The celebration started before the ball even went through the basket.
Playing in only his second game of the season, Thunder Mountain senior Puna Toutaiolepo broke a 29-29 tie late in the third quarter against Juneau-Douglas High School. The forward’s shot kissed off the glass and went in as he was fouled.
Toutaiolepo missed the resulting free throw — one of only three the Falcons didn’t make in the game — but the hoop was the start of a 10-0 run as TMHS defeated JDHS 57-48 Saturday night at TMHS.
TMHS improves to 5-3 on the season and 2-0 in the Southeast Conference. The Crimson Bears fall to 5-4 and 0-2 in the conference.
Falcon Luke Clark scored a team-high 15 points, while Brady Carandang and Toutaiolepo scored 12 and 10 respectively.
“It was a good win by the team, both nights,” Clark said. “We fought hard every night and we came together as a team.”
Senior Kolby Hoover scored a season-high 16 points to lead all JDHS scorers. Erik Kelly was held to seven points in the loss.
JDHS scored the first seven points of the game and led 23-13 at halftime.
“We had no energy, we were flat, yesterday took a lot out of us,” TMHS head coach John Blasco said of the first half. “So the guys, they responded, they came out with a lot of energy. Once a couple of my shooters see the ball drop, that’s when you could see their confidence come back.”
The Falcons made four 3-pointers in the third quarter. The last of the 3’s, made by Roy Tupou with 2:45 remaining in the quarter, tied the game. Hoover, Carandang and Israel Yadao all missed shots in the ensuing possessions before Toutaiolepo’s celebratory score.
A driving Toutaiolepo gave the Falcons their largest lead of the game, 39-29, early in the fourth quarter. JDHS could only get as close as three points to TMHS during the remainder of the game.
Both the Falcons and Crimson Bears take a month-long break from conference action. JDHS and TMHS will square off next Feb. 2-3 at JDHS.
“To start the season 2-0 in conference is big and so we definitely feel good,” said Blasco. “We still got another 13 to go, and we’ll see these guys again. They’ll have John Hamrick back. They’ll be better and so tonight’s over and we have to get ready for the next matchup.”
The Falcons are off to the Joe T. Classic basketball tournament in Fairbanks this week. TMHS will be joined at the tournament with host Lathrop, Colony and Monroe Catholic.
The Crimson Bears play Barrow in the first round of the Alaska Prep Shootout in Anchorage next week.
• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nolin.ainsworth@juneauempire.com.
