After 78 games among 34 teams across six divisions, Southeast Alaska hoops team showed their skills against, arguably, the top players in the state during last week’s 17th Annual Mt. Edgecumbe Invitational Basketball Tournament at MEHS’ BJ McGillis Fieldhouse.
“This year’s competition was some of the highest I have seen in all of the years of the tournament,” tournament director Andrew Friske said. “We also had very evenly matched games throughout the tournament.”
The Mens 37-and-over teams featured players from the mid-‘90s and early ‘00s who had played high school ball for Wrangell, Petersburg, Juneau, Haines, Kake and Metlakatla. The Mens Open included high flyers from the Southeast region who played college ball or had just graduated from high school. The highest-scoring game was 146 points from Anchorage Snow City against Metlakatla. The most points in a game was 263 points between Snow City and Hydaburg which Hydaburg won 133-130 in OT.
“Many games were within a few points,” said Friske. “Best of all only two technical fouls were called throughout the tournament. Competition was fierce but sportsmanship was the priority.”
Juneau captured two championships on Saturday as the Monstarz adults won the women’s title and the Juneau HoopRats took the girls youth crown.
Juneau Monstarz defeated the Anchorage Half-Breeds 63-53 behind 17 points from Mary Berry to earn the title. Alyxn Bohulano added 16 and Sarah Tarver seven. Anchorage was led by Sierra Afoa with 12, Hannah Counter 10 and Savannah Afoa 10.
Bohulano was named the women’s tournament Most Valuable Player and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by teammates Berry, Tarver and Nani Weimer, Anchorage’s Adrienne Beans and the Afoa’s, Sitka’s Paige Craig and JuYaKa’s Mariah Simpkins. The division featured four teams. Juneau’s roster included Berry, Bohulano, Tarver, Weimer, Tasha Heumann, Jessica Hanlen, Michaela Demmert, Danielle Larson, Tanya Nizich, Angie Kemp, Jordan Hall and Krystle DeWitt.
Juneau’s HoopRats won the Girls Youth Championship at the 17th Annual Mt. Edgecumbe Invitational Basketball Tournament on Saturday at MEHS’ BJ McGillis Fieldhouse. (Photo Courtesy MEHS)
Juneau’s HoopRats held off a Sitka/Metlakatla squad for a 48-45 win in the girls title game and Sitka’s Baranof Ballers seventh-grade boys defeated the MEHS A team 50-42. No scoring was available at this time. Each youth division featured six teams. The HoopRats roster included Freya Shelton Walker, Blythe Lockhart, Kyndal Saceda, Ari Maake, Aurora Lee, Mya Hayes, Sadie Lockhart, Heaven Hotch McGraw and Lydia Goins.
The fast-paced Men’s Open division ended with Haines Sports Shop toppling Anchorage’s Snow City 85-70 behind 36 points from division Most Valuable Player Tyler Swinton. Zach Anderson added 17 points, Zach Klein eight and Andrew Friske six. Bobby Pate led Snow City with 23, Tony Herrea added 16, Nick Chichenoff 13 and Esai Montes 13.
Joining Swinton on the All-Tournament Team were teammates Dylan Swinton and Klein, Snow City’s Pate, Chichenoff and Montes, Hydaburg’s Darren Edenshaw and Clayton Edwin, Metlakatla’s Elijah Booth and Cameron Gaube, Kake’s Tracy Jackson and Simon Friday, and Edgecumbe Alumni’s Jamal Alstrom. The division featured eight teams. Snow City had to defeat Hydaburg 95-85 earlier in the day to earn the title shot. Tristan Tickett had 27 for Snow City, Pate 18 and Chichenoff 14. Edwin led Hydaburg with 40 and Hamilton added 24
The Mens 37-and-over Championship game saw Hydaburg defeat Wrangell 92-86 behind 41 points from division Most Valuable Player Clayton Edwin. Teammate TJ Young added 29 and Freddy Hamilton 12. Wrangell was led by Jeb Phillips with 35, Willie Hayward 23, Kurt Young 11 and Dave Clarke 9.
Joining Edwin on the All-Tournament Team were teammates Young and Hamilton, Wrangell’s Willie Hayward, Phillips and Clarke, and Klukwan’s Brian Friske. The division featured four teams.
The Mens 45-and-over Championship saw Team Alaska topple Juneau 100-86 behind 32 points from division Most Valuable Player Clarke. Steve George added 24, Hayward 21 and Brent Stranger 11. Jim Carson led Juneau with 23 points, Jesse McGraw added 23, Andrew Friske 23, Gary Smith 9 and David Buss 8.
