Thorne Bay is king of Southeast 1A boys basketball.
The Wolverines, who lost only one conference game all season, defeated Kake 55-44 in Friday night’s Region V championship game at Thunder Mountain High School.
Thorne Bay’s Jacob Congdon shoots over Kake’s Nicholas Davis, left, and Luke Hanson in the final of the Region V 1A Basketball Championships at Thunder Mountain High School on Friday, March 1, 2019. Thorne Bay won 55-44. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
Kyle Congdon scored 19 points as Thorne Bay (23-4) outscored the Thunderbirds 33-19 in the second half, when Congdon lit up the scoreboard with four 3-pointers.
“This year we had 18 kids out for ball and I think there’s only two boys left in the high school that didn’t turn out for basketball,” Thorne Bay coach Mark Gunkel said. “They play at lunchtime, they play before school, they play after school. It’s really caught hold, which is not typical for Thorne Bay, it’s not been a basketball school.”
Kake’s high-scoring backcourt of Bryce Knudsen and Shawn Merry combined for 32 points after averaging over 50 points in their previous two games. The Thunderbirds, the only tournament team with a win over Throne Bay this season, will be back in action on Saturday against the winner the winner of Hoonah and Hydaburg. The winner of the second game will place second in the tournament and join Thorne Bay at the state championships March 13-16 at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage.
[Holien free throw seals Klawock championship]
Wednesday games
Gustuvas 40, Yakutat 30
Hydaburg 43, Skagway 35
Klawock 44, Hoonah 38
Kake 81, Angoon 51
Thorne Bay 75, Gustavus 29
Thursday games
Skagway 44, Yakutat 31
Angoon 42, Gustavus 39
Hoonah 42, Skagway 32
Kake 52, Klawock 41
Thorne Bay 53, Hydaburg 40
Friday games
Hoonah 56, Klawock 36
Hydaburg 42, Angoon 41
Championship: Thorne Bay 55, Kake 44
Saturday games
Hoonah vs. Hydaburg (9:30 a.m.)
Runner-up: Kake vs. Winner of Hoonah vs. Hydaburg (5:45 p.m.)
• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nainsworth@juneauempire.com.
Thorne Bay’s Stockton Schwab, left, shoots against Kake’s Luke Hanson, center, and Shawn Merry in the final of the Region V 1A Basketball Championships at Thunder Mountain High School on Friday, March 1, 2019. Thorne Bay won 55-44. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
