-pointers, seven of them from Tyler Swinton.

– Haines will play at 4 p.m. Thursday against the winner of tonight’s Hydaburg-Kake game.

4:09 p.m.

It never ceases to amaze me how invested fans are in these games, even when the games are blowouts of this magnitude. Hoonah — which always has the loudest cheering section — hits a three and the crowd absolutely erupts. It doesn’t matter that the shot cut the lead to 38-5.

At halftime, Haines has a 40-8 lead. Hoonah ends the half on a 6-2 run.

4:03 p.m.

It’s not getting better for Hoonah. Haines is now up 38-2. Not a typo.

3:58 p.m.

Haines leading scorer Rachel Brittenham talks about her first Gold Medal experience in this short video recorded after Haines’ 67-20 drubbing of Kake.

3:47 p.m.

The day of elimination game blowouts continues, this time in the B Bracket. Haines starts the game on a torrid 22-0 run before Hoonah finally scores. It’s currently 28-2 with one minute left in the first quarter. Hoonah players just look shellshocked.

After a timeout, one Hoonah player sums it up well to his teammates: “Let’s get some (expletive) points up there!”

3:20 p.m.

Apologies for the delay here, I was doing interviews for a different story after that Haines win. Haines cruises to a 67-20 victory behind 25 points from Rachel Brittenham. Brittenham is new to the team this year, and she’s a difference maker. She’s definitely one to watch as the tournament heats up.

2:45 p.m.

The below video of Haines player Fran Daly scoring in transition is fairly indicative of how this game has gone so far. Haines is absolutely rolling, now up 33-6 early in the second half.

2:36 p.m.

Haines is absolutely dominating this game, taking a 28-4 lead into halftime. Barring some kind of Space Jam-esque miracle turnaround, Kake’s tournament will end after the next 20 minutes of game play. Rachel Bittenham has 16 points for Haines.

2:25 p.m.

Some of the best moments of Gold Medal happen in between the games. Empire photographer Michael Penn caught this nice moment just prior to this Women’s Bracket game.

2:17 p.m.

The gym is filling in now that the ferry rally is finished. Those on hand are being treated to another slow start, as Haines leads Kake 12-4 near the end of the first quarter. Just nothing going Kake’s way early. Haines is getting a ton of extra possessions thanks to some offensive rebounds, and though the team isn’t shooting well, the players are getting plenty of extra chances.

1:56 p.m.

Up next we’ve got an elimination game between Haines and Kake in the Women’s Bracket. Haines played in the championship game last year, so it’s a bit of a surprise to see them with their backs against the wall so early.

1:55 p.m.

A few stats from Yakutat’s win over Sitka:

– Gary Klushken led the way for Yakutat with 18 points. Frank Jack III had 14 and Jerry Riddlington had 12 (all from threes)

– Yakutat made five field goals in the fourth quarter. Four of them were threes.

– Sean Joslyn led all scorers with 27 points, scoring more than half of Sitka’s points.

1:45 p.m.

In the first elimination game of the day, Yakutat beats Sitka, 66-49.

Below is a video of Jerry Riddlington talking about what the keys were to today’s victory and what it will take for Yakutat to continue to stay alive.

1:37 p.m.

Twice this quarter, Sitka has cut the lead to 12, and both times, Jerry Riddlington has had an answer. The Yakutat guard hit a three when Sitka cut the lead to 12 with six minutes left. Then he hit another three when Sitka cut the lead to 12 with five minutes left. Then, for good measure, he just swished another three.

Yakutat’s up 60-44 with 3:02 left, so it’s going to take a miracle for Sitka to keep its tournament alive.

1:33 p.m.

With 5:22 remaining, Sitka’s gaining some momentum. They’ve cut the lead to 12 points, and fans of both teams are starting to ramp up their volume. We’ll see what happens over these final minutes.

1:23 p.m.

