Give them credit — the Thunder Mountain High School girls basketball team didn’t let up in the fourth quarter after falling 26 points behind Ketchikan Thursday night.
With the game out-of-reach, the youthful Falcons played a disciplined defense and Kyra Jenkens-Hayes found her offensive rhythm. It didn’t make the final score much prettier, though: Ketchikan won 55-26.
“Our defense has really been a big focal point of our season. I think that our defense is always there, we play hard defense,” first-year Falcons head coach Chandler Christensen said. “Ketchikan is a great team, they make some really tough shots and those are something that we can’t control, but I think our defense has been great so far.”
It was offense, any offense, TMHS lacked before a thin weeknight crowd.
Jenkins-Hayes delivered 10 points for the Blue and White, while sophomores Cyrene Uddipa and Nina Fenumiai added five apiece.
Junior Britany Slick tallied 11 points for Ketchikan. Each member of the Kings’ 10 player roster scored at least two points.
Both teams had slow starts as just six points were scored the first seven minutes of play.
As the Falcons’ offense remained stagnant in the second quarter, the Kings’ went on a 10-0 run.
Ketchikan led 21-5 at the half and 35-9 after three quarters. The Kings passed the ball with more purpose and accuracy than their Juneau counterpart. The visiting team also stayed in front of the Falcons guards, forcing them to settle for tough shots.
“I think offensively we’ve just got to move the ball, we get stuck sometimes,” Christensen said. “It’s been a tough season for our offense but we just got to move the ball and put the ball up and hope we hit some shots.”
• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nolin.ainsworth@juneauempire.com
Thunder Mountain’s Nina Fenumiai gets a shot off over Ketchikan’s Chanell Browne, left, and Payton Simmons at TMHS on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017. Ketchikan won 55-26. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
Ketchikan’s Ashley Huffine, left, is pressured by Thunder Mountain’s Cyrene Uddipa, and Tzadi Hauck, right, at TMHS on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017. Ketchikan won 55-26. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
Ketchikan’s Ashley Huffine, center, fights for the ball with Thunder Mountain’s Cyrene Uddipa, left, and Charlee Lewis at TMHS on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017. Ketchikan won 55-26. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
