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Thursday February 06, 2014
The Juneau-Douglas High School boys basketball team fell just short for the second night in a row against the visiting Ketchikan Kings, losing 55-48 on Wednesday at the JDHS gym.
The Crimson Bears (7-8 overall, 1-3 conference) trailed by 12 points in the fourth quarter and closed to within five in the stanza before the Kings’ (11-8), 4-2) stroke at the free throw line carried away the momentum.
“We are just a little hesitant right now,” Juneau-Douglas coach Robert Casperson said. “We will talk about it and get back in the lab, tweak the formula a little bit and see what comes out. We are disappointed, but I am not discouraged in our guys. They are still competing. There is no quit in them and anytime you have that you have a chance.”
With 2:16 remaining in the game Ketchikan senior Colton Paulsen made two free throws to give the Kings a 48-40 lead.
Crimson Bears junior Bruce Jones made two free throws and classmate Nathan Klein stepped to the line for two more. Klein hit the first to make it a five-point game. His next shot bounced out but junior Adam Empson grabbed the rebound. Empson faked a shot inside and found sophomore Caleb Tompkins outside the three-point line. Tompkins buried the shot to bring JDHS within two at 48-46 with 1:33 remaining.
“I was just hoping I would make it,” Tompkins said. “Because we were behind. I am getting more comfortable with shooting outside.”
The pass and the shot said a lot about the continued improvement of the Crimson Bears.
“We rely on Adam a lot,” Casperson said. “We have to keep building the trust among the team and that was what that play showed. Adam trusts his teammates. We ask a lot of Adam and he takes a lot upon himself. He wants to help us in any way possible. A lot of our guys carry that mentality.”
The Crimson Bears would continue a full court press to look for steals and put the Kings on the line. Ketchikan hit 12 of 17 free throws in the fourth quarter, seven by junior Alex Pihl who scored 11 of his game-high 18 points in the stanza.
JDHS could not mount another score until Empson hit a basket with 16 seconds remaining in the game.
“I have confidence in our team to make their shots,” Empson said. “In practice I see their hard work and it benefits us out on the floor. After these tough loses we know we have worked hard, we just have to keep going on to the next game.”
The game started with a lot more patience than Tuesday’s 73-64 Kayhi win.
JDHS settled in a 2-3 zone while the Kings went man-to-man.
The Crimson Bears had four turnovers in the first quarter, two in their first possessions, while the Kings ran time off the clock and found open looks from outside in to take a 10-9 lead.
The Kayhi pressure limited JDHS to just seven points in the second quarter, thanks in large part by their swarming help defense and steals from Paulsen and Pihl.
“I just try to keep everybody together,” Paulsen said. “I am kind of the defensive anchor, that is what I do is play defense. These wins are pretty big. Every kid in Ketchikan used to dream about coming to Juneau and winning. We are on a good streak right now and we just have to keep getting better.”
Kayhi led 22-16 at the half.
Empson tried to will the Crimson Bears back into the game in the opening moments of the second half, leading a trap and forcing a turnover, finding junior Bruce Jones inside and senior Kevin Guimmayen outside for a 3-point basket. An Empson pass to senior Dartanan Hodge-Campos closed the lead to 29-21.
“Adam is such a dynamic player we tried to focus more on him,” Ketchikan coach Eric Stockhausen said. “They stayed in that zone a lot longer tonight. I think our defensive focus was a lot better. It was a completely different game. I credit Juneau. It was a really good high school basketball game. I though both sides were rally aggressive and it was a physical game. I am proud of our kids and we are thankful to get a conference victory.”
The Kings were quick but not in a hurry on offense. While the Crimson Bears swarmed on defense the Kings were able to move the ball around the perimeter.
“We were really focused on seeing the whole floor,” Stockhausen said. “Juneau comes at you from so many angles and mixes up the defenses. I thought our court awareness was better tonight. You can’t duplicate the Juneau pressure in practice so I thought we really showed composure at the end. Hopefully this gives us momentum to push for the conference lead against Thunder Mountain (11-4, 1-1).”
The Kings ran off a string of free throws by Paulsen and senior Isaiah Navales to again regain composure and junior Ned Day added a basket for an 11-point advantage at 35-24 with 2:34 remaining in the stanza.
JDHS’ Jones sandwiched his third and fourth fouls around two made free throws to close out the third quarter trailing 35-26.
Empson found a steal and a basket in the opening moments of the fourth quarter to start the Crimson Bears into a slow crawl for contention but Pihl answered with a pair of free throws to force a time out.
Jones would foul out with 1:45 remaining in the game and setting the stage for Empson to secure the rebound that led to Tompkins triple.
“We are certainly at a point where we need to start making plays and not excuses,” Casperson said. “Ketchikan plays really hard, they are disciplined and they want the ball. They outworked us this weekend. We will have to be better prepared when Service steps in here on Saturday. They have been giving teams up north problems.”
The Crimson Bears host the Service Cougars on Saturday at 8 p.m. The Cougars play at Thunder Mountain on Friday at 8 p.m.
Empson and Jones led the Crimson Bears with 13 points each, Hodge-Campos and Klein five each, Treyson Ramos, Guimmayen, Tompkins and Bryce Swofford three apiece.
JDHS went 14-20 at the charity stripe; Kayhi 19-27.
Navales added 14 points for the Kings, Mo Bullock eight, Paulsen seven, Day six and Matt Standley two.
Game Stats:
JDHS- Empson- 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 6-8 fg’s, 0-2 ft’s, 1-1 3’s; Jones- 13 points, 7 rebounds, 3-7 fg’s, 7-8 ft’s; Klein- 5 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2-6 fg’s, 1-2 ft’s, 0-2 3’s; Hodge Campos- 5 points, 4 rebounds, 1-5 fg’s, 2-2 ft’s, 1-1 3’s; Ramos- 3 points, 1 rebound, 0-2 fg’s, 3-4 fg’s, 0-1 3’s; Guimmayen- 3 points, 1 assist, 1-2 fg’s, 1-1 3’s.
KHS- Pihl- 19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 5-7 fg’s, 10-12 ft’s, 0-1 3’s; Naveles- 12 points, 3-10 fg’s, 5-7 ft’s, 1-8 3’s; Bullock- 8 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 4-7 fg’s; Almenzor- 3 points, 4 rebounds, 1-2 fg’s, 1-2 ft’s; Paulsen- 7 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1-2 fg’s, 4-4 ft’s, 1-1 3’s; Day- 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 3-3 fg’s, 0-2 ft’s.
Crimson Bears fall again to Kings, 55-48 - Juneau Empire by Klas Stolpe
Ketchikan secures conference lead with sweep over JDHS
Wednesday February 05, 2014
Kayhi (10-8, 3-2), JDHS (7-7, 1-2) and Thunder Mountain (11-4, 1-1) were in a mid-season bottleneck for the top seed.
“Ketchikan controlled the tempo,” Juneau-Douglas coach Robert Casperson said. “They played a heck of a game and executed exactly what they needed to do to be successful. They were the aggressor and thus the victor.”
The Kings pressured full court, took care of the ball on offense, made layups and hit 20-26 from the free throw line, while the Crimson Bears found some inside looks at the hoop early and turned the ball over a season-low four times in the first half, which led to a one tie and two lead changes in the first quarter.
The Kings went up 15-14 with three minutes remaining in the first period and never trailed again in the game.
Six different Crimson Bears found the hoop in the first quarter and junior Gunnar Schultz’s jump shot at the buzzer pulled JDHS within five points, 23-18.
“These kids are working hard for us every day in practice and they deserve to play in a game when it matters,” Casperson said. “They have an impact in the outcome of the game if they get to play in the first half. The rotation definitely shortens up in second half, we try to go with guys who seem a little more ready.”
The hot shooting by both clubs continued in the second quarter with JDHS tying the score at 25-25 on a 3-pointer by Maake and back-to-back baskets by sophomore Treyson Ramos.
