At a second-half timeout in the debut game of the M Bracket, public address announcer Reneé Ramirez said what everybody else was thinking.
“What a game,” she said.
Currently knotted at 45 points apiece, Hoonah and Kake had gone back and forth all afternoon, with no team holding a lead larger than a possession or two. Then Hoonah’s Albert Hinchman got hot.
Over the ensuing four minutes, Hinchman hit a trio of threes and a shorter jump shot, pushing Hoonah’s lead to double digits. His barrage sparked a 24-4 Hoonah run, as Hoonah took control and cruised the rest of the way to an 80-66 victory.
Despite joking cries from the Kake bench to “sub Albert out,” Hinchman finished with 24 points. Seventeen of them came in the second half. His first three during that run came after a pair of offensive rebounds from Hoonah center Tierney Bible, and Hinchman said having an inside-out balance like that was part of why the team was successful.
“We’ve got a good core of guys that we can keep the floor spread,” Hinchman said, “try to punch it into the big guys when we can and just start bombing the threes if we get a chance.”
Kake’s Lloyd Davis led all scorers with 25 points, scoring 15 of them in the first half. Only two Kake players made more than one field goal after halftime, however, as shots just weren’t falling down the stretch.
Hinchman, who said he’s been playing in Gold Medal since 1993, has played in numerous Hoonah-Kake contests. They’re all fairly heated matchups, with loud fans showing up in droves for both squads, and the gym at Juneau-Douglas High School on Monday afternoon was charged.
Despite that long history, Hinchman said, everything remains cordial between the two teams.
“We play fierce on the court, but we’re all bros and partners at the end of the game, and I hope to see them back on Saturday. They make it fun for the crowd. When you hear Hoonah-Kake, you’re like, ‘Oh.’ I know it’s the Masters, but we bring the best out of both of us.”
Hoonah advances in the winner’s bracket and will play at 2 p.m. Thursday against the winner of Monday night’s Angoon-Sitka game. Kake will play at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday against the loser of Angoon-Sitka.
Hoonah’s loud, engaged fanbase will likely return for that winner’s bracket game, but Hinchman will be particularly excited to have a certain few fans there. His family was unable to watch him play at last year’s Gold Medal Tournament, and have “been dying” to see the games again this year.
They were there Monday, as his small daughter ran to him after the game, playfully punching his leg as she yelled, “You did so good!” Hinchman smiled.
“It eases me to see them here,” Hinchman said.
Contact reporter Alex McCarthy at 523-2271 or alex.mccarthy@juneauempire.com