Freshman Kendyl Carson made the Crimson Bears’ clock tick Saturday in their second win over Ketchikan on the weekend, putting up 26 points and adding numerous steals and rebounds in a game where JDHS led by as many as 18 points.
The girls completed a two-game weekend sweep with their 60-53 conference win. Many of Carson’s points came in the transition game, which JDHS has leaned on early in the season.
“My teammates definitely helped me to get open, allowed me wide-open shots,” Carson said. “We moved on offense in transition.”
The Crimson Bears girls still need to work out some kinks in their set offense, and again JDHS coach Lesslie Knight said turnovers were a problem, but the fast break proved enough to produce another win.
“I’ve been trying to get them to slow the ball down and run a half-court offense. We continue to fast break really well and not run a set offense really well,” Knight said. “We committed 21 turnovers, and that’s a lot.”
JDHS’ Cassie Dzinich added 13 points to Carson’s game-leading 26. Caitlin Pusich chipped in with seven.
Kayhi was led by Brittany Slick with 20, with three of those coming from a half-court buzzer-beater at the end of the third. Ashley Huffine added 15.
Though the Crimson Bears held the lead the entire game, a trio of 3-pointers and a pair of steals brought the game within Kayhi’s reach in the closing minutes. The effort came largely from guard Huffine, who scored 13 points in the fourth quarter on three 3-pointers and two field goals.
Kayhi coach Kelly Smith said Huffine, a transplant from 1A Klawock, has been showcasing her range daily in practice. The intensity of 4A competition took Huffine a little getting used to, Kelly said, but he knew she had a game like this coming.
“This level of intensity is a little nervous for her (Huffine). We’ve been waiting for that, because we see it everyday and she showed it. It was huge for her confidence.”
Used to leading games against JDHS — and down 17 points at halftime — the Kayhi girls could have “rolled over,” in Kelly’s estimation, but they fought back and “took a step forward” to close the game strong.
“It would have kind of been back to the drawing board if we would have came out and rolled over in the second half,” Kelly said. “A weak team would have lost that game by 30, and we came out and showed our character because Juneau was phenomenal in that first half.”
Kayhi played this weekend without court general AJ Dela Cruz, who has recovered fully from a knee injury, but is awaiting medical clearance to play.
• Contact Sports and Outdoors reporter Kevin Gullufsen at 523-2228 or kevin.gullufsen@juneauempire.com.
CRIMSON BEARS 60, LADY KINGS 53
Juneau-Douglas 15 20 10 15 —60
Ketchikan 8 9 14 22 —53
Juneau-Douglas (60) — Carson 26, Dzinich 13, Pusich 7, Robinson 4, Hickok 4, Bohulano 3, Bathija 3
Ketchikan (53) — Slick 20, Huffine 15, Maxwell 8, Simmons 5, Johnson 3, Welker 2
Free throws — Juneau-Douglas 15-18, Ketchikan 8-19
3-point goals — Juneau-Douglas 3, Ketchikan 7
Team fouls — Juneau-Douglas 15, Ketchikan 16
