Euphorium turned to dismay and then to election as the Wrangell High School boys basketball team gave up a late fourth quarter lead, missed key free throws in regulation time, but used extra time to eliminate Haines 57-50 on Friday from the boys 2A/4A Region V tournament and earn another elimination game on Saturday to determine the second seed into the state tournament.
“We like to make it fun for people to watch, I suppose,” Wrangell coach Cody Angerman said. “If the fans didn’t have a good time then I don’t know who did because it was stressful for me, that’s for sure.”
Wrangell started the fourth quarter with a 30-29 lead and Wolves’ sophomore Daniel Harrison scored for a 32-29 advantage but Haines’ freshman Colton Combs tied the game on a shot past the arch.
Wrangell’s Harrison scored again but Haines senior Luke Davis knotted the score at 34-34.
Wrangell seniors Devlyn Campbell and Ethan Blatchley and Harrison exchanged baskets with Haines’ senior Garrett Stickler and Davis down the stretch with Wrangell holding a 41-39 lead and a minute remaining in regulation.
Wrangell’s Harrison hit a free throw with 20 seconds left to play for a 42-39 Wolves lead but Haines’ Davis hit from past the arch to tie the score.
Wrangell’s Harrison was fouled with less than a second remaining but both free throws went in and out of the basket to move to overtime.
Wrangell sophomore Kyan Stead hit the first three buckets of the extra stanza to give the Wolves a 48-42 advantage with 2:20 remaining.
“He picks his moments for sure,” Wrangell coach Angerman said. “And he picked a big moment tonight for sure. I am super proud of him for the way he stepped up there at the end.
Haines battled back on a free throw by Stickler and senior Eric Brouillette and a Davis shot past the arch to close to one point, 48-47, but Stead stole the ball, passed to sophomore Phoenix Swaner who hit Harrison inside for a 50-47 lead with under two minutes remaining.
“I just wanted to play good defense, be smart with the ball and not have turnovers or fouls,” Stead said. “And I wanted to help our seniors get to another game.”
Wrangell’s Blatchley notched a pair of free throws for a 52-47 lead and Harrison hit a free throw and Swaner two more from the line for a 55-47 lead with 30 seconds left to play.
Davis canned the last deep shot of the season for Haines to cut the lead to 55-50.
Wrangell’s Swaner added a free throw and Blatchley another for the final score.
“I was happy with the shots I took at the end,” Haines guard Davis said. “Going into the last couple minutes of the game we needed to get shots up and the team was looking for me to do it. I hit some good ones but it wasn’t quite enough… I hope the younger guys take away from this tournament that you have to play hard. Wrangell was out-hustling us in the first half big time and I hope they take away that when regionals come around the seeds don’t matter, it matters what happens out on the court, it matters who is playing hard, who is hustling, who is hitting shots… that is what it comes down to at the end.”
Wrangell and Haines were tied 10-10 after the first quarter and the Wolves led 19-17 at the half.
Haines’ Brouillette had 13 points in the first half and Davis four, the only Glacier Bears in the book. Brouillette also pulled down 12 rebounds in the game.
Wrangell’s Harrison came to life in the second half and Wrangell held a 30-29 advantage starting the fourth quarter.
Wrangell’s Devlyn Campbell gave the Wolves energy throughout the game, driving the lane and kicking the ball out to his teammates for open jump shots.
“He does a good job,” Angerman said. “He always seems to find some way to get into the lane. He’s quick and he’s the guy that does it, especially if we are struggling.”
“All of our guys played really well,” Wrangell coach Angerman said. “Daniel (Harrison) and Ethan (Blatchley) have worked their butts off this whole tournament… Jacen (Hay) is coming back from a sprained ankle and working his way back in, playing a little better each game… hopefully we won’t have as stressful of games coming up, but I can’t guarantee that.”
Harrison led Wrangell with 19 points, Blatchley and Stead 12 apiece, Campbell 11 and Hay three.
The Wolves hit 19-32 at the line, Haines 4-14.
Davis and Brouillette led Haines with 20 points apiece, Combs added six and Stickler four.
Wrangell will play Saturday against the loser of Friday’s championship game between Petersburg and Metlakatla. The championship game winner and the winner of Saturday’s contest represent Southeast at the state tournament.
“We just take it one game at a time,” Angerman said. “I don’t think we played our best basketball. We had moments of doing some good things and moments of doing some kind of bonehead things to be honest… Like I told you after our first game against Petersburg every time we play it is going to be a battle. And every time we play Met we play them pretty tough and we haven’t had a full roster so obviously whoever loses that game we have to prepare for. We’ll watch them play tonight, scout it out and see what we have got to do next.”
