Hydaburg toppled Metlakatla 85-70 behind 31 points from Most Valuable Player Darren Edenshaw in the C Bracket championship game Saturday at the 76th Annual Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball Tournament in the George Houston Gymnasium.

Hydaburg and Metlakatla had already met once in Thursday’s C Bracket semifinal that saw Metlakatla defeat Hydaburg 74-65.

On Saturday Metlakatla was looking to avenge their loss in last year’s championship game to Hoonah. Hydaburg, who had beaten Hoonah in this year’s tournament opener, was looking to avenge their semifinal loss to Metlakatla.

Metlakatla struck the first blow, and often, as they rebounded every missed shot and got three scores by Bryan Hayward one each from the arc, inside the arc and at the free throw line, and a rebound score by Apollo Marsden for an 8-0 lead that forced a Hydaburg timeout.

When action resumed Hayward hit two more shots and the lead was 12-0 with five minutes remaining.

Hydaburg would get their first basket from Greg Frisby and two shots past the arc from Darren Edenshaw to offset scores by Metlakatla’s Jace Scudero and Chris Booth to trail 19-8 with under three minutes left, and would finish the stanza on a 7-4 run to trail 23-15.

Hydaburg’s Frisby hit two free throws to open the second quarter and Darren Edenshaw scored on a jumper. But Metlakatla’s Christ Bryant hit his first of two shots past the arc for a 26-19 lead.

Hydaburg would go on an 8-0 run to take the lead 27-26, but Bryant answered from past the arc for a 29-27 lead.

The teams exchanged baskets down the stretch and, when his defender slipped in a defensive effort, Metlakatla’s Hayward hit a shot for a 37-31 lead with under three minutes to play in the stanza.

Hydaburg’s Joe Young hit from past the arc to close to 37-34 and Don Alamander added a free throw for 35, but Metlakatla’s Bryant again hit from distance for a 39-35 lead.

Hydaburg’s Darren Edenshaw closed the half from distance to trail 39-38.

“We talked a lot about coming out and pushing the ball, communicating better on switching on screens and I think we did better today,” Eric Hamilton said. “They got the ball into the post to Brian Hayward a lot more which is tough, but I thought our help defense was better and I thought we moved the ball a little bit better. Our timing I think was better, our rhythm on offense.”

Hamilton noted that Metlakatla usually comes out fast, but Hydaburg wanted to flip the switch on them.

“I felt like that first quarter we got down 12-0 and we’re just digging ourselves out of a hole,” he said. “And that’s what we talked about coming into the second half, ‘Now we’re up a couple points and we’re basically even, it’s a new game, let’s come out and play our game and put some pressure on them…’ And you saw in the fourth quarter I thought we put a lot more pressure full court and we thought that was key to end of the game too.”

Hamilton would hit four shots past the arc in the third quarter and Darren Edenshaw two as Hydaburg outscored Metlakatla 24-20 in the stanza for a two-point lead, 61-59, starting the final 10 minutes of play.

“Defense, defense, full-court pressure,” Hydaburg’s TJ Young said. “We’ve got a bunch of guards and we get a little bit of transition and Eric just came up in the third quarter when we we’re all feeling kind of flat, he turned it up and got four or five three-pointers. Man, we owe Eric a lot, he saved us in the third quarter.”

Hydaburg started the fourth quarter with a technical foul for having an extra man on the court.

Metlakatla hit one of two free throws for the miscue and Hydaburg forced them to fail to inbounds the ball and lose possession.

Metlakatla’s Clifton Guthrie, Chris Booth, Bradley Martinez, Hayward and Scudero had all made Hydaburg’s Darren Edenshaw work for every inch of court space he could with a very physical man-to-man pressure. But Edenshaw kept responding and was fouled on a scoring shot and hit the free throw as well for a 64-60 lead.

Darren Edenshaw, Devin Edenshaw, Joe Young, TJ Young and Frisby all contributed in a push out to a 72-62 lead that forced a Metlakatla timeout.

“I just had to make a decision and go,” Darren Edenshaw said of the tough defensive pressure he faced. “Because the refs were kind of letting us play. Yeah, we just played through it. I’m glad we stuck it out…I don’t know, we just kind of talk and if we get going they know to get someone the ball…I’m happy I was the number one option. It means a lot having this team behind me. I used to play with these guys in B Bracket a lot for years and so I’m just playing with my own teammates.”

Metlakatla could not get closer than 10 points the rest of the game and Hydaburg earned the 85-70 championship win.

“This is big for our village,” Devin Edenshaw said. “It means a lot. We get to be champs for a whole year. It was tough last year losing so we looked forward to this year to redeem ourselves.”

Devin Edenshaw acknowledged he is no longer the first option on offense.

“It’s tough being 44 years old, you know I can see things but just the body doesn’t react anymore,” he chuckled. “I’m glad my cousin Darren, TJ, Eric and Greg, Joe, everybody was a combined effort. It’s a lot of hard work. It’s definitely tough when you’re getting old.”

Darren Edenshaw was rewarded for his play with the C Bracket Most Valuable Player honor.

“It feels good, it’s my first time in C Bracket,” Darren Edenshaw said. “So it’s good to start off with a win and a championship. It feels really good.”

Box scores

Hydaburg 85 – Darren Edenshaw 31 (2F), Hamilton 15 (5F), TJ Young 13 (2F), Frisby 10 (4F), Joe Young 9 (1F), Devin Edenshaw 4, Nathan Olsen 2 (1F), Alamander 1 (1F),, James Washington (1F). Hydaburg hit 21-35 at the free throw line.

Metlakatla 70 – Hayward 22 (2F), Guthrie 14 (5F), Bryant 12, Scudero 10 (3F), Booth 5 (4F), Martinez 3 (4F), Jason Enright 2 (3F), Nick Buchanan (1F). Metlakatla hit 5-18 at the line.

Metlakatla Bryant and Hydaburg’s Matt Carle both suffered achilles injuries during the game, Bryant was lost in the third quarter and Carle in the first.

C Bracket Awards

Champions – Hydaburg. Runner Up – Metlakatla.

Sportsmanship Award – Eric Hamilton, Hydaburg.

All-Tournament Team – Clifton Guthrie, Metlakatla; Travis Dybdahl, Hoonah; Cody Hotch, Klukwan; Martin Sensmeir, Yakutat; Trevor Rostad, Kake; Eric Hamilton, Hydaburg; Chris Bryant, Metlakatla.

Most Valuable Player – Darren Edenshaw.

• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.