Conference rivals and neighbors separated by a span of bridge 1,255 feet long, the Sitka Wolves and Mt. Edgecumbe Braves boys basketball teams went head-to-head in a Thursday night semifinal at the 2025 ASAA March Madness Alaska 3A/4A Basketball State Championships in Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center and the two teams did not disappoint.

In their previous four meetings this season the average margin of victory was just two points and Thursday saw a last-second contested shot miss the mark and the Sitka Wolves were victorious 64-62 over the Mt. Edgecumbe Braves.

“It was a battle between two very good teams,” Sitka coach Steve Compagno said. “We are fortunate to advance. Our defensive execution was the key to our success tonight.”

With three minutes left to play in the fourth quarter Sitka led 56-54. But Mt. Edgecumbe senior Brent Sun came off the bench and around a screen and hit a shot past the arc for a 57-56 lead.

Sitka junior Shane Tincher answered with a shot from distance to regain the advantage 59-57 and Sun repeated his distance with 2:10 left for a 60-59 MEHS lead.

Sitka senior Bryce Compagno-Calhoun scored from past the arc for a 62-60 lead and on a defensive play the Wolves got the ball and called a timeout.

Coming off the rest Sitka junior Trey Johnson was fouled and hit one of two free throws for a 63-60 lead.

Mt. Edgecumbe senior Donovan Stephan-Standifer rebounded the miss. But the Braves could not score and fouled Sitka senior Trey Demmert who hit one of two at the line for a 64-60 advantage

Again Stephan-Standifer rebounded the miss for Mt. Edgecumbe and with 43.5 seconds remaining sophomore Kaden Herrmann drove the lane to cut the lead to 64-62.

Sun would get a steal for the Braves, but they missed a shot with 19.4 seconds left and fouled the Wolves junior Brett Ross.

Both Ross’ free throws went in and out and Mt. Edgecumbe’s Stephan-Standifer pulled down his game-high 15th rebound.

The Braves called time out to discuss the last shot and the Wolves matched the strategy.

Mt. Edgecumbe senior RJ Didrickson would be forced into a last-second shot from distance that went wide and Sitka celebrated their win.

“Great game by both teams,” Mt. Edgecumbe coach Andrew Friske said. “Very low turnovers by both, low fouls, big plays by both at the end. I count be happier and proud of how our guys played tonight. After Torian (junior Torian Dull) getting hurt our bench stepped up endplayed their hearts out. We missed one more shot than they did and had a chance at the end. It’s never easy to lose and you never get over it but you can have some satisfaction that we left everything on the floor tonight.”

Dull had one steal and a rebound in the first quarter.

The game started as a shootout with Mt. Edgecumbe’s Stephan-Standifer scoring inside and Sitka’s Compagno-Calhoun answering from past the arc and Johnson adding to that from distance for a 6-2 lead.

The Braves’ Herrmann would score on a drive and the Wolves’ Johnson inside and the teams would keep exchanging scores through the quarter with Tincher hit for the Wolves’ 16th point and Didrickson hitting three shots in a row, one on a drive, one from past the arc and the last on a rebound to pull within 16-15 and teammate Stephan-Standifer hit from past the top of the key for an 18-16 lead at the buzzer.

Sitka would recapture the lead with baskets by senior Rowan Olney-Miller and Demmert. Sitka added scores by Johnson, Demmert past the arc, Compagno-Calhoun scoring an old-fashioned three-point play, Demmert from deep again and then a free throw and Johnson on a rebound.

Mt. Edgecumbe answered between their baskets with Herrmann on a short jumper, a rebound, a baseline jumper and a drive and Didrickson hit from past the arc to pull the Braves to within 34-30 at the half.

The lead reached nine points when Sitka’s Johnson hit from past the arc with 5:46 left in the third quarter. But Mt. Edgecumbe’s Herrmann stole a ball and scored and Didrickron it on a drive to close to 39-36.

The teams continued to counter their opponents blows and with 1:33 left in the third stanza Demmert gave Sitka a 43-40 lead and Didrickson answered from past the arc to tie the game for Mt. Edgecumbe at 43-43.

Demmert hit two free throws, Olyney-Miller one and Compagno-Calhoun from past the arc to close Sitka’s scoring while Stephan-Standifer hit a free throw, Herrmann scored on an inbounds play and Didrickson hit a free throw to close to 49-47 with just eight minutes left in the game.

Mt. Edgecumbe’s Stephan-Standifer tied the game on an assist by Didrickson to start the fourth quarter.

Sitka’s Johnson would hit one of two free throws to give the Wolves the 50-49 advantage and Herrmann took it back for the Braves at 51-50.

Sitka junior Kai Hirai hit from past the arc for the 53-51 advantage and Mt. Edgecumbe’s Stephan-Standifer scored inside to tie the game at 53-53. Herrmann hit a free throw for the one point lead.

Johnson tied the game for Sitka with a free throw and scored on the next possession on a rebound for a 56-54 lead, setting up the last three minutes of defensive intensity that both teams had employed throughout.