“Treyson played his heart out,” Casperson said. “He has been working hard in practice and it led to some game success for him.”
Ketchikan regained control with baskets by junior Alex Pihl and Mo Bullock, who hit eight of his team-high 19 points in the period.
“Alex is a special player,” Kayhi coach Eric Stockhausen said. “He has really put in time in the off season, played a ton of basketball, and he usually comes to the gym early, stays late and to see him stand out in big conference game is nice to see.”
The Crimson Bears pulled to within three points on a basket by junior Bruce Jones at the 3:25 mark and Schultz pulled them within four again at the 2:53 mark. Both times the Kings responded and a JDHS air ball led to a Kayhi’s fast break basket and sparked a 6-3 run to end the half with the visitors up 40-33.
An 11-0 run by the Kings starting the third quarter, including four turnovers in the first two minutes of that stanza, gave a momentum boost to the Kayhi team. JDHS had five of their first eight possessions lead to baskets by the Kings.
“We were counting our blessings too early,” Casperson said. “At halftime we noticed we only had five or six turnovers, so we were feeling pretty good about the position we were in. To come out the way we did in that third quarter killed our momentum.”
The Crimson Bears scored just seven points in the third quarter while the Kings tallied 15 to take a 55-40 lead heading into the final stanza.
A 9-4 run to start the fourth quarter switched momentum to the home team. A Ramos triple at the 4:36 mark cut the lead to 59-50 and included senior Dartanan Hodge-Campos drawing a flagrant foul on the shot under the basket. Hodge-Campos would hit both free throws to close within seven.
Empson then scored on a drive to make it a five-point game, 59-54, with 4:05 remaining.
Kayhi’s Bullock answered with a bucket inside and Pihl added a basket and a foul shot to answer JDHS junior Nathan Klein’s put back.
Trading baskets down the stretch the Crimson Bears pulled to within five, 67-62, on Kaleb Tompkins shot with 25 seconds remaining.
After a Kayhi free throw by Isaiah Navales, Empson closed the score to four points with JDHS’ final hoop and 15.3 seconds remaining.
The Kings got four straight free throws, two each from Navales and Pihl to close out the game.
Empson led the Crimson Bears with 19 points, Ramos added nine, Jones seven, Hodge-Campos six, Schultz five, Rahul Chhabria and Klein four each, Maake, Tompkins and Stewart Conn three each and Bryce Swofford one.
JDHS hit 13-25 at the charity stripe; Kayhi went 20-26.
Navales added 16 points for the Kings, Pihl 14, Colton Paulsen 10, Omar Mendoza six, Malik Almenzor and Ned Day four apiece.
“Any conference win in Juneau is a good one for our kids,” Kayhi coach Eric Stockhausen said. “We would have liked to play more consistently at the end but give coach Casperson and the Crimson Bears credit, they have never quit all year long and that makes them tough.”
The two teams square off again tonight at 7 p.m. (JV 5:15, C 3:30). On Friday the Thunder Mountain Falcons will host the Service Cougars at 8 p.m. On Saturday the Cougars will play at JDHS at 8 p.m.
Game Stats:
JDHS- Adam Empson- 19 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 7-14 fg’s, 5-7 ft’s, 0-2 3’s; Treyson Ramos- 9 points, 3 assists, 4-5 fg’s, 0-1 ft’s, 1-1 3’s; Bruce Jones- 8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 4-5 fg’s, 0-6 ft’s; Dar Hodge-Campos- 6 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1-2 fg’s, 4-4 ft’s; Gunnar Schultz- 5 points, 2-7 fg’s, 1-3 3’s; Nathan Klein- 4 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1-2 fg’s, 2-4 ft’s, 0-1 3’s; Stewart Conn- 3 points, 1-1 3’s; Manase Ma’ake- 3 points, 1-1 3’s; Rahul Chhabria- 4 points, 1 assist, 2-6 fg’s; Bryce Swofford- 1 point, 2 rebounds, 1-2 ft’s.
KHS- Isaiah Naveles- 16 points, 1 rebound, 5-10 fg’s, 5-6 ft’s, 1-3 3’s; Alex Pihl- 12 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 4-7 fg’s, 6-6 ft’s, 0-1 3’s; Mo Bullock- 19 points, 12 rebounds, 8-12 fg’s, 3-4 ft’s; Colton Paulsen- 10 points, 3 rebounds, 4-4 fg’s, 2-3 ft’s; Omar Mendoza- 6 points, 2 rebounds 2-3 fg’s, 2-2 ft’s, 0-1 3’s; Malik Almenzor- 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2-4 fg’s; Ned Day- 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2-4 fg’s.
Ketchikan Kings run spoils Crimson Bears Southeast catch - Juneau Empire by Klas Stolpe
The Ketchikan Kings broke a three-way tie atop the Southeast Conference with a 73-64 win over the Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears at home on Tuesday night.
Friday January 31, 2014
The JDHS road trip went 1-3 with losses to Lathrop (75-62), Monroe (79-42) and Kodiak (78-55), with the sole win against West Valley, 83-82. The Crimson Bears also topped Chugiak last week at home.
“We are all in first or we are all in last right now,” Casperson said. “It is wide open right now. Everyone tagged us for third in the preseason and we are comfortable with that. We don’t mind being an underdog. These are big games. We are looking up at our final opponents.”
Casperson said the northern road trip featured quality opponents and learning opportunities.
“We are certainly trying to play faster than we ever have before,” Casperson said. “Sometimes we turn the ball over more than we need to. We need to rebound better. I think just learning a new system and learning to execute it, on the outside may look chaotic, but on the floor the guys are starting to know what to do. Offensively we are running our sets better, defensively we are rotating better in the full court with our pressure and we have to get better in the half court.”
The Crimson Bears graduated nine players and had averaged 40-plus points last season. This season only junior Adam Empson is averaging double figures in scoring.
“We are up to 60-something this season,” Casperson said. “I am proud of our guys. They have responded. The group of guys we have cherish the opportunity to come out and prove themselves. We are playing a lot of guys and they are making the most of the time they get on the floor.”
The JDHS boys end the season with games against Service, TMHS, Kodiak and TMHS again.
Bears in Action Against Ketchikan This Weekend - Juneau Empire by Klas Stolpe
“We are certainly looking forward to moving in the right direction,” JDHS coach Robert Casperson said. “We want to see if we have made any corrections and improvements since the last time we played them and since our road trip. These games will help decide the pecking order in Southeast and our guys are looking forward to it. Each time out is an opportunity to find out if we have improved the chinks in our armor, so to speak.”
Friday January 24, 2014
Junior Adam Empson scored seven of his game-high 24 points and recorded a steal during a 15-5 Crimson Bears run to open the second half and break the game open.
“It was a good team effort,” Empson said. “We didn’t come out as aggressive as we would have liked, but we did better to start the second and put in work.”
Four three-pointers from Juneau-Douglas shooters in the third quarter and seven unanswered points from Junior Jacob Thibodeau early in the fourth quarter helped the Crimson Bears put the game out of reach midway through the final period.
“As always, Adam (Empson) really brought a calming presence and took care of the ball,” JDHS coach Robert Casperson said. “Nathan (Klein) carried us on the glass with his aggressiveness, and Jacob (Thibodeau) had his best game of the year.”
Still, turnovers were frequent occurrences for both teams from the opening tip to the final minutes of the game.
“I’m frustrated with the amount of turnovers we keep having at this point in the year. We’ve got to take better care of the ball,” Casperson said.
Full-court pressure from both teams forced five turnovers in the first couple minutes of play.
Juneau-Douglas shooters got hot from mid-range, prompting Chugiak to move to a 3-2 defensive zone.
A late scoring rally by Chugiak pulled the Mustangs to within two of the Crimson Bears at the end of the first period.
