TMHS girls defeat JDHS to repeat as Region V tournament champions

The Thunder Mountain High School Falcons girl basketball team put a 56-49 exclamation point on what may be their school’s final season by defeating cross-town rival Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé for the championship of the Alaska Airlines Region V 4A Basketball Tournament on Friday at Mt. Edgecumbe High School’s B.J. McGillis Gymnasium in Sitka.

The region title was the second in a row for the Lady Falcons and could be the last if a pending school consolidation plan comes to pass.

“When the buzzer sounded I felt this surge of complete happiness because I knew we had done it again,” TMHS junior Kerra Baxter said. “There weren’t as many tears this time, but I definitely cried because just the thought of not playing with my seniors next year breaks my heart and I love all of them so very much. Our game plan was very similar to the rest of them but we knew that this might be our very last game playing JD as an opponent.”

If fast-paced action can be controlled and steady, that was what the TMHS and JDHS girls brought to the court.

“This was a true rivalry game,” TMHS coach Andy Lee said.

TMHS sophomore Cambry Lockhart scored the game’s first bucket, but was answered by JDHS sophomore Gwen Nizich from past the arc for a 3-2 Crimson Bears

Lockhart would register three steals and eight points in the first half, matching the total of K. Baxter who played solid inside.

The Falcons K. Baxter and twin Cailynn Baxter, along with senior Kara Strong, neutralized the height of Crimson Bears star senior Mila Hargrave.

Lockhart scored twice off steals to counter baskets by JDHS’ Hargrave and Nizich, and the Falcons led 12-10 after eight minutes of action as Strong rebounded a missed shot to score at the buzzer.

“We made small plays that led to big things,” Lee said. “We set screens for each other, we made extra passes and helped on defense. We handled adversity with a calm demeanor, which helped us handle some great plays by them.”

JDHS freshman Layla Tokuoka scored to open the second quarter, tying the game at 14-14, and TMHS senior Ashlyn Gates took the lead only to see the Crimson Bears’ Nizich drain a shot past the arc for just their second lead at 15-14.

Two free throws and a basket by K. Baxter regained the lead for the Falcons, and they would not relinquish it for the remainder of the game.

K. Baxter added a Euro-step score and Lockhart drained a shot past the arc for 21-15.

Both teams exchanged shots through the half, with the Baxters and Strong scoring twice inside to offset scores by Casperson inside and Nizich and Tuckwood past the arc.

Falcons senior Jaya Carandang, fed by twin Mikah Carandang, hit a deep shot past the arc for a 36-27 lead at the half.

J. Carandang held the same form to open the third quarter, burying another three-pointer for a 12-point lead at 39-27.

Again both teams exchanged shots through the stanza, this time at a slower pace, with TMHS leading 46-33.

The Falcons defense had held Crimson Bears star Nizich to no points in the stanza after the JDHS sophomore had tallied 18 points in the first half.

“We played a well-coached team with good athletes,” Lee said. “We had to dig deep, and we did. State for us and the boys in light of all the consolidation talk heightened emotions, but at the end we just played good basketball.”

The Crimson Bears found an extra energy burst to start the fourth quarter with freshman Layla Tokuoka earning a free throw, Hargrave scoring and being fouled for the extra point and then hitting two more free throws, Tuckwood hitting from the line and Nizich burying a deep shot past the corner arc to cut the Falcons lead to 46-42 with 4:20 remaining in the game.

TMHS’ C. Baxter would hit a free throw and JDHS junior Nadia Wilson hit inside to cut the lead to 47-44 with under three minutes left to play.

C. Baxter would be fouled on a made basket and hit the extra free throw for a 50-44 lead.

Tokuoko mimicked the taller opponent with her own “and-one” shot, adding the free throw to again close the score to three points 50-47.

The Falcons’ Lockhart hit one of two free throws for a 51-47 lead with 41 seconds left and Tokuoka answered again for the Crimson Bears with a basket cutting the score to 51-49.

TMHS closed out the game from the free throw line as C. Baxter hit two with 27.9 seconds left, Lockhart two with 12.3 remaining and K. Baxter one of two for the final tally to secure the TMHS Falcons their second Region V Championship in a row, 56-49.

“I thought it was a great game, and we didn’t go down without a fight,” JDHS coach Tanya Nizich said. “I’m proud of how we played four games in a row and never gave up even in games we were down 18 points. This group has been amazing to coach. They worked hard all season and all around are a wonderful and enjoyable group of kids. We wish the Thunder Mountain girls the best of luck at state.”

Lockhart led the Falcons with 14 points, 11 rebounds, five steals and one assist. K. Baxter scored 11 (4 RB, 2 AST, 1 STL), C. Baxter 10 points (7 RB, 5 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK), Strong eight (4 RB, 1 BLK), J. Carandang six (2 AST), M. Carandang three ( 2 AST, 1 STL), and seniors Ashlyn Gates and Jenna Dobson two apiece.

TMHS had 13 turnovers and hit 12-21 from the charity stripe, JDHS had 18 turnovers and hit 5-8 at the line.

G. Nizich led the Crimson Bears with 21 points and five rebounds (1 STL, 1 AST). Tukuoko had 10 points (2 STL, 2 AST, 1 BLK), Hargrave eight (6 REB, 2 BLK), Tuckwood four (4 RB, 2 AST, 1 BLK), Casperson four (6 RB) and junior Nadia Wilson two (3 RB, 2 AST, 1 STL).

The March Madness Alaska 2024 ASAA/First National Bank of Alaska Basketball State Championships begin March 13-16 for 1A/2A schools and March 20-23 for 3A/4A schools at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage.