Short-term memory can be a gift and curse in basketball.
It was a gift Friday night for Ketchikan’s Brittney Slick. With her team leading by one late in the 4A Girls Region V tournament game against Juneau-Douglas High School, Slick drained a 3-pointer from the left wing less than a minute after she watched her three from the same area on the floor rattle in and out.
The basket put the Lady Kings up four points, which grew to six on the next possession — a hole the Crimson Bears could not climb out of.
Ketchikan beat the Crimson Bears 41-39 to force a rematch Saturday at 6:30 p.m. for the 4A Girls Region V championship. It was just the second time in six meetings this season the Lady Kings have defeated JDHS.
“When it comes down to it, we play with our hearts, not with our bodies,” Ketchikan guard AJ Dela Cruz said. “We just let our hearts take over.”
The Kings entered Friday’s game with 96 minutes of basketball already played in the regional tournament. Ketchikan lost to JDHS on Wednesday in the second round 52-45, but beat the Thunder Mountain Falcons on Tuesday (49-31) and Thursday (50-33) to remain alive in the tournament.
Caitlin Pusich scored a game-high 18 points, including two deep 3-pointers just 10 seconds apart in the final minute of the game. Pusich’s shots gave JDHS a chance to tie the game on a baseline inbounds with just 0.3 seconds remaining, but Dela Cruz got a hand on a pass intended for Pusich to secure the win.
Alyxn Bohulano, Morgan Balovich and Cassie Dzinich each had five points.
In addition to their strong defense, Ketchikan’s Ashley Huffine and Hannah Maxwell scored 12 points respectively as Brittany Slick was held to six points.
Ketchikan trailed JDHS for the entire first half as the Crimson Bears started the second quarter on a 11-0 run. With three minutes remaining in the second quarter, the Lady Kings switched to a zone defense, helping create two turnovers and a 8-0 run to close the half.
“Coach [Kelly Smith] always says, ‘If your offense isn’t working, get a stop on defense and your offense will flow from that,’ so we just go from that,” said Dela Cruz.
After three lead changes in the third quarter, Kayhi led 27-26 to start the fourth.
Huffine put the Lady Kings up three with her first basket of the quarter several minutes before Slick’s big 3-pointer.
Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nolin.ainsworth@juneauempire.com.
Juneau-Douglas’ Alyxn Bohulano drives against Ketchikan’s Hannah Maxwell during the Region V Basketball finals at JDHS on Friday. Ketchikan won 41-39 to force a playoff game on Saturday. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
Juneau-Douglas’s Cassie Dzinich, left, shoots against Ketchikan during the Region V Basketball finals at JDHS on Friday. Ketchikan won 41-39 to force a playoff game on Saturday. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
Juneau-Douglas’ Morgan Balovich shoots against Ketchikan’s AJ Dela Cruz, left, and Ashley Hoffine during the Region V Basketball finals at JDHS on Friday. Ketchikan won 41-39 to force a playoff game on Saturday. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
Juneau-Douglas’ Cassie Dzinich gathers a loose ball against Ketchikan’s Ashley Hoffine, left, and Hannah Maxwell during the Region V Basketball finals at JDHS on Friday. Ketchikan won 41-39 to force a playoff game on Saturday. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