The Crimson Bears extended their lead in the second thanks to fewer turnovers and multiple key Chugiak players, including leading scorer Matt Oldenkamp, getting into early foul trouble.
Alex Hess was a spark off the bench for Chugiak, scoring nine and forcing several Crimson Bear turnovers.
Tighter defense in the paint by the Crimson Bears forced Chugiak into more jump shots, which helped hold the Mustangs to 13 points in the quarter — their lowest output of the night.
The Crimson Bears took a 34-28 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Juneau-Douglas’ 15-5 run spurred largely by Empson pushed the six-point lead to 16 in the early minutes of the third quarter — a lead that turned out to be insurmountable for the visitors, who will play a two-game series with Thunder Mountain High School Friday and Saturday.
Turnovers continued to be a common trend for both teams throughout the quarter with the Mustangs chipping away at the Crimson Bears’ lead after the home team’s early run.
Hess picked up his third foul halfway through the quarter and Juneau-Douglas carried a 10 point lead into the final period of play.
Oldenkamp fouled out for Chugiak with 2:32 left in the game with the Crimson Bears up 17.
Casperson praised his team after the game for “exceeding everyone’s expectations except their own” thus far in the season.
“We’re absolutely where we want to be at this point in the season given our schedule,” he said.
Behind Empson’s 24 points were: Gunnar Schultz, 11; Thibodeau, 7; Rahul Chhabria, 6; Kaleb Tompkins, 5; Nathan Klein, 4; Kevin Guimmayen, 4; Bryce Swofford, 4; Manase Maake, 3; Dar Hodge-Campos, 3; and Bruce Jones, 1.
Crimson Bears outpace Chugiak - Juneau Empire by Matt Woolbright
The Juneau-Douglas High School boys basketball team outpaced the visiting Chugiak Mustangs 72-59 at home Thursday night.
Sunday January 19, 2014
Frick’s dropped seven three points on the night on his way to a game-high 31 points.
“Austin Frick shot the lights out,” JDHS head coach Robert Casperson said. “We didn’t defend him as well as we wanted to. We’ll have to do better when they come down to Juneau.”
The Crimson Bears will face Kodiak again Feb. 21-22 during homecoming.
Both teams started hot leading to a 24-20 Kodiak advantage after the first quarter. Juneau’s Adam Empson scored seven of his team-high 19 points in the quarter.
“It was a solid performance by Adam, who was trying to keep us in the game,” Casperson said.
From there the pace slowed for both sides, though not by much, with Kodiak still leading 42-34 at the half.
Casperson said his team struggled to match Kodiak’s intensified as the game wore on.
The Kodiak Bears pushed their lead farther ahead in the third quarter behind a couple of Frick threes. Ten of his 15 second-half points came in the third quarter.
The Bears were able to penetrate Juneau’s defense and then kick the ball out to perimeter shooters left open. And even was Frick was closely guarded he still managed to get his shots to go in.
“He’s got a pretty quick trigger,” Casperson said.
The Crimson Bears switched up its defensive scheme in the second half but it “didn’t make a difference.”
“I don’t know what happened to us in the second half,” Casperson said.
The fourth quarter of action was more of the same, with Kodiak outscoring the Crimson Bears 17-10.
Casperson said he team took away valuable experience from the tournament, playing three tough opponents in three nights.
“It’s great competition, three quality teams, three top opponents,” he said. “That’s three great opportunities for us to play top teams.”
Casperson said his team has made progress in several areas, particularly blocking out and rebounding.
“We’ve gotten better at blocking out and rebounding,” he said. “We get our hands on the ball first, a lot, but we don’t always come away with it, so we have to keep working on that."
“I liked our rebounding and how we moved the ball quickly on offense. That’s when we looked our sharpest.”
He said the Crimson Bears also need to continue improving on defense and taking care of the ball.
“In the third quarter of all three games we missed shots and turned the ball over, and that’s a tough combination to come back from.”
All 13 of Juneau’s varsity players traveled north for the tournament, allowing some of the younger, less experienced players to get quality minutes.
“Some of our younger guys got some good minutes,” Casperson said. “Everyone’s playing, everyone’s contributing, we just need to make sure we’re improving as season progresses.
Empson led JDHS with 19 points, followed by Bruce Jones, 9; Kaleb Tompkins, 6; Nathan Klein, 3; and two apiece by Manase Maake, Treyson Ramos, Kevin Guimmayen, Rahul Chhabria and Bryce Swofford.
Junior Adam Empson was selected to the all-tournament team for the Crimson Bears.
Leading Kodiak behind Frick’s 31 points were Josh Bezona, 15; Alec Hall, 13; and Scott Garcia, 7.
Juneau will next face Chugiak on Thursday at 7:15 p.m. at home.
JD Boys 55, Kodiak78 - Juneau Empire by Charles Westmoreland and Klas Stolpe
Kodiak rode the hot hand of 3-point marksman Austin Frick to defeat the Juneau-Douglas boys team 78-55 on Saturday in Fairbanks.
Saturday January 18, 2014
Scooter Bynum scored 19 of his game-high 22 points in the first half to help the Rams build the lead. Bynum did not play during the fourth quarter.
David Stepovich added 15 points in the first half and finished with 19 points on the night.
Kaleb Tompkins led the Crimson Bears with nine points, Stewart Conn added eight, Bruce Jones six, Treyson Ramos, Dartanan Hodge-Campos and Jacob Thibodeau four each, Gunnar Schultz, Bryce Swofford and Nathan Klein two each and Rahul Chhabria one.
JDHS hit 4-6 at the line; Monroe 9-12.
Monroe Rams top Crimson Bears - Juneau Empire by Klas Stolpe
The 3A Monroe boys continue to be the class of any division in the state as they scored 52 points in the first half and easily beat the Crimson Bears 79-42.
Friday January 17, 2014
The Falcons gave up two quarters of 26 points, the first and the third, and both resulted in momentum for the Malemutes.
“You can’t give up that many points in one quarter, let alone two,” Juneau-Douglas coach Robert Casperson said. “Most teams score that in a game and we gave them 52 in two quarters.”
The game began with a cold shooting JDHS squad.
Three early Crimson Bears misses led to four Malemutes fast-break points in the first minute of play.
Lathrop opened with a man-to-man full court defense and forced a five-man substitution by JDHS, who trailed 10-0 at the five-minute mark.
Kaleb Tompkins stemmed the scoring drought with a triple to break the ice for Juneau and would add another in the stanza to keep the Crimson Bears close at 26-15.
Lathrop buried a triple to open a 29-15 advantage starting the second quarter and JDHS went to a physical game inside.
Nathan Klein completed a three-point play to bring the Crimson Bears within eight, 35-27, with less than three minutes remaining in the first half.
Bruce Jones followed with his third block of the game and a trapping two-three zone seemed to briefly stifle the Malemutes.
“We were switching in and out of different defenses,” Casperson said. “I am really proud with how our guys kept competing and working their way back into the game. We were pressuring and running different substitutions in and out of the line up.”
A steal and a score by Tompkins cut the lead to 35-33 with under a minute left and Adam Empson tied the score. Lathrop would hit a tip in at the buzzer to lead 37-35 at the break.
The Crimson Bears were flat in the third, scoring just 10 points and committing that many turnovers while the Malemutes put up another 26-point stanza.
Lathrop had three starters with three fouls in the first half but the JDHS offense couldn’t draw them into trouble in the second half.
“If the game were just the second and fourth quarters we would be fine,” Casperson said. “We moved the ball really well tonight. We made an effort to get back into the contest.”
Lathrop led 63-45 starting the final stanza and the Crimson Bears closed to within eight early in the fourth but expended too much energy to keep the comeback in sight.
Klein had his best game of the season for JDHS, scoring 13 points, getting eight rebounds and “getting after the Lathrop big men” according to Casperson.
