Ibesate and Yadao are the future of Bears basketball, but it's the seniors that are the bedrock of all good programs. And it's this year's seniors who have laid the foundation over four years, culminating in one last shot at state glory for the soon-to-be graduates.

"No one really expected us to make it, but we did and everyone is really excited. I thought we had a definite chance as we all progressed," said senior forward Paul Tupou. "Ketchikan was obviously a really tough opponent and we struggled a lot against them all year, but I really had a feeling that we were going to make it. We pulled it together and I'm really proud of us for doing that."

For the outgoing seniors, this means they have one last chance to go out on top. "I'm just glad I get to play some more in my last year," said Eric Sele, another senior forward. "I didn't want it to end in a loss in regions, so I'm excited to go up (to Anchorage) and hopefully do well.

"We're just going to play hard and do what we do."

The current edition of the Crimson Bears is much different than last year's version, which has been well-documented following the departure of key players to Thunder Mountain High School. Senior guard Alex DeRocher, who hit the game-winner to beat the Kings in their first Southeast Conference Tournament matchup, said both the upperclassmen and underclassmen have stepped into roles that were undefined at the beginning of the season.

"Last year, different people had different roles and we had a couple of go-to guys, but we have more of a team this year, which is why we won the Southeast," he said. "A couple of the guys had experience, but a lot of people didn't even play because we were so old last year."

DeRocher said last year's frontcourt was comprised mainly of seniors, so Tupou and Sele have made the best out of their opportunities this season with the extra playing time. He also said senior point guard Victor Wilson's return to the team after a two-year hiatus has been crucial.

"Victor has done a phenomenal job at point guard. He didn't even play last year and he just stepped in and starting dishing the ball to everybody," DeRocher said. "Our bigs have also really stepped up because most of the playing time was given to the senior bigs last year, so they really didn't get that much experience.

"Just playing with these senior guys is kind of weird because it's our first year actually playing together as a full unit, and our last year at the same time," he continued. "But we've meshed pretty well throughout the season. Going into the Southeast tournament we started to click really well, so that's probably why we won."

Wilson said he is glad he decided to return to basketball, especially with the impending trip to Anchorage.

"Coming into the season I didn't know what to expect for myself or for the team, so making it to state is awesome. We're not ready to stop playing," he said. "It was definitely worth coming back. It's been a lot of fun. I've played with a lot of these guys since elementary school, so (jelling) was pretty easy because we've all been friends.

"I love these guys," he continued. "There's no fighting and we don't do anything to make each other mad - maybe sometimes, but for the most part it's all good. It's awesome for team chemistry."

If you ask the players, it's the team chemistry that got them through the regional tournament.

"We really pulled together as a team when we needed to; they didn't," said Tupou of archrival Ketchikan. "They were really good, but we were just that much better. "(The seniors) are all pretty close friends, and that helps because at any given time there's at least one or two seniors on the floor to take a leadership position if they need to."

For senior guard Terrence Wheat, the first year on the team has had a bittersweet ending. Wheat suffered a high-ankle sprain on senior night at Juneau-Douglas High School, and his availability for the state tournament is uncertain.

But he's excited for the experience.

"It's amazing that we get to go to state because I've never been to state for anything in my whole career here," he said. "I've known these guys from playing football, so this is really cool. It's been a good first year. I've made a lot of new friends. "But I'm hoping I'll be able to play," he continued. "I've been trying to practice and do what I can."

Bears coach Steve Potter said though Wheat is injured, he's been a great contributor to the team, along with the other seniors.

"Terrence has been a tenacious practice player all year, and when he's gotten a chance to play he's been just as tenacious in the games," he said. "I also think Eric and Paul have done a great job. Sele had played a lot when he was younger, but as a junior he pretty much didn't. This year, I think he's the only guy that has started every game for us, and Paul (Tupou) has come from nowhere to be a valuable contributor to the team."

With key backcourt players leaving last year's squad, Potter also mentioned how valuable his senior guards have been.

"Alex is our leading scorer and Victor's given us some strength and leadership at (point guard)," he said. "He's a natural leader - it probably would have been nice if he would have played a couple more years of basketball, but we're happy with what we got out of him this year."

With one final chance to bring home the state title, the Bears are playing their best basketball at the right time. And if the seniors have it their way, they'll still be playing late into next week.

THIRD TEAM

Jesse Ward, North Pole; Ryden Hines, Dimond; Stefan Johnson, East; Conner Devine, Wasilla; Dustin Theis, Chugiak.

HONORABLE MENTION

A.J. Banks, East; Kody Broderick, North Pole; Tyller Bell, Ketchikan; Boomer Blossom, Soldotna; Blaine Carver, Soldotna; Adam Klie, Service; Malik King, Bartlett; Keith Mays, Lathrop; Colby Mitchell, Chugiak; Kyle Titus, Palmer; Alex DeRocher, Juneau-Douglas.

"I thought we were going to have some experienced continuity, but it didn't work out that way," said Potter in the Dec. 21 season preview. "Everybody is finding new roles."

Seconds after a last-second three-point heave from Ketchikan's Jeff Whicker missed its mark, the Crimson Bears community celebrated together at Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka. Fans, players, coaches and cheerleaders all gathered at mid-court after a thrilling two-point victory over the Ketchikan Kings.

At that point, Potter started to get some answers.

"Our defensive rotations were probably better than they've been all year, and it's always nice when it comes together at the right time," he said. "Ketchikan's a pretty darn good team, and for us to get them twice - that was big for us."

Whicker, whose 27 points gave him the Kings single-season scoring record, had his pocket picked by sophomore guard Lance Ibesate who raced the length of the court for a lay-up and a two-point lead with only three seconds to play.

