There’s a new 1A boys basketball regional champion

Published 10:30 pm Friday, March 1, 2019

Thorne Bay is king of Southeast 1A boys basketball.

The Wolverines, who lost only one conference game all season, defeated Kake 55-44 in Friday night’s Region V championship game at Thunder Mountain High School.

Kyle Congdon scored 19 points as Thorne Bay (23-4) outscored the Thunderbirds 33-19 in the second half, when Congdon lit up the scoreboard with four 3-pointers.

“This year we had 18 kids out for ball and I think there’s only two boys left in the high school that didn’t turn out for basketball,” Thorne Bay coach Mark Gunkel said. “They play at lunchtime, they play before school, they play after school. It’s really caught hold, which is not typical for Thorne Bay, it’s not been a basketball school.”

Kake’s high-scoring backcourt of Bryce Knudsen and Shawn Merry combined for 32 points after averaging over 50 points in their previous two games. The Thunderbirds, the only tournament team with a win over Throne Bay this season, will be back in action on Saturday against the winner the winner of Hoonah and Hydaburg. The winner of the second game will place second in the tournament and join Thorne Bay at the state championships March 13-16 at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage.

[Holien free throw seals Klawock championship]

Wednesday games

Gustuvas 40, Yakutat 30

Hydaburg 43, Skagway 35

Klawock 44, Hoonah 38

Kake 81, Angoon 51

Thorne Bay 75, Gustavus 29

Thursday games

Skagway 44, Yakutat 31

Angoon 42, Gustavus 39

Hoonah 42, Skagway 32

Kake 52, Klawock 41

Thorne Bay 53, Hydaburg 40

Friday games

Hoonah 56, Klawock 36

Hydaburg 42, Angoon 41

Championship: Thorne Bay 55, Kake 44

Saturday games

Hoonah vs. Hydaburg (9:30 a.m.)

Runner-up: Kake vs. Winner of Hoonah vs. Hydaburg (5:45 p.m.)

• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nainsworth@juneauempire.com.