Yakutat leads 51-36 with a minute left in the third. We’re getting treated to some vintage Masters Bracket basketball. As fatigue sets in for the oldest age bracket in the tournament, it’s time to get a little more creative. Yakutat’s possessions have gotten longer, as they pass around the perimeter, conserve their energy and milk their lead. Sitka just keeps shooting, but shots aren’t falling.

1:04 p.m.

Yakutat leads 34-19 at halftime. Looks like this upcoming half might be the final one of the tournament for Sitka.

12:58 p.m.

Yakutat’s taking control now, leading 31-16 as the first half winds down. But Sitka’s having its moments, including this basket below from Terry Elixman.

12:49 p.m.

Yakutat starting to get it going. After leading 15-11 at the end of the first quarter, Yakutat has extended its lead to 22-13 here in the second. Still a ton of missed shots, but the small crowd on hand is getting into it. It’s kind of fun with the smaller crowd because you can hear everything that the fans are saying. Lots of advice raining down from the stands right now.

12:38 p.m.

We just saw a rare sight: A fast break in a Masters bracket game. Yakutat’s Gary Klushkan grabbed a steal and then he and Ralph Johnon passed back and forth to each other to get Klushkan open for a layup in transition.

Overall, it’s still a very slow start. Yakutat leads Sitka 8-4 after nearly six minutes of play.

12:35 p.m.

As Sitka-Yakutat tips off, this is about the smallest crowd I can recall for a Gold Medal game. A major factor in that is that all day yesterday, announcers here were urging people to go to the rally on the Capitol steps today (that is currently going on) to advocate for the state to not make major cuts to the Alaska Marine Highway System.

We’re covering that rally as well, which you can see on the Capitol Live.

It goes without saying that the ferry system is key to players and fans getting here for Gold Medal.

12:10 p.m.

You might recall an article from two years ago about Hoonah fan Harriet Knudson, who has never missed a Gold Medal game. Well, believe it or not, she’s still here and still as spry as ever. Members of her family asked me to get a photo of her in her courtside seat, which is below.

11:58 a.m., Wednesday

It’s another packed day of action here. All of the games are in the loser’s brackets of their respective tournaments, so the stakes are high. The teams that lose these games will go home:

– 12:30 p.m.: Sitka vs. Yakutat in Masters Bracket

– 2 p.m.: Haines vs. Kake in Women’s Bracket

– 3:30 p.m.: Hoonah vs. Haines in B Bracket

– 6 p.m.: Hoonah vs. Angoon in Masters Bracket

– 7:30 p.m.: Hydaburg vs. Kake in B Bracket

– 9 p.m.: Angoon vs. Hoonah in Women’s Bracket

[PHOTOS: Gold Medal Basketball Tournament]

11:20 p.m.

Some stats on Filcom’s win over Angoon.

– Larry Cooper scored 32 points for Filcom, Rob Ridgeway added 17

– Angoon scored just four points in second quarter, all by Levi Johnson Jr. (15 points)

Here’s Mike Lim talking about getting his “big guys” (Nathan Lovik, Ray Zimmer and Greg Lockwood) involved in the win. Lovik, Zimmer and Lockwood combined for 25 points.

10:20 p.m.

That’s a wrap on Day 3 of the 73rd annual Gold Medal Basketball Tournament. Filcom eliminates Angoon from the C Bracket with their 80-51 victory and will play Klukwan on Thursday afternoon.

10:00 p.m.

Filcom in total control with 10 minutes remaining in this game. They almost doubled their lead over the course of the third quarter, outscoring Angoon 28-18, and lead 62-36 to begin the fourth quarter.

9:40 p.m.

Filcom leads Angoon 34-18 at halftime. Larry Cooper has 16 points for Filcom while Guy Hunter and Levi Johnson Jr. each have six for Angoon.

9:30 p.m.

Filcom’s Larry Cooper starting to take over this one. He’s got eight early points in the second quarter and locked in on defense. Angoon called timeout after Cooper’s steal and layup put Filcom up 12 points, 28-16, midway through the frame.

9:25 p.m.

Filcom and Angoon are all tied up, 14-14, after the first quarter.

9:10 p.m.