Joining Clarke on the All-Tournament Team were teammates George and Stranger, Juneau’s Buss, Carson and McGraw, and Sitka’s Patrick Miller. The division featured three teams.
Clarke also earned the tournament’s Iron Man Award for playing in three divisions: Haines (Open), Wrangell (37+) and Team Alaska (45+).
Hydaburg’s Darren Edenshaw was voted the tournament’s Most Inspirational Player and the Super Fan Award went to the boisterous duo of Matthew and Arlene Carle.
Additional scoring provided includes:
FRIDAY SCORES
Mens Open – Mt. Edgecumbe Alumni 108, Sitka AKO 83
Alum: Aaron Porter 32, Drew Jackson 22, Jamal Alstrom 14.
Sitka: Phillips 37, Marjo Vdad 14, Trevan Coleman 10.
Mens 37 – Hydaburg 93 vs Wrangell 96
Hyda: Edwin 26, Young 19, Edenshaw 18.
Wrg: Phillips 35, Clarke 33, Hayward 11.
Masters 45 – Team Alaska 123 vs Juneau 88
Team AK: Clark 34, George 21, Stranger 21.
Juneau: A. Friske 28, Buss 15, Smith 11.
Mens Open – Kake 84, Edge Alum 83
Mens Open – Metlakatla 103 vs Snow City 146
Met: Cameron Gaube 31, Elijah Booth 25, Shayne Anderson 19.
Snow City: Jade Green 32, Pate 28, Ticket 22.
Womens Game – Juneau Monstarz 67 vs JuYaKa 48
Juneau: Weimer 14, Tasha Heumann 13, Bohulano 11.
JuYaKa: Simpkins 17, Zosha Krupa 14, Rose Fraker 12.
Mens 37 – Hydaburg 98, Klukwan 93
Hyda: Edwin 29, Edenshaw 26, Young 16.
Kluk: Alex Heumann 33, A. Friske 26, Brian Friske 14.
Womans – Anchorage 94, Sitka Bear Country 41
Anchorage: Beans 22, Sier. Afoa 22, Counter 15.
Sitka: Whitney Frazier 23, Craig 7, Marina Olney Miller 5.
Mens Open – Haines 94, Hydaburg 90
Haines: T. Swinton 36, Klein 16, Anderson 9, Clarke 9.
Hyda: Edwin 34, Edenshaw 25, Abdel Russel 11.
Mens Open – Snow City 110, Kake 70
Snow City: Pate 26, Chichenoff 22, Montes 15.
Kake: Simon Friday 31, Tracy Jackson 8, Shawn Merry 7, Ethan Kadake 7.
THURSDAY SCORES
Mens 37 – Hydaburg 114, Sitka 57
Hyda: Edwin 26, Hamilton 25, Russel 21.
Sitka: Mitch Mork 18.
Mens 37 – Wrangell 105, Klukwan 95
Wrg: Phillips 31, Clarke 24, Hayward 17.
Kluk: Heumann 33, A. Friske 22, B. Friske 14.
Mens Open – Hydaburg 133, Snow City 130
Hyda: Edenshaw 37, Edwin 34, Hamilton 28.
Snow City: Alla Bryd 25, Limb Nou 20, Ticket 19.
Women – JuYaKa 48, Sitka Bear Country 44
JuYaKa: Krupa 14, Simpkins 13, Megan Reid 5.
Sitka: Craig 12, Frazier 11, Taya Murvin 10.
Mens Open – Haines 97, Kake 79
Haines: T. Swinton 28, Anderson 23, A. Friske 15.
Kake: Jackson 26, Friday 24, Merry 11.
Mens Open – Hydaburg 114, Metlakatla 101
Hyda: Edwin 45, Edenshaw 24, Young 17.
Met: Gaube 46, Clifton Guthrie 16, Danny Marsden Jr 12.
Women – Anchorage 79, JuYaKa 47
Anch: Sier. Afoa 20, Beans 18, Sava. Afoa 12.
JuYaKa: Simpkins 21, JoyLynne Ribao 6, Kim Armendariz 6.
WEDNESDAY SCORES
Open – Kake 72, MEHS Alumni 66
Kake: Kadake 24, Jackson 12, Merry 12.
Alum: Alstrom 20, Aaron Porter 20, Jaloni Pepper 19.
Open – Haines 111, Sitka AKO 63
Haines: T. Swinton 23, D. Swinton 19, Heumann 14.
Sitka: Margo Vdad 21, Phillips 19, Cole Reggs 8.
Open – Metlakatla 129, Sitka 117
Met: Gaube 39, Guthrie 24, Marsden Jr. 22.
Sitka: Kerry Cohen 25, Coleton Hayward 24, Jaren Sumauang 21.