"We knew Jeff (Whicker) was going to get the ball, so my first thought was he was going to drive," said senior guard Alex DeRocher, whose 16 points led the Bears. "As soon as Lance got the ball, my hopes started leaping. Then as soon as he made it and we called time out, my hopes for the game just escalated.

"I really didn't want it to be my last senior game for the Crimson Bears. We pulled it off - it was great."

With the game tied 59-59 with 21 seconds left, Potter preached defense to the team during the timeout.

"We talked about keeping the guys in front of us and not fouling. We were going to get our hands up and only give them one shot," he said. "Whicker went to the middle and Lance got the strip really low to the ground and came up with it.

"To get that big, left-handed lay-up over (Tyler) Bell - we were pretty excited about that."

Only 18 seconds earlier, another sophomore guard, Tony Yadao, hit a game-tying three-pointer that set the stage for Ibesate to make the play on defense.

"They completely left Tony, almost daring him to shoot," Potter said. "Well, he did."

Senior forward Eric Sele was the Bears' second leading scorer with 9 points in what was a very balanced offensive attack. DeRocher was the only player for the Bears who scored in double figures. Tyler Bell had 13 points for the Kings as well.

Just three nights prior, DeRocher hit a baseline jump shot with eight seconds remaining to give the Bears their first victory over the Kings all season. The loss forced the Kings into a win-or-go-home situation heading into their Thursday night tilt with Thunder Mountain.

After pulling out the victory over the Falcons, the Kings turned their sights back on the Bears. Thursday, Ketchikan had to hold off a fourth-quarter comeback bid by JDHS for the win. That forced a final game Saturday night with a trip to state on the line.

Potter said there were some changes made for that final game, especially on the defensive end. After trailing by 14 points in the second half Friday night, the Bears deployed a zone defense that helped fuel their late-game comeback attempt. Juneau-Douglas, who rarely played zone defense during the season, found something that worked for them.

"We got down early (Saturday) and we decided what we were doing wasn't working, so we switched to the zone trap," Potter said. "Our halfcourt defense was struggling against them and our full-court defense hasn't been our strength this year.

"So we tried a zone-trapping scheme and it seemed to disrupt them."

Potter said he couldn't take credit for the zone defense that gave the Kings trouble, however.

"(Assistant coach) Robert Casperson had been pumping me all year to try it out, so I finally let him talk me into it," he said. "It was his idea to go to that. That defense is kind of his baby."

The Bears undoubtedly peaked at the right time as they worked their way through early-season struggles to find their identity. And as the clock turned to zero and the Bears celebrated, it was two young role players that stepped up when given the opportunity.

Ibesate and Yadao were not only big in the final minute of Saturday's championship game, but they, along with the rest of the Bears' bench, are crucial to the Bears' run in the home-stretch of the season.

"Tony has done a phenomenal job. He drives to get other people open and he can go up with it because he's got great ball control. He's just a great team player," said DeRocher. "Lance has really stepped it up at a point guard position. It's great relief for Victor (Wilson) when he starts getting tired from handling the ball up and down the court.

"I think in the next couple of years they're going to be phenomenal basketball players."

But the future is now for the Bears as they prepare for a trip to Anchorage for the state tournament, and DeRocher said they're as close to the top of their game as they have been all season.

"We all came into the (conference) tournament really hungry, and we used that fire to help get some extra pep in our step," he said. "Going into that game it was more of a team togetherness, not a one-man thing. We've peaked at the perfect moment, I'd say."

Potter said he expects the Bears to be a seventh or eighth seed when the seedings are released later today, which means they will have a first-round match up against one of the top teams in the state.

But there is still reason for hope as not every state champion has been a top seed going into the tournament, something of which Potter and his Southeast Conference champion Crimson Bears are well aware.

Whicker's deep 3-pointer as time expired missed, and the Bears and their fans celebrated the win at midcourt.

The Kings led 12-6 after one quarter of play and 26-24 at the break after sophomore guard Tony Yadao missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer for JDHS.

The Kings started the third quarter with a 7-0 run to take a 33-24 lead as Ketchikan began to take control of the game.

But the Bears refused to go away, pulling within four, 38-34, before trailing by five, 41-36, after three quarters of play.

A Colin Gozelski steal and lay-up brought the Bears within three, 45-42, with just more than five minutes left, but Whicker answered with an and-1 that fouled out Victor Wilson for the Bears with 4:46 left in the game.

Gozelski got another steal and lay-up to make it 48-45 with less than four minutes to go.

Whicker set the Kings' single-season scoring record with on the play that fouled out Wilson.

Check Monday's Juneau Empire for more information and stats, and the full boys' All-Conference team.

"(Alex) DeRocher exploded for three 3-pointers and we were up five at the half."

Potter said the Falcons came out swinging in the third quarter to tie the game heading into the fourth. The score was tied at the end of regulation as well, and Potter said his team was able to hit their free throws. The Bears converted on 7 of 8 attempts down the stretch.

"We made a push and were almost able to close it out at the end. They hit some free throws and sent it into overtime," TMHS coach John Blasco said. "Our buckets didn't fall and their free throws did."

Despite the loss, Blasco was happy with his team's offensive production.

"We played really strong collectively offensively," he said. "Juneau kept pressuring and we kept attacking the basket - I think we got to the free throw line 30 times, something I'm very pleased with.

The Crimson Bears had 28 points off the bench, outscoring the Falcons' second unit by 22.

Cody Grussendorf and Reese Saviers led all scorers with 20 points each for TMHS, while Jazz King pitched in 10 points.

Tony Yadao had 16 points, DeRocher had 14, and Colin Gozelski and Paul Tupou each contributed 13 for the Bears, who play Ketchikan today at 8:15 p.m. as Thunder Mountain awaits the loser of that game for a 4:45 p.m. tip-off on Thursday.