Crimson Bears cruise to home tourney wins

Juneau-Douglas High School’s basketball teams had their way on the opening day of the Princess Cruises Capital City Classic tournament.

The girls and boys teams built 20-point leads in the first three quarters to garner easy wins on Thursday night at JDHS. In the first game of the night, senior Caitlin Pusich scored 19 points, including nine in the third quarter, to lift JDHS to a 52-25 win over Sitka. In the second game, Israel Yadao (15 points) and Krishant Samtani (16 points) played well in a 69-45 rout of Lathrop.

Sitka’s Abby Forrester went out with an injury in the second quarter of the girls game, and the Lady Wolves were not the same without her, mustering just six points over the next 12 minutes.

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The Crimson Bears grew their lead throughout the third quarter. Pusich and Alyxn Bohulano put the game away with a 9-0 run in the final minute, giving their team a commanding 43-20 advantage heading into the fourth. Pusich drilled a 3-pointer, Bohulano stole the ball for a layup and Pusich added two close-range scores all in roughly 45 seconds.

Later, in the boys game, Yadao went on a similar late-quarter run, scoring nine points in the final minute and 30 seconds of the first. Yadao converted three layups before burying a high-arcing 3-pointer at the buzzer that put JDHS ahead 21-2. JDHS already had a 12-0 lead prior to Yadao’s heroics.

“He did a great job in getting out and running the lanes,” JDHS coach Robert Casperson said. “Other guys were feeding him, so it was a little role reversal.”

Lathrop’s Jhon Rones scored 10 points and Tyriq Luke had eight in the loss.

Both Juneau squads now take on Barrow. The girls play at 5 p.m. and the boys play at 7 p.m. Friday. JDHS attended the Whaler Invitational at Barrow High last season. In that tournament, both the boys and girls teams lost to the Whalers.

“We’re ready for a tough game tomorrow (Friday),” Casperson said. “They got quickness at the guard spot, they have some talent inside. So they’re a very nice, well-balanced team.”

View a livestream of the tournament at https://www.juneauempire.com/bignews/watch-live-pincess-cruises-capital-city-classic-basketball-tournament/

• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nainsworth@juneauempire.com.

Juneau-Douglas’ Caitlin Pusich, center, blocks a shot by Sitka’s Makenna Smith at the Princess Cruises Capital City Classic at Juneau-Douglas High School on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Juneau-Douglas won 52-25. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Lathrop’s Jhon Rones lands on Juneau-Douglas’ Tad Watson during a loose ball at the Princess Cruises Capital City Classic at Juneau-Douglas High School on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Juneau-Douglas won 69-45. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Juneau-Douglas’ Israel Yadao lays the ball up over Lathrop’s Jakobee Johnson at the Princess Cruises Capital City Classic at Juneau-Douglas High School on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018. Juneau-Douglas won 69-45. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)