The Juneau-Douglas boys basketball team saw an early 17 point lead evaporate by the fourth quarter, but summoned just enough strength to win over Ketchikan Saturday night.
Tied 50-50 with five minutes left in the game, JDHS’ went on a 10-0 run to reclaim the lead for good, and defeated the Kings 63-54 on an impassioned senior night.
Senior Ulyx Bohulano scored a game-high 23 points on a strong 3-point shooting night. Captain Bryce Swofford blocked several shots and Erik Kelly added 16 for JDHS.
Swofford and several other seniors called a team meeting before the game. The nature of the meeting? Deliver a win for coach Robert Casperson, who sat out the game after receiving two technical fouls Friday night.
“It was a motivation for us, actually, to win this game,” Bohulano said of the coach’s ejection the night before when JDHS lost 66-47.
Freshman Chris Lee had 18 for the visiting Kings, but played much of the game without his older brother Marcus. The elder Lee played a fraction of his normal minutes after getting into foul trouble. Marcus fouled out early in the fourth quarter and had just 7 points. After posting 31 the night before, Jake Smith contributed 13 points.
A 30 minute pre-game senior recognition ceremony featuring candy leis, basketball baloons, and picket signs with baby pictures continued right into the game itself. Seniors accounted for 13 of the first 17 points in the game. Ketchikan’s offense scored just two points during the entire first quarter.
Kristian Pihl hit a 3-point buzzer beater to end the second quarter, but Kayhi trailed 34-20 at halftime.
Ketchikan went on a 12-4 run and picked up its defense in the third quarter to tie the game at 48-48.
The game remained tied for the first three minutes of the fourth quarter, before JDHS went on its second run.
“These guys fought back, we had a huge lead, and they kind of went to sleep,” said assistant JDHS coach John Sleppy. “We called a timeout and they talked to each other and they decided it wasn’t going to be like the rest of our games where we pull away and give it back again.”
TMHS avenge Friday night loss
The TMHS boys basketball team scored 25 fourth quarter points to defeat Sitka 65-51 Saturday night. Garth Tupou scored 18 points for the Falcons, who remain on the road and face Ketchikan next weekend.
Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2772 or nolin.ainsworth@juneauempire.com