We’ve made it to the final game of the night. Filcom and Angoon both must win to stay alive at Gold Medal in the C Bracket. Filcom is made up of lots of familiar Juneau faces, like Larry Cooper, who coaches in the the Hoop Rats youth basketball league, and Rob Ridgeway, who coaches at Thunder Mountain High School.

8:55 p.m.

Simon and Xavier Friday had it going on Tuesday night.

The Kake duo combined for 38 points in a 79-64 victory over Yakutat.

Kake’s Darren Silas, a 6-foot-5 forward, made the most of his limited minutes. He ran the floor well and came up with timely offensive and defensive rebounds while adding 15 points.

8:15 p.m.

At halftime Kake leads Yakutat 36-30.

Josh James’ 3-pointer knotted the game at 23-23 early in the second quarter but Kake responded with a 14-4 run powered by Tracy Jackson and Xavier Friday. Friday already has 11 points.

Yakutat could be behind by 20 points, but Yakutat’s Jay Sin was left wide open from beyond the arc and hit three 3-pointers.

8 p.m.

We’ve moved to B Bracket action between Yakutat and Kake, who led 18-11 after the first quarter. On Sunday, Yakutat lost to Hoonah 75-62 and Kake lost to Angoon 90-82.

7:40 p.m.

Yakutat prevails with a 64-48 victory over Kake. Yakutat will play Skagway, who won 80-42 over Hoonah, on Thursday afternoon in the women’s bracket semifinals.

Here’s Yakutat’s Janie Jensen (15 points) talking about playing with grit.

Here’s some stats from that game:

– Yakutat had almost four players finish in double figures: Janie Jensen (15 points), Rose Fraker (12 points), Nadine Fraker (9 points), Lorena Williams (9 points).

– Monica Ashenfelter and Louise Kadake combined for six 3-pointers and 23 points.

7:15 p.m.

Here’s a video of Yakutat’s Jasmine James making a strong drive at the end of the third quarter. The speed of James and others on Yakutat have helped them get to the free throw line.

6:45 p.m.

Yakutat holds a comfortable 36-22 lead over Kake at halftime.

Yakutat did a good job of dictating the pace of the first half. With a deep bench and the Fraker sisters, Yakutat looks poised to defend their Women’s championship.

Side note: Janie Jenson went to the floor and someone in the stands claimed the contact on Jenson was “flagrant.” I didn’t see the play, but the officials whistled Kake for a technical foul and Jensen made both of her free throws.

6:30 p.m.

Yakutat and Kake shooting the ball with confidence. Monika Ashenfelter for Kake and Rose Fraker and Lorena Williams for Yakutat have each sunk 3-pointers.

6:20 p.m.

Yakutat leads Kake 17-8 after the first quarter as six of its players get into the scorebook.

6:15 p.m.

Gold Medal Game 20 has begun. It’s a matchup of Yakutat, who defeated Angoon 52-37 on Monday, and Kake, who is playing in its first game of the tournament.

5:05 p.m.

Some stats from that Haines victory:

– Tyler Swinton finished with 31 points and Kyle Fossman finished with 30 points for Haines.

– Fossman hit seven threes.

– Guy Bean from the Alternates finished with 14 points while Austin Shoemaker was just behind with 12 points.

– The guys from the Alternates told me they had just 10 days prior to Gold Medal to put their team together. The first time they’d ever played together was at Sunday’s opening game.

4:45 p.m.

Haines defeats the Alternates 97-51 and will indeed play Hoonah tomorrow afternoon.

4:30 p.m.

Haines on top 73-36 at the end of the third quarter. It looks like they’ll be playing Hoonah tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. It’s going to be a real challenge for Haines to return to the B championship. They’ll have to knock off Hoonah and two more teams on Thursday and Friday.

4:25 p.m.

Fossman just air balled a 40-footer, but made his previous two attempts from behind the arc. Alternates are playing for pride at this point — they trail 71-36 with two minutes left in the third.

4:10 p.m.