“Defense creates our energy,” Sitka coach Compagno said. “We work on it every day.”

Johnson led Sitka with 19 points and 11 rebounds, Demmert added 16 points and five rebounds and five assists, Compagno-Calhoun 14 points, Tincher nine points, Hirai and Olney-Miller three points apiece.

Sitka hit 23-50 from the field (9-21 from the arc), 9-19 from the free throw line, totaled 32 rebounds, two steals, 10 fouls and six turnovers.

Mt. Edgecumbe hit 25-51 from the field (7-19 from the arc), 5-10 from the free throw line, totaled 30 rebounds, five steals, 14 fouls and eight turnovers.

Herrmann led the Braves with 21 points and four assists and three steals, Didrickson added 18 points and six rebonds and three assists, Stephan-Standifer 11 points and 15 rebounds, Sun nine points, and sophomore Xavier Gundersen three points.

The two Eastern Conference foes had played four games previously in the season. Sitka won 71-66 on February 7 and 67-66 on February 18. Mt. Edgecumbe won 71-70 on February 25 and Sitka won 76-75 on March 7.

Sitka (23-3 overall, 8-1 Eastern Conference) advances to Saturday’s 3 p.m. 3A championship game against defending state champion Nome-Beltz, a 67-51 winner over Barrow. MEHS (21-7 OA, 7-2 EC) plays in Saturday’s 8 a.m. 3rd/5th-place game against Barrow on the main floor.

In other 3A boys action the Kenai Kardinals eliminated Homer 36-34 and the Valdez Buccaneers eliminated the Hutchison Hawks 65-42. Kenai plays Valdez for 4th/6th on Friday at 9:30 a.m.

SITKA WOLVES GIRLS 43, VALDEZ BUCCANEERS 48

The Sitka Wolves girls went down to the wire in their 48-43 consolation game loss to the Valdez Buccaneers.

Sitka led 17-10 after eight minutes and 27-22 at the half. Valdez held the Wolves to just seven points in the third quarter and the Buccaneers closed to within a point, 34-33, with eight minutes left to play.

A close game was made more difficult as Madison Dill fouled out with a little over a minute remaining to play and then Sitka was force to foul to put Valdez on the line.

Elise Brady led Sitka with 14 points, Marina Dill 11, Madison Dill seven, Bristol Clifton and Kailee Brady four apiece and Allyson Maville three. Maville and Madison Dill led with nine rebounds apiece, Blankenship added six and led with four assists and three steals. Maville and Elise Brady led with two blocked shots apiece.

The Wolves hit 2-6 from the free throw line, had 35 total rebounds, six steals, 16 fouls and 19 turnovers.

The Buccaneers hit 3-8 from the line, had 24 rebounds, 12 steals, 11 fouls and 15 turnovers.

Rylee Wade led Valdez with 17 points, Destiny Day 12, Hali Fitka 10, Lola Compehos seven and Kelli Malcuit two.

Sitka is eliminated from tournament play, Valdez plays for 4th/6th place at 11 a.m. Friday against the Mt. Edgecumbe Braves.

MT. EDGECUMBE BRAVES GIRLS 49, KOTZEBUE HUSKIES 42

The Mt. Edgecumbe Braves eliminated Kotzebue 49-42 in a consolation bracket matchup behind a game-high 17 points from Tahira Akaran and a game high nine rebounds from Zenaida Andrew.

Mt. Edgecumbe led 9-7 after the first quarter, but were outscored 16-8 in the second stanza to trail 23-17 at the half. The Braves would cut into the third quarter and trail 35-32.

Mt. Edgecumbe pressed their will full court in the final eight minutes, outscoring Kotzebue 17-7 in the stanza for the win and a spot in the 4th/6th-place game.

Akaran scored 17 for Mt. Edgecumbe, Gracelynn Friske and Lauren Cedars seven apiece, Andrew six, Raegan David five, Camille Johnson four and Brooke Markoff three. Akaran and Johnson added six rebounds apiece, David and Cedars five apiece. Akaran led with four steals and David three.

The Braves hit 13-21 from the free throw line, totaled 43 rebounds, 13 steals, 13 fouls and 24 turnovers.

The Huskies hit 5-10 from the line, had 37 rebounds 14 steals, 21 fouls and 24 turnovers.

Mylie McConnell led Kotzebue with 12 points, McKenzie Swanson 11, Elizabeth Brown 10, Caliana Sheldon four, Ashlyn Nelson three and Pauline McCall two. Brown led with seven rebounds, Sheldon and Swanson six apiece, McCall and Nelson five apiece. Nelson led with five steals.

In girls semifinal action the Barrow Whalers defeated the Monroe-Catholic Rams 48-33 to earn a spot in Saturday’s 1:30 p.m. 3A girls championship game on the main floor against the Grace Christian Grizzlies a 55-12 winner over the Kenai Kardinals. Kenai and Monroe play in Saturday’s 8 a.m. 3rd/5th-place game in the AAC auxiliary gym.

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