Tompkins added 10 points, Bruce Jones nine, Adam Empson eight, Gunnar Schultz seven, Rahul Chhabria six, Kevin Guimmayen four, Dartanan Hodge-Campos three and Stewart Conn one.
JDHS hit 12-21 at the charity stripe; Lathrop went 13-21.
The Malemutes’ Jennis tallied 17 points, Berner 16, Ford 14, Jordan five, White four, Meadows and Cannon two each and Maiden one.
The Crimson Bears play Monroe today (4:30 p.m.) and Kodiak on Saturday (4:30 p.m.).
“We are up here for opportunities and experience,” Casperson said. “And these three games will do that.”
Crimson Bears boys fall 75-62 to Malemutes - Juneau Empire by Klas Stolpe
The Juneau-Douglas High School boy’s basketball team lost to Lathrop 75-61 in their opening game at the Joe T Classic in Fairbanks on Thursday.
Thursday January 16, 2014
Juneau-Douglas High School senior Adam Empson did one of the crazy street ball moves against West Valley on Wednesday night in Fairbanks, throwing the inbounds pass off the back of a defender, stepping in to receive the carom, and laying it up for the basket to win the game in overtime.
“Just like I drew it up,” Juneau-Douglas coach Robert Casperson joked. “It was a great heads up play by Adam. We were looking to screen the screener and he just made a great read.”
The Wolfpack started the game with a technical for not having their roster in to the scorer’s table and JDHS senior Gunnar Schultz made one-of-two from the charity stripe for the lead with no time off the clock.
The Crimson Bears led 15-11 after one quarter as Schultz, Bruce Jones, Kaleb Tompkins, Adam Empson, Stewart Conn and Nathan Klein all found the basket for a balanced attack.
JDHS led 35-29 at the half as senior Kevin Guimmayen found the deep triple twice and Jones battled inside for eight more points.
West Valley went deep in the third quarter, burying five 3-pointers and outscoring JDHS 28-18. Wolfpack sophomore Daniel Hornbuckle three of the deep shots and hit seven total as he led with a game-high 35 points.
Hornbuckle would connect for 14 points in the fourth quarter while the Crimson Bears Empson and Jones tallied nine and seven points respectively.
West Valley missed an inside shot and a put back in the final seconds and JDHS ran the court for a final shot that missed.
Empson and Jones carried the overtime with four points apiece and the Crimson Bears defense stifled Hornbuckle to claim the 83-82 win.
“That is our pace to be up in the eighties,” Casperson said. “We want to attack and score. We are running guys in and out, everybody is playing and they are having fun.”
Jones led the Crimson Bears with 21, Empson and Schultz had 18 each, Guimmayen 11, Rahul Chhabria five, Klein three, Thibodeau, Conn and Tompkins two each and Dartanan Hodge-Campos one.
Charles Sudduth added 17 points for the Wolfpack, Sean Kinsey seven, Travon Brackett six, Jordan Rodenberger five, Daniel Remington, Titus Milk, and Tahj Washington four each.
JDHS boys top West Valley 83-82 in O.T. - Juneau Empire by Klas Stolpe
And One!
Sunday January 05, 2014
“The game was pretty sloppy up until the fourth quarter,” Juneau-Douglas coach Robert Casperson said. “Their pressure got us out of sync and we had a lot of turnovers.”
The Crimson Bears (5-3) led 19-17 after one quarter and 29-25 at the half, scoring the last six points before the break. The outside shooting of Kevin Guimmayen, who tallied three triples in the game, was key for JDHS.
JDHS had nine turnovers in the third quarter, giving Ketchikan a chance to take the lead 39-36 with the final eight minutes to play.
“They came out with a fire we couldn’t match in the fourth quarter,” Casperson said. “They took it to us. They took us into trapping areas and executed their defense quite well.”
The Kings’ Mo Bullock scored 13 of his game-high 23 points in the final stanza, and all of Kayhi’s points in a 13-5 run that turned the game around.
“This is a really tough place to play,” Casperson said. “Being able to split down here is a good start for us with this group.”
In Friday’s game JDHS sophomore Kaleb Tompkins hit two free throws with 9 seconds remaining to hold off the Kings 55-52 in the Southeast Conference opener for both clubs. The Kings’ Alex Pihl missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
JDHS will have the weekend off before heading on the road to West Valley on Jan. 15 and to the Lathrop tournament Jan. 16-18.
Crimson Bears boys fall to Kayhi 64-48 - Juneau Empire by Klas Stolpe
The Juneau-Douglas High School boy’s basketball team fell at Ketchikan on Saturday 64-48, after the Kings caught fire and scored 25 points in the fourth quarter.
Tuesday December 31, 2013
Dimond High School junior Muhamad Cole took a rebound pass at half court from teammate Isaiah Pili and dribbled in for a layup with 7.9 seconds remaining as the Lynx defeated the Crimson Bears 54-51 in the boys’ championship game of the Princess Cruises Capital City Classic on Monday night.
JDHS junior Adam Empson scored a game-high 17 points.
“He was voted as a captain by his teammates and he is willing to shoulder the role of leadership,” Juneau-Douglas coach Robert Casperson said. “Adam stepped up and kept us in the game. He asserted himself offensively.”
A turnover by the Crimson Bears resulted in Cole going to the free throw line and hitting one of two shots for the three-point advantage. JDHS did not get another look at the basket.
Empson hit two free throws to tie the score at 51 with 2:24 remaining and Dimond spread the floor.
JDHS junior Bruce Jones blocked a shot with 57.5 seconds remaining and drew an offensive foul on Cole 20 seconds later but the Crimson Bears failed to score and the rebound was tipped out to Cole.
The Crimson Bears had 10 turnovers in the first quarter.
“We are playing a lot of guys and we are pretty young and inexperienced,” Casperson said. “There are going to be some growing pains. We are playing a style that lends itself to having turnovers now and then, that is something I have to accept.”
Dimond shot 9-26 in the first half and had 11 turnovers while JDHS gave up the ball 14 times, hit 9-25 from the field and led at the half 26-25.
JDHS scored the first bucket of the third quarter with two minutes gone as the Dimond press forced four turnovers on the Crimson Bears.
Jones recorded his third block of the game with four minutes remaining in the period and the score tied at 29.
The lead would change five times until the Lynx held a 43-41 advantage with eight minutes to play.
JDHS senior Kevin Guimmayen hit a 3-pointer to give the Crimson Bears the 44-43 advantage at 7:04 of the fourth quarter but Cole hit a free throw to tie the score on Jones’ third foul and Josh Fosse scored to put Dimond up three.
Empson pulled JDHS within a point on a driving bucket and Cole answered for the Lynx from the charity stripe.
Dimond’s Carlos Diaz scored inside to give the Lynx a four-point advantage at 51-47 and Empson rebounded his own miss, tipping the ball to senior Dartanan Hodge-Campos for a bucket. Empson then hit two free throws to tie the score at 51.
Stewart Conn added seven points for the Crimson Bears, Guimmayen and Kale Tompkins six apiece, Bruce Jones four, Gunnar Schultz, Hodge-Campos and Rahul Chhabria three each and Bryce Swofford two.
Cole led the Lynx with 14 points, Fosi added 10, Austin Osborne eight, Zach Deloney seven, Carlos Diaz and Mason Merchant four apiece, Pili three and Rafa Zavala and John Paul Moran two each.
JDHS went 8-18 at the charity stripe; Dimond hit 11-20.
“Dimond started attacking us and we did not respond very well to the pressure,” Casperson said. “We learned that we have to understand how to operate under pressure. It is still early. I am proud of how we work together. They don’t bicker, everyone is playing and they are all buying in to it. The guys were really disappointed and they wanted to win it.”
