The lean number 32 on Haines was everywhere in the second half — cutting in front and behind defenders, spotting up for a corner three, fighting for loose balls.
Tyler Healy deserves plenty of credit for Haines’ 77-63 win over Hoonah Thursday evening. With his 16 second-half points, Healy helped fend off a streaky-shooting Hoonah squad that went 7-for-13 from three after halftime.
“Healy, you know, he’s a freak-of-nature,” Hoonah’s DJ Lindstrom said after the game. “He’s probably in his late 30s and he’s just so athletic.
Fossman, whose in his 20’s, was excellent as well for Haines with 34 points and nifty ball-handling.
Jonathan Torres and George Fisher scored 14 points apiece for the previously undefeated Hoonah team. Lindstrom, Torres and the rest of the gang will have one more shot at Haines in the championship game if they can get past Wrangell Friday night. The B Bracket championship game is Saturday at 8 p.m.
Should Haines win Saturday’s championship game, it’ll be the team’s first B Bracket title since 2007, when Fossman was still a teenager attending Haines High School.
According to Lindstrom, Hoonah, who runs the same motion offense as Haines, simply didn’t execute to the degree of their opponent.
“We were standing around watching them do it, and that’s the same dance we have,” the 2007 Hoonah High graduate said.
Haines jumped out to a 19-10 lead midway through the first half before several turnovers helped Hoonah chip away at the lead. Brian Koenig drilled a 3-pointer as time expired in the first half to bring his team within three points.
Hoonah hung around for a few minutes in the second half, but Haines went on an 11-3 run starting at the 18-minute mark to take back control.
Said Fossman on not letting the loud Hoonah fans interfere with the game: “defense is key.”
“They’re a good rebounding team so we didn’t want to give them any offensive rebounds,” Fossman said.
Lindstrom said playing Haines can only help his team’s chances against Wrangell in the semifinals Friday.
“Coming off a team like Haines — you can really only go uphill from there,” he said. “Like I said, you really learn every time you play that team.”
Klukwan 96, Metlakatla 94
Klukwan rallied back from double-digit second-half deficit to stun Metlakatla Thursday night.
Klukwan’s Stuart Dewitt was scoreless for most of the game, but his two 3-pointers late in the second half keyed his team’s comeback. Other Klukwan stars included Andrew Friske (38 points) and Jason Shull (24 points). Willie Hayward scored 32 points for Metlakatka, who can still advance to the championship with a win Friday at 6 p.m. against James Gang (Juneau). The C Bracket championship is Saturday night at 6 p.m.
• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nolin.ainsworth@juneauempire.com.
