Masterful win by Sitka earns Gold Medal Championship

Klukwan was looking to slow down a Sitka team that had beaten their three previous opponents in the 76th Annual Juneau Lions Club Gold Medal Basketball Tournament by an average of more 20 points in the George Houston Gymnasium. Sitka was looking to avenge last year’s loss in the title game to Hoonah.

Sitka was avenged 73-59 behind Most Valuable Player Syd Eubanks’ 19 points.

Klukwan got off to a good start as they jumped out to an early 7-0 lead on baskets by Andrew Friske past the arc, Brian Friske inside and Michael Ganey on a fast break that forced Sitka to call timeout.

Sitka came out of the rest break and Syd Eubanks hit a shot, but Haines responded with another score by Ganey, a shot past the arc by Stuart Dewitt and a free throw from B. Friske for a 13-2 lead.

Sitka closed the stanza with shots past the arc by Justin Bagley, two free throws by Mitch Mork and another shot from distance by Tom Anderson to trail 13-10

“Just keep playing defense, only give them one shot and rebound really well,” Syd Eubanks said of getting past that first quarter. “They are a really good rebounding team, so just don’t give them more than one look at the basket pretty much.”

Sitka was now back in the game and Eubanks, Gary Smith and Jeremy Plank would carry most of the load in the second quarter as they worked to a 33-26 lead at the half.

“We wanted to run,” Eubanks said. “We didn’t think people could run with us and we wanted to share the ball, you know, make the easy pass and just work it until someone gets open. We believe in everybody on this team so whoever has the ball can score.”

Klukwan made a run in the third quarter after Sitka’s Matt Love scored to open the stanza for a 35-26 lead.

Ganey, A. Friske and B. Friske closed the gap to 35-32 before Sitka’s Love, Mork and Eubanks pushed it back to 10 points, 42-32.

The teams would exchange baskets through two possessions each with Klukwan keying on Eubanks which left others on Sitka open.

Sitka’s Jeremy Plank found his second and third shot past the arc for a 48-36 lead and two possession later a 53-41 lead.

“Really I was just trying to focus on what I needed to do and get to the spots so I could play my game and help my team the best I could,” Jeremy Plank said. “It’s just trying to find the gaps and figure out where the defenders lay off me a little bit as they are focusing on some of the other guys, and try to get what I can do, whether that’s a post shot, a rebound or a three-point shot…it was really challenging. I took a couple of shots down low and I was getting bodied up pretty good. It was really physical inside, but I noticed my man kept trying to cheat to get up to Syd or someone else. Every time he did that I would slide which would create an open shot and so I got some shots going there this game.”

Klukwan had six points in the stanza by A. Friske from distance, six from B. Friske in the key and three apiece from Gainey and Dewitt to finish the stanza trailing 55-44.

Sitka’s Efren Arce opened the fourth quarter with a shot past the arc for a 58-44 lead and Eubanks made it 60-44 before Klukwan’s A. Friske and Dave Buss hit a shot past the arc apiece to counter another Sitka score and trail 63-50 with six minutes remaining.

Sitka spread the floor on offense and ate up time as they paraded to the free throw line, but could only convert on three of four. Unfortunately Klukwan could not capitalize from the field and the score was 66-54 with three minutes left to play.

B. Friske cut the gap to 10 points, 66-56 and Ganey narrowed it to 66-58. The teams would exchange one free throw apiece, and then Sitka’s Eubanks hit two from the charity stripe and Mork four from the stripe for the 73-59 win.

“These guys really worked hard in the off-season,” Sitka elder player Norm Staton said. “Their season ends at the end of January so they don’t have any gyms to play in so they got together and worked real hard. They didn’t like losing last year. They practiced a lot and came here with a team that could play.”

Box score

Sitka 73 – Eubanks 19 (4F), Plank 16 (1F), Mork 15 (1F), Love 6 (3F), Arce 5 (3F), Justin Bagley 4, Gary Smith 4, Anderson 4. Sitka hit 20-29 from the free throw line.

Klukwan 59 – B. Friske 23, A. Friske 12 (3F), Ganey 11 (3F), Dewitt 10 (6F), Buss 3 (2F). Klukwan hit 5-10 at the line.

Masters Bracket Awards

Champions – Sitka. Runner Up – Klukwan.

Sportsmanship Award – Danny Marsden, Metlakatla.

All-Tournament Team – Brian Friske, Klukwan; Mitch Mork, Sitka; Michael Ganey, Klukwan; Nick Davis, Kake; Willie Hayward, Metlakatla; Jay Peterson, Kake; Jeremy Martin, Hoonah.

Most Valuable Player – Syd Eubanks, Sitka.

• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.