Lynx bite Crimson Bears 54-51 for Capital City Classic championship - Juneau Empire by Klas Stolpe
JDHS junior Adam Empson scores game-high 17 points in loss
Sunday December 29, 2013
The old adage of going to a fight and a hockey game breaks out was changed to a bruising mixed metaphor of basketball, football and full-speed rugby as the Juneau-Douglas and North Pole boys’ basketball teams committed 31 first-half fouls and 60 for the game in a 79-51 Crimson Bears win over the Patriots in the Princess Cruises Capital City Classic on Saturday night.
“I knew it was going to be a physical game, and it certainly was,” Juneau-Douglas coach Robert Casperson said. “I know we got a lot of free throws and I know they shot plenty of them, too.”
North Pole picked up three fouls in the first minute of action and both teams had one turnover with no points.
With 5:27 remaining in the first quarter, the Patriots had their seventh foul and led 6-4.
JDHS sophomore Kaleb Tompkins dribbled the length of the floor to tie the score and freshman Stewart Conn gave the Crimson Bears the lead on a jumper seconds later.
The 20th foul of the game came with just under a minute remaining in the first period and senior Adam Empson hit one of two free throws and Tompkins another basket to take a 19-15 lead into the second quarter.
The sixth foul of the second quarter came with just over four minutes remaining and North Pole senior Khalil Steward used the whistle to tie the score at 26 and then take a one-point advantage. Steward then hit a basket and was fouled to put the Patriots up 30-26. The 11th foul of the period came with one minute remaining and Empson canned both the front and back of the one-and-one to close within six, 36-30. After a Patriots’ turnover, Empson netted a jump shot to close within four at the half.
JDHS committed two fouls in the first 20 seconds of the third period and another just 30 seconds later, but North Pole had three turnovers and couldn’t capitalize.
Empson scored and was fouled to tie the game at 36 and then give the Crimson Bears the one-point advantage.
“The team helped me keep my composure,” Empson said. “My team pumped me up, the crowd, everyone… I was just thinking make it, just make it. Both teams were focusing on competing.”
Empson would score 17 of his game-high 29 points in the quarter and push the Crimson Bears to a 55-40 advantage with the final eight minutes remaining.
North Pole used the 14th foul of the second half to score a free-throw but JDHS used the 15th to do the same and the back-and-forth continued with the Crimson Bears having the better corner and taking a 66-46 lead with Bryce Swofford making both ends of the 20th whistle.
The Crimson Bears scored the last four points of the game as Rahul Chhabria hit the front and back of the 29th whistle and Manase Maake scored inside.
“There were a lot of fouls,” Casperson said. “You can’t fault the officials. Kids were playing hard and everybody was making plays on the ball. It was just a very physical game.”
Kevin Guimmayen added nine points for the Crimson Bears, Tompkins, Chhabria and Conn six, Bruce Jones five, and Maake, Gunnar Schultz and Swofford four each, Dorian Isaak three, Jacob Thibodeau two and Nathan Klein one.
The Patriots’ Lance Wright and Steward had 12 points apiece, Garrett Sommer 11, Jordan Schuster six, Deandre Campbell five, Jordan Copeland four, and Simi Skipps one.
JDHS went 27-42 at the charity stripe; North Pole hit 17-30.
Sunday action features shooting contests (free throw, three-point, dunk) beginning at 1 p.m. and game play resumes on Monday with Cordova against North Pole at 3 p.m. and JDHS playing Dimond at 7 p.m.
DIMOND 57, CORDOVA 31
In other Saturday boy’s action on Saturday the Dimond Lynx defeated the Cordova Wolverines 57-31 behind 15 points from Muhamad Cole and eight triples from beyond the arch.
Dimond led 19-11 starting the second quarter and held the Wolverines to just four points to take a 37-15 halftime advantage.
The Lynx led 43-24 starting the final quarter.
Zach Deloney added eight points for Dimond, Mason Merchant seven, Josh Fosi and Isaiah Pili five apiece, Carlos Diaz, Austin Osborne and Ryan Faulao four each, Rafa Zavala three, and John Paul Moran two.
Eli Beedle led Cordova with 11 points, Andrew Muma added nine, Spenser Plant five, Austin Brandt three, and Billy Perry, Cooper Jewell, and Chatham Warga one each.
The Lynx hit 10-16 at the line; the Wolverines went 6-12.
Crimson Bears out-box Patriots 79-51 in Capital City Classic - Juneau Empire by Klas Stolpe
Teams total 31 first-half fouls, 29 more after the break
Saturday December 28, 2013
The Juneau-Douglas High School boy’s basketball team pressed their way to a 65-41 win over the Cordova Wolverines in late Friday action at the Princess Cruises Capital City Classic.
Cordova, whose plane landed in Juneau shortly before the schedule tipoff, registered six turnovers against the Crimson Bears pressure in the first quarter alone and 17 for the game.
JDHS broke open a 5-4 lead with a 16-2 run that ended the period with the Crimson Bears up 21-6. Two quick fouls on Cordova big man Eli Beedle put the all-star center on the bench for the remainder of the first half.
JDHS increased their lead to 36-12 at the half and 10 different Crimson Bears found the scorebook.
JDHS senior Adam Empson hit six points and Stewart Conn and Dorian Isaak sank back-to-back threes to power the Crimson Bears to a 54-29 advantage at the end of the third quarter.
Empson led the Crimson Bears with 13 points, Isaak added eight, Kevin Guimmayen and Rahul Chhabria seven apiece, Bruce Jones six, Kaleb Tompkins and Stewart Conn five apiece, Gunnar Schultz, Bryce Swofford and Nathan Klein four each, and Dar Hodge-Campos two.
Beedle led the Wolverines with 15 points, all in the second half; Billy Perry added 10, Jerome Ridao five, Cooper Jewell four, Austin Brandt and Andrew Muma three apiece and Spenser Plant one.
JDHS went 7-9 at the charity stripe and committed 20 fouls; Cordova hit 9-22 at the line and totaled 12 fouls.
DIMOND 59, NORTH POLE 40
The Dimond High School Lynx opened a 17-3 first quarter advantage over the North Pole Patriots and were never seriously threatened as they secured a 59-40 win in the opening boys’ game of the Princess Cruises Capital City Classic on Friday in Juneau.
The Lynx hit three from beyond the arch in the opening stanza (seven for the game) to draw the defense out and fed junior Carlos Diaz inside for four points.
Lynx senior Zach Deloney scored 10 of his game-high 26 points in the second period and junior Isaiah Pili hit a triple at the buzzer for a 34-14 halftime advantage.
The Patriots made a run in the third quarter, scoring 14 points behind sophomore Ryan DeLaurie and junior Jordan Schuster to pull within 42-28 starting the final period.
Dimond scored their third 17-point quarter total of the game in the final period behind nine points from Deloney to coast to the win as Dimond’s Pili and classmate Muhamad Cole controlled the backcourt under the pressing Patriot defense from junior DeAundre Campbell, seniors Khalil Steward, Jordan Copeland and sophomore Garrett Sommer.
Diaz added eight points for the Lynx, Pili and Cole seven apiece, Josh Fosi five and Mason Merchant, John Paul Moran and Austin Osborne two each.
DeLaurie came off the bench to lead the Patriots with 13 points, Schuster and Steward added eight apiece, Sommer six, Campbell three and Simi Skipps two.
Dimond hit 10-18 at the charity stripe; North Pole went 9-21.
Capital City Classic Day 1 Results - Juneau Empire by Klas Stolpe
JDHS 65, CORDOVA 41
Sunday December 22, 2013
The Crimson Bears had beaten Southeast 3A power Mt. Edgecumbe 56-50 on Friday.
On Saturday senior Gunnar Schultz hit nine of his game-high 23 points in the first period to keep the Crimson Bears within six points at 20-14 starting the second stanza.
“The way we are playing provides opportunities for guys to get open looks,” Juneau-Douglas coach Robert Casperson said. “(Schultz) was ready to knock them down and took advantage of the shots.”
Six different Crimson Bears found the basket in the second quarter as JDHS used an 18-11 period to take a 32-31 lead at the break.
