The Juneau-Douglas High School girls basketball team found its offensive groove in the second half against Chugiak on Wednesday. But it was too little, too late.
The Warriors matched the defensive intensity that has become the hallmark of this year’s Crimson Bears squad in a 48-42 victory at JDHS that sent Chugiak home with the Capital City Classic championship and gave JDHS its first loss of the season.
“It feels pretty good,” Chugiak coach Ryan Hales said of the win. “We’ve got some things we’ve got to work on, but they’re a good team. … It was a great tournament and lots of hospitality from everyone.”
Tournament MVP Nicole Pinckney led Chugiak with 14 points. Randi McMullen added 13 and Hannah Russell scored 11 in the win.
JDHS senior guard Kallen Hoover gave the Crimson Bears the spark they needed in the fourth, scoring seven of her game-high 15 points. Senior Tona Fogg contributed nine points, freshman forward Caitlyn Pusich had eight, sophomore forward Cassie Dzinich six and senior forward Cristina Arehart added four.
“(Hoover) is going to the basket, that’s her bread-and-butter,” JDHS coach Lesslie Knight said. “Cassie Dzinich did a phenomenal job two nights in a row coming off the bench. We want her to come off the bench and finish for us.”
The Crimson Bears (5-1) went into the locker room trailing 11-19 at halftime, and the Warriors’ continued their momentum into the third by trapping and playing a tough zone defense that limited opportunities for JDHS on offense.
“I think our pressure helped a little bit, but we fouled more than I like at the end,” Hales said. “We had some players step up, and we rebounded and finished well.”
Said Knight: “We dug a pretty deep hole in the first half, and in the second we did better … but we still have some work against the zone to do.”
Chugiak increased its lead to 31-19 with three minutes remaining in the third when Dzinich scored on an offensive rebound followed by a 3-pointer from Pusich to end the quarter 31-24.
The Crimson Bears had their best offensive series in the fourth, scoring 18 points. But so did Chugiak, which scored 17. JDHS cut the lead to six after two free throws from Fogg, 41-35. From there it became a free throw shooting contest, with Chugiak making 3-of-4 and JDHS shooting 3-of-6. Only one field goal was made, a Pusich layup, by either team in the final four minutes of play.
Chugiak shot 10-of-17 from the free throw line on the night, compared to 8-of-21 by JDHS.
SITKA 38, KENAI 35
The Sitka Wolves held the Kenai Kardinals scoreless in the fourth quarter to overcome an eight-point deficit, defeating Kenai 38-35 during the final day of the Capital City Classic.
Kenai held a 21-20 lead at halftime and extended it to 35-27 after three. That’s when things fell apart for the Kardinals.
Sitka sophomore guard Tatum Bayne scored seven of her team-high 11 points in the fourth quarter. Zosha Krupa added nine and Hailey Denkinger had eight.
Kenai junior forward Lara Creighton led all scorers with 12 points, but was held scoreless in the second half. Alli Steinbeck added six for kenai, and Cori Homes and Abby Beck had four each.
Kenai shot just 2-of-12 from the free throw line. Sitka was 8-of-18 on the night.
CAPITAL CITY CLASSIC AWARDS
MVP
Nicole Pinckney, Chugiak
ALL-TOURNEY TEAM
A’yanna Tippins, Chugiak
Randi McMullen, Chugiak
Lara Creighton, Kenai
Tatum Bayne, Sitka
Zosha Krupa, Sitka
Kallen Hoover, Juneau-Douglas
Juneau-Douglas’ Head Coach Lesslie Knight yells instructions to her team as they play Chugiak in the 2015 Princess Cruises Alaska Airlines Capital City Classic Wednesday.
