Trailing by four points with under 30 seconds remaining, Kake had three chances to cut into Hoonah’s lead before Charles Carteeti stole the ball away, icing a hotly-contested game.
After the game, Carteeti said couldn’t take all the credit for the play.
“I was gassed the last six minutes of the game, but just hearing that crowd kept me in it,” he said.
After an insurance free throw by Brain Koenig, the final buzzer sounded, giving Hoonah a 61-56 victory. With its second win in as many days, Hoonah now advances in the winner’s bracket to play Haines at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Kake will play the winner of Tuesday’s Angoon-Yakutat game.
“I just knew I had to play hard defense,” Carteeti said. “There was no way I was just going to let them keep running around.”
It was the type of scrappy steal both teams delivered throughout the back-and-forth clash in second round of the B Bracket.
“We just had a lot of turnovers and missed shots,” said Kake’s Lance Doake, who scored eight points.
Tracy Jackson had the most made shots for Kake, scoring 18 points.
Koenig led all Hoonah scorers with 20 points. Jonathan Torres and Jaylin Prince combined for 28.
Tied at halftime, Hoonah opened the second half on an 11-2 run, going up 38-29 on a Torres baby hook shot.
With its fans riled up, belting “Hooonaaaah! Hooonaaah!” from the bleachers, the 2009 B Bracket champions went cold from the field over the next four minutes.
Tracy Jackson showcased his soft touch with seven minutes remaining in the game, beating his defender on back-to-back possessions for finger-roll layups. Xavier Friday made a layup of his own as Kake went up 47-46 with six minutes to go.
After three lead changes, Hoonah forged a four-point advantage before Carleeti’s crucial steal.
“All we can do from here on out is hustle, just keep fighting. Win or lose, we do it together,” Doake said.
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated Thursday’s game against Hoonah is at 6:30 p.m. The game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. This article has been updated to reflect the change.
•Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nolin.ainsworth@juneauempire.com.