Junior Adam Empson scored eight of his 14 points in the third quarter to help push the Crimson Bears up by nine starting the final period.
The Crimson Bears pressed the majority of the game and junior Bruce Jones had two blocks in the final quarter.
“Bruce is working hard at being a defensive presence,” Casperson said. “He is covering up any mistakes our guards make.”
Freshman Bryce Swofford added six points for JDHS, senior Dartanan Hodge-Campos, Jones and sophomore Kaleb Tompkins added five points apiece, freshman Stewart Conn added four, senior Kevin Guimmayen had three, senior Rahul Chhabria and junior Jacob Thibodeau contributed two each.
Trevor Shirnberg led Kenai with 20 points, Josh Jackman 19, Austin McKee 10, Tanner Wortham four, Keith Ivy and Kyle Foree three, Guillermo Seppulveda two and Vlad Glushkov one.
JDHS hit 12-19 at the line, Kenai went 11-18.
“We are going to try and push the pace,” Casperson said. “Defensively we are learning and getting better. The three teams we played here each approached our pressure three different ways, so it gave us a great opportunity to figure out how to react and respond. Considering the youth and inexperience of this group, I am pleased at how they stepped up. We will probably have a different leading scorer each night. We have no selfishness going on.”
Crimson Bears boys top Kardinals - Juneau Empire by Klas Stolpe
The Juneau-Douglas High School boys basketball team closed out the Powerade/Al Howard Tip-Off Tournament at Soldotna High School with their second win, topping Kenai 69-62 on Saturday.
Saturday December 21, 2013
The Juneau-Douglas High School boys basketball team showed what a rested Crimson Bears team can do with a 56-50 win over Southeast 3A power Mt. Edgecumbe on Friday at the Powerade/Al Howard Tip-Off Tournament at Soldotna High School.
"They are a very good team," Juneau-Douglas coach Robert Casperson said. "They would not go away."
Freshman Stuart Conn hit a three-pointer to give the Crimson Bears an 11-10 lead in the first quarter and a steal added two more as Juneau took a 15-10 advantage.
Juneau upped the offensive pressure to take a 33-22 lead into the break. The Crimson Bears maintained a 10-point advantage for over six minutes in the stanza.
Junior Bruce Jones picked up his third foul minutes after play resumed in the second half with the Crimson Bears up 38-29, but stayed in the game to frustrate the Braves and keep a 47-38 advantage into the final eight minutes.
The Crimson Bears spread the floor down the stretch.
JDHS held off a late rally by the Braves and advance to play Kenai in the fifth-place game on Saturday.
Casperson credited Freshman Bryce Swofford for drawing four offensive fouls on Mt. Edgecumbe.
Senior Rahul Chhabria led the Crimson Bears with 12 points and junior Adam Empson added nine. Senior Kevin Guimmayen and juniors Gunnar Schultz and Bruce Jones scored seven apiece, senior Dar Hodge Campos five, sophomore Kaleb Tompkins four, Conn three and Swofford two.
Mt. Edgecumbe got 18 points from Sky Shipton, 11 from Jalone Pepper, Donald Edenshaw scored five, Paul Kewan and Corby Kasagalie five apiece, and Jarred Olin-Duncan four.
"Guys are making the most of their opportunities when they get on the floor," Casperson said. "We have some work a head of us and the kids are excited."
JDHS had lost to Soldotna 72-60 on Thursday while Ketchikan topped Kenai 59-26 and Bethel won over Mt. Edgecumbe 54-46.
Crimson Bears rebound with win at Soldotna tourney - Juneau Empire by Klas Stolpe
Juneau holds off familiar foe Mt. Edgecumbe 56-50.
Friday December 20, 2013
The Stars were the only area squad to pick up a first-round win. Ketchikan defeated Kenai 59-26 and Colony defeated Nikiski 72-45, with Damien Fulp leading Colony with 23 points and Seth Carstens pouring in 27 for the Bulldogs. In other action, Bethel topped Mt. Edgecumbe 54-46.
Juneau had a long day of travel to get to the night game on time, and there were times during the day where there were questions if the Crimson Bears would make it for the 8:45 p.m. tip. When Juneau got there, Soldotna was able to take control of the game in the first quarter. The Stars stretched out the lead in the third quarter before Juneau mounted a late comeback in the fourth quarter.
Daniel McElroy paced the Stars with 16 points, while Austin Kruse had 12 points and Nathan Spence had 11 points.
In the semifinals of the tournament today, Ketchikan and Colony play at 6:30 p.m., and SoHi and Bethel play at 8:15 p.m.
In the fifth-place bracket, Kenai and Nikiski play at 5:15 p.m., while Mt. Edgecumbe and Juneau play at 4:45 p.m.
Saturday, the title game is at 4:15 p.m., the third-place game is at 2:30 p.m., the fifth-place game is at 12:45 p.m. and the seventh-place game is at 11 a.m.
Crimson Bears boys fall to Soldotna 72-60: Pennisula Clarion
The Soldotna boys basketball team defeated Juneau-Douglas 72-60 in the first round of the Powerade/Al Howard Tip-Off Tournament on Thursday at Soldotna High School.
Thursday December 19, 2013
That is a lot of muscle to replace and the Crimson Bears will take some lumps until they take root on the hardwood.
“We have certainly spent some time in the weight room,” Juneau-Douglas coach Robert Casperson said. “But I don’t think we are going to win any games when we step off the bus through intimidation. Our guys have worked at it but we don’t have the overall bulk and size of the last couple years. We are more spry this year.”
Top returners are Adam Empson (6 points, 2 assists, 3 rebounds) and Bruce Jones (4 points, 3 rebounds). The duo started the first half of the season and provided potent substitution strength during the second half.
“We are not returning much in the way of stats,” Casperson said. “My challenge to the guys is that there are opportunities to get on the court and play.”
JDHS averaged roughly 50 points per game, while opponents tallied 57. The Crimson Bears lost leads in the fourth quarter of seven losses. The team’s strength will be athleticism and speed. Weaknesses are lack of experience and a traditional center width in the paint.
“Our record does not indicate the number of games we were in last year,” Casperson said. “We were in them, we just didn’t finish. This year’s group is much different. With what they bring in individual abilities we can’t approach the season the same way.”
Also returning are seniors Kevin Guimmayen, Dartanan Hodge-Campos, and juniors Nathan Klein, Manasa Maake, and Gunnar Schultz. Each has the opportunity to vie for a starting position. Klein (6-foot-2, 195 pounds) is a competitive force inside, Guimmayen and Schultz spent offseason hours on their game and Hodge-Campos is a leader with work ethic.
“With guys so similar, this means our depth will be an attribute,” Casperson said.
First time varsity players are senior Rahul Chhabria, juniors Dorian Isaak and Jacob Thibodeau, and sophomores Kaleb Tompkins and Treyson Ramos.
Tompkins will provide a lift off the bench to knock down shots, Ramos is fearless on the court, Thibodeau will play multiple positions and Isaak is athletic with leadership ability. Chhabria drew praise for his off season commitment.
“He would wake up, hit the weights, go to open gym, stay extra for ball handling and really committed for his senior season,” Casperson said. “Just to make the team his final season and possibly contribute is a success.”
Two freshmen will potentially see minutes at the varsity level, Stewart Conn (6-foot-1, 175 pounds) and Bryce Swofford (6-foot-5, 170).
Conn can create opportunities and attack the basket and is not bashful with taking a shot. Swofford is extremely active and competitive and does not back down from physical play.
“We are going to have moments where it will not look pretty this year,” Casperson said. “I think we are also going to provide a lot of excitement too. This group is committed to playing a style of basketball that is new for us.”
That style begins tonight at the Soldotna Stars in a tourney that features Southeast foe Ketchikan. JDHS’ bracket includes Bethel against Mt. Edgecumbe. The other side has Colony against Nikiski and Ketchikan plays Kenai. Colony’s Damien Fulp signed to play with UAA next season.
