Metlakatla Chiefs fall in third-place game at state 2A basketball tournament

The true character of a basketball team is not in their won-loss record, but in their character after a win and a loss. The Metlakatla Chiefs showed who they are as their season ended Saturday in the third-place game at the 2025 ASAA March Madness Alaska 2A State Basketball Championships in UAA’s Avis Sports Complex.

“That’s what I told them,” Metlakatla coach Tony Scott said. “And this was a character game. We win and we lose with grace. And that’s something to be said about both of these programs, Seward and Met. I mean this was a championship type of atmosphere, championship game, with both teams playing really well. And a lot of times you don’t see that in the third-place game because the teams are so disappointed that one or both of them don’t really show up and it’s kind of a lighthearted game. Where this was intense championship basketball. I’m super-proud of them, just a great season.”

Seward held an early 5-0 and 10-2 advantage in the first quarter.

Metlakatla senior Brody Booth jumpstarted the Chiefs with a hard rebound and assist to senior Carter Marsden for a baseline drive, another Marsden score with a Booth assist, a Booth rebound, and a Marsden score again to cut the lead to 12-6.

After a Seward score by Jack Lindquist Metlakatla got a Booth highlight reel with a score on a drive, a rebound by senior Troy Russell who fed Booth for another drive and score, and Booth driving through the key and feeding Marsden inside to cut the deficit to 14-12 after eight minutes.

A Seward basket by Talon Lemme was answered by Metlakatla senior Frank Guthrie from past the arc to trail 16-15.

A Seward basket by Emerson Cross was answered by Metlakatla’s Booth from past the arc to tie the game at 18-18. Booth then rebounded a missed Seward shot, drove the length of the floor and through traffic for the Chiefs first lead at 20-18 with just over four minutes remaining in the second quarter.

“Metlakatla basketball means to me, like, it’s really fun,” Booth said after the game. “You get to learn a lot and it’s very inspiring to other kids because, you know, our community is a huge basketball community and you have pride. Everyone talks about it back home, just, ‘I want to play on the Chiefs.’ As a kid, as kids playing basketball, growing up they are incoming Chiefs and it means a lot to our community. They really look forward to it and it really helps to the mental aspect of the game.”

A rebound by sophomore Rocco Lindsey was thrown to Booth who drove again and fed sophomore Cruz Lindsey for a 22-21 lead. Another Booth steal and dish to Russell for a 24-21 lead forced a Seward timeout.

The Seahawks would score with 25 seconds left in the half to close to 24-23, but Chiefs’ sophomore Gianni Scudero-Hayward hit a shot past the arc at the buzzer for a 27-23 advantage at the break.

“You just try to do your best,” Scudero-Hayward said after the game. “Try to play hard and have fun…I remember watching my dad play at adult tournaments so I try to play like that, but I never really saw him play in high school.”

Metlakatla would work to a 38-26 lead after three quarters with scores by Marsden, Guthrie, Booth, two rebound putback scores by Marsden and a Booth shot past the arc.

“It’s about teamwork and not being selfish,” Marsden said. “Slowing the ball down, just getting good open looks, swinging it…Metlakatla is a big basketball name on the jersey. There are some big shoes to fill. So we just try our hardest out there.”

R. Lindsey scored on an assist by Booth to open the fourth quarter and Booth then scored on a drive for the Chiefs largest lead of the game at 42-26.

Seward would close to 44-37 as Lemme hit from the arc, Cross scored, Van Shank hit back-to-back scores (answering one by Booth) and Lemme hit inside.

Metlakatla’s Guthrie stopped the comeback with a shot past the arc for 47-37 with under four minutes to play.

A technical on Seward gave Metlakatla four free throws, but they could not capitalize. Booth would earn another assist on ball possession with Marsden getting the team’s 49th point.

Seward pressed full court and found a basket by Mason Elhard and another past the arc by Lemme with two minutes remaining to pull to 49-44.

Seward closed to 49-46 as Cross scored with 1:42 left to play.

Missed Metlakatla free throws allowed Lemme to hit again past the arc with 1:22 left to tie the game at 49-49.

Metlakatla missed and the ball went out of bounds to Seward. A full-court pressure defense by the Chiefs resulted in their batting down a pass, but the ball went to the Seahawks and Cross scored on a rebound follow for a 51-49 lead with 27 seconds left to play.

A missed Metlakatla shot was rebounded by Seward’s Shank and the Chiefs had to begin fouling the Seahawks to get them back on the free throw line for a possible miss.

Three fouls later Seward’s Cross missed his first free throw, but made the second with 7.3 seconds left to play.

Trailing 52-49 Metlakatla set up a last-second shot, and Booth shot a tough contested shot past the arc that went in and out.