Kyle Fossman leads Haines with 12 points, scoring only in threes. He’s hit three shots from beyond the arc, and then completed an old-fashioned 3-point play. Swinton is just behind him with 11 points. Guy Bean has 12 points for the Alternates, also only scoring in threes (he’s made four from long distance).

4:09 p.m.

At halftime, Haines leads the Alternates, 50-32. This video below, of Haines’ Tyler Swinton sticking with a play and getting his shot to go, is fairly indicative of the pace and overall feel of this game.

3:51 p.m.

Alex jumping back in here. Just had to finish an article about the first two games of the day. Kind of a sloppy game in front of us here, with Haines beating the Alternates 31-24 early in the second quarter. It’s fast-paced, though, which makes up for some of the missed shots.

3:40 p.m.

Here to relieve Alex McCarthy is Nolin Ainsworth. Haines is up on the Alternates 14-11 with four minutes gone in the first quarter.

3:30 p.m.

Just got the explanation on the “Alternates.” Klukwan was supposed to have a team, but due to injuries and guys having to either work or go to school, the team sunk under the eight-player minimum. Then Wrangell, which was the backup team, only was able to get four players together.

As a result, a few of the Klukwan players, a few of the Wrangell players and a couple guys from Juneau got together and volunteered to play. The tournament needed a team to fill this slot, and these guys followed through. They lost their first game, and if they lose this game they’ll be out of the tournament.

3:20 p.m.

We’ve got some B Bracket action coming up here in a few minutes. Haines is taking on a team wearing Klukwan jerseys, but on the scorecard and the schedule, the team is listed as “Alternates” or “Replacements.” So it’s unclear whether this team is actually from Klukwan or if these are some last-minute replacements in Klukwan jerseys.

3:13 p.m.

A few stats from that game:

– Andrew Friske and Jesse McGraw each end up with 20 points for Klukwan.

– J.P. Buller and Jimmi Jensen finish with 15 points apiece for Yakutat.

– Klukwan hit nine threes in that game. Friske and Stuart DeWitt each hit three.

3:06 p.m.

Turns out Klukwan — the defending champion — didn’t break 100, clearing out its bench a little for the last few minutes and having the running clock going. Klukwan takes this one 94-61, staying alive in the tournament.

2:59 p.m.

Here’s another taste of Klukwan’s fast-paced style of play in the video below, with Jesse McGraw grabbing a steal and passing it to Stuart DeWitt, who eventually passes it back to McGraw for a transition layup. Klukwan’s going to break 100 this game, it appears. With five minutes left, Klukwan leads 92-45.

2:54 p.m.

The clock operator just let the clock run there near the end of the third quarter. Klukwan is up 81-41 over Yakutat. Not much more to say here. A couple blowouts here to start the day at Gold Medal.

2:45 p.m.

This is a loser’s bracket game, so this could be the end of the line for Yakutat. Klukwan’s up 74-39 about midway through the third quarter and the frustration is clear on the Yakutat players’ faces. With every missed shot, there’s a look of anguish that spreads across their faces.

It’s hard to believe this Klukwan team lost so handily (92-71) to Hoonah on Sunday. That Hoonah team also beat Filcom 72-60 yesterday and will play in Thursday’s quarterfinals. The next chance Klukwan will have at Hoonah would be in the semifinal, if Klukwan wins three games (including this one) in the loser’s bracket.

2:34 p.m.

At halftime, Klukwan is racing past Yakutat 55-26. Everything’s clicking for them now, working like a well-oiled machine. Andrew Friske has 16 halftime points for Klukwan while Jimmi Jensen has nine for Yakutat.

2:16 p.m.

Klukwan leads 30-14 at the end of the first quarter behind, as expected, an impressive shooting performance. Klukwan player Jason Shull, who was inducted into the Gold Medal Hall of Fame last year, hits a three in this short clip below.

2:15 p.m.

Now we’ve got some C Bracket action, with Klukwan taking on Yakutat. I’ve jokingly called Klukwan the Golden State Warriors of this tournament, as their ball movement is dizzying and they can really heat up from beyond the arc. They lead Yakutat 16-9 about halfway through the first quarter.

