The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears withstood a ferocious press by the Bartlett Golden Bears squad in a 49-44 first-round win at the 2025 ASAA March Madness Alaska 3A/4A Basketball State Championships on Wednesday in Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center.

“I’m exhausted,” JDHS coach Tanya Nizich said of the frantic fourth quarter. “Any team here, being up 20 is not even enough. Anything can change so fast in just a couple turnovers.”

Leading 45-28 with eight minutes to play the Crimson Bears found themselves slowing being forced into a faster-paced game as Bartlett intensified their full-court press and closed the gap to 45-39 with three minutes left to play.

“We were making passes we shouldn’t have been forcing,” coach Nizich said. “We know we should have been making the easy passes. I think we got a little frazzled and the game turned around quickly…I told the team they recognized that and came out in the last two minutes of the game and fixed that. We were calm and collected and good things happen when you don’t rush.”

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Kerra Baxter (22) battles for a ball with Bartlett senior Aviana Stoute (3) during the Crimson Bears’ 49-44 win over the Golden Bears on Wednesday at the 2025 ASAA March Madness Alaska 4A Basketball State Championships at Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

Bartlett freshman Kennedi Gaines would hit three of four free throws to cut the margin to 45-42 with 1:46 left to play and the Golden Bears’ Aviana Stone stole a pass for possession, but JDHS’ G. Nizich returned the favor for the Crimson Bears and earned her third steal of the game.

“I’m just really excited,” G. Nizich said after the game. “Bartlett is an intense team and they came out ready to play tonight, but so did we.”

A missed shot underneath the Bartlett basket went out of bounds and JDHS inbounded, but could not get through the press and turned the ball over on a 10-second call.

Bartlett called timeout with 1:08 to play and set up a play that JDHS defended, and Nizich found the ball and fed classmate Cambry Lockhart who was fouled.

Lockhart hit two free throws for a 47-42 lad with 33 seconds remaining.

Another Bartlett missed shot was rebounded by senior Kerra Baxter who was fouled and made one of two for a 48-42 lead.

Bartlett’s Kaylee Lealaisalanoa scored with six seconds left to close to 48-44, but all the Golden Bears could do was watch senior Cailynn Baxter hit one of two free throws for the 49-44 final.

Bartlett jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first two minutes of the game. But JDHS withstood five turnovers and worked back into the deficit on free throws by senior Cailynn Baxter, a blocked shot by K. Baxter, a pair of scoring drives by both, two free throws by K. Baxter, and a score by C. Baxter to trail 11-10 after eight minutes of action.

JDHS would outscore Bartlett in the second stanza 15-10 as they continued to work through the hardest defensive pressure they have faced all season.

The Crimson Bears had expected the Golden Bears tenacity and had prepared for it in practice by scrimmaging against a lineup that featured members of the current JDHS boys team and a few graduated players.

“And we won by four in our last scrimmage,” senior Addison Wilson said.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Addison Wilson (10) secures a ball under pressure from Bartlett freshmen Kennedi Gaines (1) and Nahliah Houston (4) during the Crimson Bears’

Said coach Nizich, “We had been working on it for the last couple days in practice, been scrimmaging our varsity guys and they scouted Bartlett as well so they could play exactly what they played against us. So we knew it was coming, we knew we were going to get pressed and we were going to get pressed hard. I think we handled it good up until the third quarter.”

G. Nizich, sophomore Layla Tokuoka, the Baxters, freshman Athena Warr and Lockhart all had a hand in the second quarter, but Nizich stood out with eight points including a shot past the arch in the last minute as the Crimson Bears went into halftime leading 25-21.

G. Nizich opened the second half with a shot past the arc, another inside, Wilson scored and Nizich hit again for a 34-23 lead midway through the stanza.

Bartlett’s Harmony Jenkins-Foster and Gaines hit back-to-back shots for the Golden Bears to close to 34-28, but JDHS closed out the quarter on a 11-0 run for the 45-28 score setting up the final eight minutes.

