The Ketchikan boys basketball team celebrates its 65-60 victory over Juneau-Douglas in the Region V 4A championship game at the B.J. McGillis Gymnasium at Mt. Edgecumbe High School on Friday, March 8, 2019. (Nolin Ainsworth | Juneau Empire)

The Ketchikan boys basketball team celebrates its 65-60 victory over Juneau-Douglas in the Region V 4A championship game at the B.J. McGillis Gymnasium at Mt. Edgecumbe High School on Friday, March 8, 2019. (Nolin Ainsworth | Juneau Empire)

Live basketball: JDHS boys fall to Ketchikan in championship

Live updates from the Region V Basketball Tournament in Sitka.

Friday

3:05 p.m.

Ketchikan is crowned a second time. The Kayhi boys defeat Juneau-Douglas 66-60 in another thrilling match. Philip Gonzales’ fadeway 3-pointer all but erased an eight-point fourth quarter deficit. But JDHS went cold from beyond the arc in the final minutes of the game and couldn’t find the go-ahead basket.

2:30 p.m.

JDHS boys trail Ketchikan 54-46 with one quarter left to play in the Region V 4A boys championship game. On the court for JDHS: Cooper Kriegmont, Brock McCormick, Israel Yadao, Philip Gonzales and Krishant Samtani.

1:05 p.m.

The JDHS girls lose 47-43 to Ketchikan in the Region V 4A girls championship game.

Lianne Guevarra scored the go-ahead bucket midway through the third quarter and the Lady Kings never looked back. The Crimson Bears trailed by just one point for a moment in the fourth quarter, but Ketchikan’s Jenae Rhoads and Madison Rose made key plays to maintain the lead.

The Lady Kings are now six-time Region V 4A champions.

11:55 a.m.

Welcome back inside the B.J. McGillis Gymnsium from Mt. Edgecumbe High School. Several hundred fans are on hand to watch the Juneau-Douglas and Ketchikan girls face off in the Region V 4A championship game. The Crimson Bears have a 23-20 halftime edge. Sadie Tuckwood was everywhere in the first half and the Crimson Bears hit several 3-pointers to get off to a solid start.

JDHS will force an “if” game with a victory. But if Ketchikan wins they take the region crown outright.

Read our coverage from Thursday’s games:

Samtani and Crimson Bears rumble into Region V finals

Tuckwood-led Crimson Bears stay alive at Region V

Thursday

12:10 p.m.

Juneau-Douglas makes four big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and escapes Thunder Mountain 60-55.

Senior Krishant Samtani — who made three of those late 3’s — finished with a game-high 23 points.

“It’s probably one of the best moments of my life as of right now — speechless,” Samtani said afterwards. “But we’re not done. We haven’t done anything.”

The Crimson Bears and Ketchikan Kings are the only two teams remaining the Region V 4A boys and girls fields. JDHS must win tomorrow to force an “if” game on Saturday. Tipoff is 1 p.m.

10:30 a.m.

JDHS boys lead Thunder Mountain at halftime 21-19. Lots of grit shown in the first quarter.

10:11 a.m.

The JDHS and TMHS boys are through one quarter. Same stakes in this game as its predecessor — win and face Ketchikan, lose and go home.

9:35 a.m.

The JDHS girls advance. The Crimson Bears take a 60-39 win over Thunder Mountain and now get to play Ketchikan tomorrow morning at 11:30 a.m. A Ketchikan win ends the tournament and crowns the Lady Kings as region champs. A JDHS win means the Crimson Bears will have to square off again with Ketchikan on Saturday.

9:20 a.m.

JDHS is leading 48-35 early in the fourth. The Crimson Bears defense has been exceptional. The Falcons got to the free-throw line with ease in the second quarter but since then have had to find other ways to score.

8:45 a.m.

The Crimson Bears close the first half on a big 17-1 run on baskets by Caitlin Pusich, Sadie Tuckwood, Trinity Jackson and others. They’re feeling good. JDHS trailed by six points early in the second quarter before they found their groove.

8:05 a.m.

We got a JDHS-Thunder Mountain doubleheader on tap at the Region V Basketball Tournament. The girls are tipping off now. The JDHS girls are 5-0 against TMHS this season.

Other than both Ketchikan teams, the Haines boys, Petersburg boys, Petersburg girls and Metlakatla girls picked up wins yesterday.

Wednesday

Read our coverage of Day 1 here.

6:27 p.m.

Not Thunder Mountain’s night. They lose to Ketchikan 55-37 and now have to win three in a row for a region championship. Ketchikan gets tomorrow off and will play either JDHS or Thunder Mountain on Friday at 1:15 p.m. TMHS is back on the hardwood at 9:45 a.m. against JDHS.

6:15 p.m.

It’s starting to look like Thunder Mountain will be playing against JDHS in the loser’s bracket tomorrow morning. They’re behind 51-31 midway through the fourth. Ketchikan hasn’t shot the ball particularly well but is still finding ways to score. Chris Lee has made several impressive drives for points.

5:52 p.m.

Thunder Mountain and Ketchikan boys just started the third quarter of their semfinals matchup. Ketchikan ahead 32-21 with 6:16 left in the quarter. Junior Bryson Echiverri has most of the points for the Falcons.

4:50 p.m.

Still in shock. Wow. Ketchikan freshman Shaelynn Mendoza buried a 3-pointer at the buzzer to knock off JDHS 52-51. Check out this video.

The five-time defending region champs are one win away from six-peating. The Crimson Bears square off against Thunder Mountain tomorrow at 8 a.m. Do or die time.

4:30 p.m.

JDHS senior Caitlin Pusich is sticking it to Ketchikan. She has 10 points in the fourth quarter and is the reason JDHS leads 48-44 with 1:21 left.

4:13 p.m.

JDHS is happy to put that third quarter behind them. They find themselves behind for the first time in the second half. Ketchikan’s Ashley Huffine tied the game at 33 on a pretty spin layup then made two free throws with 4.8 seconds left for the 35-33 lead.

4 p.m.

The third quarter is underway. JDHS currently leads Ketchikan 33-26 with five minutes left in the quarter.

3 p.m.

The Juneau-Douglas girls are about to take the court in their first game of the Region V basketball tournament. It’s a festive atmosphere here in the B.J. McGillis Gymnasium at Mt. Edgecumbe High School. The Ketchikan Lady Kings, JDHS’ opponent, have fans everywhere in sight. The student section is dressed in camouflage to imitate bear hunters.

2:30 p.m.

The Region V basketball tournament is Sitka has entered Day 2.

Two winners bracket games are taking place this afternoon. The Juneau-Douglas High School girls team takes on five-time defending reigning champ Ketchikan at 3 p.m., and the Thunder Mountain High School boys team takes on Ketchikan at 4:45 p.m.


• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nainsworth@juneauempire.com. Follow Empire Sports on Twitter at @akempiresports.


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