“We’re just the gritty, hard-work team that sells out on defense and plays great physical basketball,” Metlakatla coach Tony Scott said. “This is a good team and Seward’s a good team. There were four of us here that could have won the title and, you know, you just take away the last four minutes of the last two games and we probably would have been standing there at the end.”

“We just…something happened there at the end, we couldn’t make free throws for the last two games and it just killed us. I think we were 0-10 from the foul line today. And that game is out of reach if we just keep the pressure on them with those free throws, but if you miss eight in a row in the fourth quarter it just gives that other team that life, that hope.”

“And then they hit shots. They have some good shooters. And a couple times we gambled where we shouldn’t have. We should have played better straight-up defense and it cost us because they knocked down those shots. But I love this group of kids, great group of kids. They sold out for me all year and they had what it took. We just didn’t have the shots drop when we needed them to.”

Marsden led Metlakatla with 18 points, Booth added 16, Guthrie six, Scudero-Hayward three, Russell, C. Lindsey and R. Lindsey two each. Booth had 11 rebounds, Marsden and Guthrie five apiece, Russell and R. Lindsey three apiece and Scudero-Hayward one. Booth had eight assists, Russell and Guthrie three apiece. Booth and junior Sebastian Martinez had two steals apiece.

Metlakatla went 0-10 at the free throw line, Seward 5-13. The Chiefs had 29 total rebounds, 13 fouls and 10 turnovers. The Seahawks had 34 rebounds, 13 fouls and 11 turnovers.

Lemme led Seward with 17 points, Shank and Cross added 11 apiece, Elhard eight and Lindquist five. Cross led with nine rebounds, Lindquist led with two assists and Lemme led with three steals.

Metlakatla had lost Friday’s semifinal to eventual state runner-up Cordova 46-45 in overtime.

In the final three seconds of regulation Booth had a steal and had to shoot a desperation shot that missed.

In overtime Cordova’s Felipe Jacob hit a pair of free throws to go up 46-43 with time running out. Metlakatla’s Marsden scored inside to pull to the 46-45 final but time ran out.

Booth had 11 points in the game, Marsden 10, Russell eight, Guthrie and Scudero-Hayward seven apiece, and Martinez two. Marsden led with eight rebounds and Russell added five. Scudero-Haward had three steals and a block.

The Chiefs were 4-8 from the line, the Wolverines 4-9.

John Itliong led Cordova with 16 points, Jacob 13, Blake Bailey seven, Thomas Nothstine six and Noah Pearson four. Pearson led with 10 rebounds.

Cordova lost to Unalakleet 40-36 for the state title.

“I told them after Friday’s game that obviously we’re disappointed, but don’t let it define you,” Metlakatla coach Scott said. “You have had a great year. You’re a great team. If one ball bounces differently that game is ours. And again, it just seemed like the last four minutes of both of these games the other team didn’t miss a shot. And we play pretty good defense. We fly around, we’re physical, we get hands up on shooters.”

“They shoot 25% until the last four minutes and then 80% so I don’t know what to think. Luck was not on our side this year, maybe I got some bad karma somewhere and I don’t know what’s going on but… I just told them to come back and fight and show their character today. And they did that.”

METLAKATLA GIRLS 29, SUSITNA VALLEY 34 (OT)

The Metlakatla girls fell in Saturday’s 4th/6th-place game in the 2A 2025 ASAA March Madness Alaska 2A State Basketball Championships in UAA’s Avis Sports Complex.

Susitna Valley led 8-5 after eight minutes and 11-10 at the half. The Rams held a 20-17 lead heading into the final quarter with the MisChiefs rallying to tie the game at 24-24 and force a first overtime. Both teams scored five points in added four minutes of play forcing a second overtime and the MisChiefs went scoreless, losing 34-29.

Saahdia Buffalo led the MisChiefs with nine points, Lexi Cook added eight, Baileigh Nelson seven, Ma’Karii Martinez three and Haylen Ladnier two. Martinez pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds and had two blocks, Cook eight rebounds, Mia Winter four, Morgan Hayward three, Buffalo two, Ladnier and Nelson one apiece. Cook also had three steals.

Metlakatla hit 6-11 at the free throw line, Susitna Valley 10-20. The MisChiefs had 33 team rebounds to the Rams 36. The MisChiefs had 14 fouls and 21 turnovers, the Rams eight fouls and 22 turnovers.

Lily Esmailka led Susitna with 13 points, Poppy Moren eight, Ashley Delima five, Sahai Benischek four, Jayden Sliker and Maura McDaniel two apiece. Delima led with 11 rebonds and Esmailka 10.

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