“Kind of in the third quarter I noticed we were getting a little flustered and I just kept encouraging my team that we had it and we needed to slow it down and play at our tempo,” JDHS G. Nizich said. “My teammates help get me open a lot. I think we all work together, setting screens…and even when somebody doesn’t screen I’ve learned to use them even as a screen even if they are not intentionally doing it…We are just so excited to advance. We came out and played with a lot of heart, and we’re just going to continue doing that…There’s five of us on the court, 12 of us on the team and we all just keep picking each other up, keeping our heads up.”

G. Nizich led JDHS with 18 points, K. Baxter 11, C. Baxter 10, Wilson four, Lockhart, Tokuoka and Warr two each. C. Baxter led with eight rebounds, K. Baxter seven, Wilson four, Lockhart and G. Nizich three apiece, Tokuoka and Warr one apiece. G. Nizich and K. Baxter had three steals apiece, Lockhart two, Wilson and C. Baxter one apiece.

The Crimson Bears hit 13-21 at the free throw line, the Golden Bears 11-21.

JDHS had 27 team rebound, 10 steals, 15 fouls and 24 turnovers. Bartlett had 19 rebonds, 16 steals, 18 fouls and 15 turnovers.

Gaines led the Golden Bears with 22 points and 10 steals. Jenkins-Foster scored nine points, Lealaisalanoa eight, Aviana Stone four and Nahliah Houston one. Houston led with five rebounds, Gaines and Lealaisalanoa four apiece.

JDHS advances to play a 3:15 p.m. semifinal Friday against top seed Colony. Bartlett falls into an elimination game against West Anchorage at 12:30 p.m.

“With this next matchup I think what has helped us with speed and quickness has been our last few days of practice,” coach Nizich said. “We’ve been playing against personnel like that…that are quick, that are fast, that are smart and I think that is going to help us pushing forward.”

Mt. Edgecumbe sophomore Gracelynn Friske (12) dribbles past Monroe junior Trinity Turiel (32) during Lady Braves’ 42-30 loss to the Rams on Wednesday at the 2025 ASAA March Madness Alaska 3A/4A Basketball State Championships in Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

MT. EDGECUMBE GIRLS 30, MONROE 42

The seven seed Mt. Edgecumbe Braves fell to the second seed Monroe Catholic Rams 42-30 in their opening game at the state tournament.

Monroe led 11-4 after eight minutes, 26-9 at the half and 36-21 after three quarters.

Tahira Akaran led Mt. Edgecumbe with 10 points, Lauren Cedars eight, Raegan David five, Camille Johnson four and Brooke Markoff three.

The Braves hit 0-2 at the free throw line, the Rams 0-4.

Shannel Kovalsky led Monroe with 12 points, Trinity Turiel 11, Chany Turiel nine, Leila Church six and Desiree Redfox four.

Mt. Edgecumbe falls into an elimination game against Kotzebue at noon Thursday. Kotzebue fell to Barrow 78-14. Monroe advances to play Kenai, a 43-39 winner over Valdez.

Sitka senior Marina Dill dribbles under pressure from Grace Christian junior Molly Schild (12) Wednesday in the 2025 ASAA March Madness Alaska 3A/4A Basketball State Championships at Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)

SITKA GIRLS 29, GRACE CHRISTIAN 60

The Sitka Wolves had their paws full with the top-seeded Grace Christian Grizzlies and fell behind 17-4 after eight minutes and 34-11 at the half.

Allyson Maville led Sitka with eight points, Madison Dill six, Marina Dill five, Bristol Clifton and Elise Brady four apiece and Kailee Brady two.

The Wolves were 0-1 at the free throw line, had 17 total rebounds, five steals 11 fouls and 27 turnovers.

The Grizzlies were 8-9 at the free throw line, had 43 rebounds, 16 steals, two fouls and 13 turnovers.

Sophia Lentfer led Grace with 28 points, MJ van dec Horst 14, Molly Schild eight, Jaden Helton four, Poppy Wiggers-Pidduck three, Faith Salima two and Hope Jackson one.

Sitka plays an elimination game against Valdez on Thursday. Valdez fell to Kenai 43-39.

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