JDHS also hosts the Princess Cruises Capital City Classic (Dec. 27-30), featuring Dimond, North Pole and Cordova. They also travel to a tourney at Lathrop (Jan. 16-18) to play the Malemutes, Monroe and Kodiak.
Crimson Bears will court inexperience through the season - Juneau Empire by Klas Stolpe
Juneau-Douglas graduated a roster of talented athletes who are pursuing college sports; Phillip Fenumiai (football), Aquino Brinson (basketball), Jeffrey Pusich (baseball), Keith Ainsworth (basketball), Jackson Lehnhart (soccer), as well as Ben Williams and Gary Speck.
Thursday November 14, 2013
Whether on dirt courts with shoeless youth or club gyms in nice neighborhoods, basketball purity is found in the joy of innocent play.
“The smile is universal,” Joe Touomou said. “Wherever you go. The funny part is when you go to those poor countries, the kids seem to be even happier over there. Despite all the struggles, you would be surprised how happy they are, every where you go.”
The smiles.
That is the first thing you noticed on the Juneau-Douglas High School basketball court as players, male and female, ran through drills led by Touomou, a Washington, D.C.-based basketball trainer and recruiter, and his assistant, Alexander Ujoh, from Nigeria.
Smiles and sweat.
“Yes, yes,” Touomou shouts. “Now you are a player. Now you are working hard.”
A chance encounter two years ago at L.A. Fitness in Silver Spring, Md., between Touomou and Crimson Bears forward Bruce Jones and his parents, led to the offer to bring the trainer to the JDHS pre-season basketball clinic over the Veterans’ Day weekend. Jones also attended training seasons with Touomou in Maryland.
“I like his body frame and I like his basketball IQ,” Touomou said of Jones. “He needs to put some muscle on his body, but he could play college if he wants to work hard enough.”
Touomou knows about working hard.
Born and raised in Cameroon, he grew up playing soccer.
Returning from boarding school one year he discovered a basketball court had been built across the street from his home.
“All my friends were playing,” Touomou said. “I thought why not try. Things went pretty fast because back then you didn’t have Internet, cell phones or cable TV. We spent a lot of time on the basketball court, and that is how I became a basketball player.”
This was when he encountered his best-remembered smile.
“We had a big game and Cameroon soccer star Roger Miller came to a game. I made a basket and I saw him clapping his hands for me,” he said. “Just to look at him sitting there and encouraging me was big.”
At age 16, playing in the African Championships in Egypt, Touomou was approached by Rob Meurs, a scout for the NBA. Meurs would later start Court Vision, a basketball scouting agency, and was hired by NIKE and Adidas.
The meeting led to Touomou attending Williamsport High School, a preparatory school in North Carolina for one year before college.
Touomou played four years for Georgetown University under legendary coach John Thompson, graduating in 1999 after a senior season as the team’s captain.
His career included a knee injury in 1995 and at 6-foot-2, his career scoring average of 1.9 points per game did not attract much attention from NBA scouts.
In 2000 he suffered a shoulder injury playing professionally for Antibes in France.
With a degree in government studies and international relations, he weighed options to work for the World Bank and World Health Organization.
“I always felt like there was unfinished business,” Touomou said. “I was never able to play basketball at the level I felt like I was able to play.”
Touomou retired from basketball and worked under University of Missouri coach Quin Snyder for two years until taking a job with the Indiana Pacers in 2003 as an international scout. That job ended when new team president Larry Bird brought his own coaching staff in. Touomou also joined many non-profit organizations and sport programs after college to give back.
“My country was a third-world country and I knew there were contributions I could make through sports,” Touomou said. “I just got involved. I wanted to share the knowledge I had accumulated throughout the years.”
His efforts have included the Cameroon Olympic Basketball Program, Adidas Nations, ABasketball (Basketball for Africa), Giants Of Africa, and SEED (Sports for Educational and Economic Development), NBA’s Basketball Without Borders, the Ring True Foundation and his own JT World Training Centers, which provides scouting services to professional teams and training professional players in their offseason and rehabilitation.
He is also an instructor for the State Department program Sports United that brings coaches from other countries to George Mason University for training. Touomou has traveled to over 50 countries through his work. He is a former Cameroon National Team coach and is being considered for a position as the Qatar National Team coach.
“Some areas of Africa, the kids love the game so much,” Touomou said. “In Africa many youths play on dirt courts with no shoes. They sometimes have to cut a bucket and hang it up for a rim, just like when basketball was created.”
The love of the game is spreading in Africa as TV has taken hold and young people relate to basketball players and musicians more now than soccer players. They encounter the same problems as American youth who learn the game.
“A lot of kids, especially the younger ones, it is the details that separates the average from the good,” Touomou said. “Footwork can be a problem but the biggest thing is shooting. Kids have a hard time shooting the ball well. Shooting is all about repetition and most kids don’t practice shooting enough.”
The emphasis in the clinics was on getting open and shooting mechanics. Touomou tells them they can’t shoot the ball if they can’t get open, and they can’t get open if they move like hippos and not cheetahs.
“When I work with kids I like to keep my workouts entertaining,” Touomou said. “I like to see a kid happy when he works out. It helps me get the message across and share the knowledge with him.”
When Touomou’s sessions ended the players caught their collective breaths and grabbed refreshments.
One by one they approached him. Their faces smiling. Their bodies swept up in his huge hugs.
“Thanks for coming,” Treyson Ramos said, embracing the powerfully built former professional player.
“You taught me so much,” Jacob Thibodeau said. “Thank you.”
“Yes, yes, thank you for having me,” Touomou answers. “We will stay in touch.”
Then he points out something individually to each that was intimated in the camp to only them.
Their smiles broaden.
Hoya on the hardwood - Juneau Empire by Klas Stolpe
Professional basketball trainer and recruiter shares at basketball clinic.
Sunday November 10, 2013
Alaska High School Basketball Begins December 2nd
Monday June 24, 2013
Juneau-Douglas High School head coach and camp director, Robert Casperson, would like to congratulate the campers on two phenomenal weeks. He was impressed with the excitement, intensity, and improvement in all the players that attended the Juneau Fast Break Basketball Camp.
Championship Friday and All-Star Saturday created an electric atmosphere. In the College championship the Duke Blue Devils emerged victorious over the Seattle University Red Hawks. In the NBA championship, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Chicago Bulls for the title. Saturday was capped off with all-star games and the presentation of trophies.
The Juneau Fast Break Basketball Camp also emphasizes the importance of making healthy life choices. Time was included during the week for special presenters to address multiple topics. Professional basketball player, Talisa Rhea, discussed goal setting with the campers. NCAA Division I football player, Faifo Levale, spoke about the academic requirements necessary to be eligible for college athletics. Jon Malacas of the Johnson Youth Center shared with the campers the realities of making poor choices, including prison food, shackles, and jail cells. Mark Calvert from the AWARE Shelter, Alaska Men Chose Respect, and Coaching Boys into Men presented on positive relationships.
The Juneau Fast Break Basketball Camp will proudly return in June of 2014.
College Division Special Awards:
Free Throw Champion: Caitlin Pusich
Best Passer: Erica Hurtte
Best Defense: Bryson Echiverri
Station Master: Kenzie Campbell
Most Hustle: Malia Miller
Most Improved: Joel Sleppy
Best Rebounder: Caitlin Pusich
Most Valuable Player: Josh McAndrews
All-Stars: Erica Hurtte, Caitlin Pusich, Owen Mendoza, Bryson Echiverri, Luke Mallinger, Derek Boord, Josh McAndrews, Kenzie Campbell, Marlis Boord, and Zoey Kriegmont.