2:10 p.m.

Some final stats from that Skagway victory over Hoonah:

– Jesse Ellis finished with 27 points

– Savannah Ames finished with 21

– Kaitlyn Jerod and Kaylie Smith scored 13 each

– For Hoonah, Melissa Fisher led the way with 14 points

1:46 p.m.

Skagway’s on to the quarterfinals with a dominant 80-42 win over Hoonah. A heck of a showing for the rookies.

1:45 p.m.

Here’s a video of Ellis scoring, showing how she uses her quickness and length to get to the rim.

1:39 p.m.

By my rough estimate, Skagway has about a billion fast-break points. Ames just snagged a one-handed steal and lobbed the ball up to Ellis, who finished an easy transition layup. Skagway up 71-38 with five minutes left. The newcomers will remain in the winner’s bracket and play at 2 p.m. Thursday in the quarterfinals.

1:32 p.m.

Here’s video of Ames hitting a three early on in the third quarter.

1:30 p.m.

Skagway leads by 26 at the end of the third. Skagway’s just so quick, making it difficult for Hoonah on both ends of the court. Ames, Ellis and Kaylie Smith are just slipping past Hoonah defenders with ease. With another Ellis layup in the first minute of the fourth, Skagway’s almost doubled up Hoonah, 60-32.

1:24 p.m.

As Skagway’s lead balloons to 20, Hoonah calls timeout. Hoonah’s coach yells during the huddle, “We’re not going home early!” If Hoonah falls today, the team heads to the loser’s bracket and has a much tougher path to the championship game.

1:20 p.m.

Savannah Ames picking up the scoring in this third quarter, hitting a pair of threes and helping to weather a bit of a Hoonah surge. Hoonah’s shots are starting to fall, but thanks to those big threes from Ames, Skagway’s cushion remains at 16 points about halfway through the third.

1:07 p.m.

At halftime, Skagway’s lead is 39-22. Incredible quarter for Ellis and the newcomers, finishing with a 24-5 advantage in the frame. Ellis had 12 points in that quarter and 18 points in the half. Melissa Fisher has eight points for Hoonah.

1:02 p.m.

Skagway still rolling, racking up steals and scoring like mad in transition. Skagway leads 37-22 with a minute and a half left until halftime. That’s a 22-5 tally this quarter.

12:50 p.m.

Keyed by Ellis, Skagway begins the half on an 8-3 run and has a 23-20 lead. When Skagway took a 21-20 lead, you could hear Albert Hinchman, a longtime Hoonah player who was recently the Masters Bracket MVP a couple years ago, calling for Hoonah’s coach to call timeout. When Ellis scored a wide-open basket in transition a moment later, Hoonah obliged and called the timeout. Quite the turn of events here.

12:45 p.m.

Hoonah’s looking like a team that’s spent years playing together. Skagway is putting up a heck of a fight though, and trails 17-15 after the first quarter. Hoonah’s crisp passing and vocal communication helped build a lead that stretched to as many as eight, but Skagway’s Savannah Ames and Jesse Ellis are incredibly fluid on the offensive end and have made some nice baskets. This could be a fun one if Skagway can keep this up.

12:34 p.m.

The first couple possessions are fruitless, but then a flurry of threes gets the game going. After a putback basket from Hoonah’s Zhane White gets the scoring started, Alice Johnson hits a three to put Hoonah up 5-0. Then Skagway’s Kaitlyn Jerod immediately answers with a three of her own. Then on the other end, Melissa Fisher nails a three.

At the first timeout, Hoonah leads 8-5.

12:30 p.m.

Day three of Gold Medal action is tipping off momentarily. It’s a fun matchup. This might be the first ever tournament appearance for the Skagway women, who won their first game of the tournament (against Haines yesterday). Today they play Hoonah, the most established and popular team year after year. It’s definitely a matchup of opposites.

There’s a decent ovation for Skagway when the team is announced. Seems to be some excitement about this new team. We’ll see