NBA Division Special Awards:
Free Throw Champion: Treyson Ramos
Best Passer: Kaleb Tompkins
Best Defense: Treyson Ramos
Station Master: Cristina Arehart
Most Hustle: Justin Miller
Most Improved: Kordell Searles
Best Rebounder: Jesse Lantiegne
Most Valuable Player: Guy Bean
All-Stars: Jesse Lantiegne, Treyson Ramos, Rahul Chhabria, Jacob Galloway, Gunnar Schultz, Moa Maka, Kaleb Tompkins, Manase Maake, Guy Bean, Cristina Arehart, John Yadao, and Kaitlin Fagerstrom.
The Juneau Fast Break Basketball Camp operates in proud partnership with the following sponsors and businesses: The Fast Break Club, Commercial Signs & Printing, Oliver’s Trophies and Engraving, McDonald’s, KINY Radio, Kimmel Athletic Supply, Community Schools and RALLY.
The Best Basketball Camp Around
The Juneau Fast Break Basketball Camp was a tremendous success delivering professional instruction to the youth of the region.
Friday June 21, 2013
For a school project, a little girl told her second-grade class at Auke Bay Elementary School what she wanted to do when she grew up.
“I want to play professional basketball,” she said.
Roughly 15 years later, that little girl, Talisa Rhea, went on to lead her high school to two state championships, start 13 games (play in all) for Oregon State as a freshman, dominate the Pac-10 league as a sophomore and junior, lead Seattle University to the Women’s Basketball Invitational semifinals her senior year, and, yes, play professional basketball.
“I remember my first camp here,” said Rhea, a Juneau-Douglas High School alumna (2004-07), standing on the Crimson Bears’ court she had sprinted up and down, across the lanes, under the backboards, time and again. “It was a long time ago, second or third grade. I always looked forward to camp, definitely. It was always something we anticipated as a kid.”
Rhea has spent the week as a guest instructor at the Juneau Fast Break Basketball Camp, paying forward her love and talent for the game to the campers while sharing experiences that helped her dream became a reality.
“I still definitely enjoy the game,” Rhea said. “And coming here, there is no pressure for me or any of these kids. We are just having fun and learning the basic fundamentals of the game. It is fun for me to come and play around with these kids I have watched grow up. Some of them were just in elementary school the last time I saw them, now they are these huge 6-foot-5 kids.”
Four years of college and a year of professional basketball in Poland later, Rhea has wisdom to share with campers who want to play Division I college hoops or earn a living.
“It is not an easy road,” Rhea said. “The college recruiting process, becoming a professional. However, there are so many opportunities now to play college. Not every kid has to go to a to Pac 10 school or Division I school. Go to a Division II or III, NAIA. If you want to play, you can. If you put in the time and the work, you can play somewhere.
“Be realistic about your possibilities,” she said. “Not everyone is going to be Carlos Boozer and go to the Olympics. We all have to realize that and set a realistic goal.”
Rhea grew up following her father Ken to his city league games and watching the annual Gold Medal Tournament. She said she was never pushed to play.
“I just loved it,” she said.
Rhea said her goal wasn’t formalized until high school when she realized she could play Division I. Then it became her passion.
It led her to Oregon State, where she played in all 31 varsity games her freshman year and started 13. She finished second in school career 3-pointers that season and was named to the Pac 10 All-Freshman Team. As a sophomore, she started all 32 games for the Beavers, set the Pac 10 record for 3-pointers in a game, was named Pac Player of the Week, received All Pac 10 Team mention, all-academic accolades and ESPN The Magazine All-District honors. As a junior, she started all 31 games and led the Beavers in scoring, was selected All-Pac 10 Team and received all-academic honors.
Rhea sat out a year after transferring to Seattle University. As a Redhawks guard she led the team to the semifinals of the Women’s National Invitational, was selected three times by College Sports Madness as the Independent Player of the Week, was the second-leading scorer, led the team in assists and finished 26th in the nation in assist average.
While attending the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association clinic at the NCAA Women’s Final Four, Rhea was contacted by the Polish team Lotos Gdynia, known as Lotos VBW Clima Gdynia, of the PLKK League and the European League. The Euro League is the biggest in Europe with 15 countries represented. Rhea signed a one-year contract. The season ended in March, with Rhea the team’s second-leading scorer, third in assists and top in free throw shooting as she came off the bench.
“Basketball is becoming more of a business now, even at the college level,” Rhea said. “But once you start acting like it is a business, the fun starts to go away. I constantly try to find ways to keep it fun and enjoyable, otherwise you lose your passion for the game and there is no point in playing. It is like working a day job that you don’t want to be at every day.”
Rhea said her season in Poland was up and down. She had come from teams where she was the top scorer in high school and college and the go-to player, to being the first substitute off the bench.
“I was a starter since sixth grade,” Rhea said. “It is tough to go to a team and not be in that role. For me it was extra motivation and I found a different role on the team and played that role as hard as I could.”
Rhea earned numerous starts and valued the experience living in Poland, although it took her far from her personal relationships.
“I have been really lucky to have supportive family, friends and relationships,” Rhea said. “They all encouraged me to pursue basketball as far as I could and I have been fortunate. It is also extra motivation.”
Rhea is now playing the waiting game while her sports agent talks to professional teams in various destinations.
“My next goal is to get on another team in the top league of whatever country I am at and produce better numbers,” she said. “Once you reach the professional level it is about the numbers you put up and that kind of dictates how successful you are. It is good and bad because I don’t like to look at stats too much. I don’t like to base how I play on how many points I scored. For me, just getting on another team and having another opportunity and maybe eventually working for a tryout here in the U.S. I have some work to do to get to that point.”
The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has received the full backing of the male counterpart NBA and has taken a solid foothold in television viewership.
Rhea could still be asked to come back by Lotos Gdynia, though the team did not renew her contract.
“They are trying to rebuild with younger and cheaper players,” Rhea said. “I did my year and we parted ways. The experience was priceless. We got to play a lot of good players that are now in the WNBA. It was kind of like college basketball. It was intense and took up a lot of time; we just did not have the school work. Going through a professional season you realize how important it is to take care of your body and to get rest and to play hard every game.”
Rhea is based out of Seattle where she will continue training and working a part time job until a team discovers they need a little girl with a big passion for the game.
“Now is about the time teams start to pick up players and things speed up a bit,” Rhea said. “Hopefully within the next month. It is nerve-wracking, a little stressful. You are a free agent.”
Rhea said she is working on a lot of things about her game, just like the Fastbreak campers are.
“I am still working on my shot,” Rhea said. “Creating my own shot, quickness, pretty much every aspect of my game. It seems like there is always an adjustment and always room to improve.”
From high school to college, college to professional, season to season, and even from day to day in the camp, fundamentals were addressed.
Two campers spoke of getting to play with Rhea.
“It was kind of cool,” said Zoey Kriegmont, a freshman at Thunder Mountain. “I like guarding people who are better than me because it makes me work better. I just wanted to beat her.”
Middle school athlete Erica Hurtte said, “It has been really fun and really educational. I have learned a lot of new things. I also think it was very tiring.”
Rhea said that when she stepped back on the JDHS court for the camp, “I remembered how cool and amazing it was to play here... the fans and the support form the community... the students... I haven’t seen a lot of colleges that match that.”
As the Fast Break camp came to a close on Thursday, a little girl dribbled a basketball between her legs, back and forth, around her back.
She made a fake to the right and drove to her weak side.
She pulled up for a soft jump shot and the ball settled perfectly between the iron oval, nestling into the net.
Talisa Rhea was home from work, just playing a game.
Passing on the passion - Juneau Empire by Klas Stolpe
Professional basketball player Talisa Rhea, former Crimson Bears guard, returns to Juneau
Thursday June 20, 2013
Former JDHS Crimson Bears guard Dominique Brinson was chosen the Most Valuable Player at the end of season award’s banquet for the University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks recently. According to UAF media the Nanooks were picked eighth in the GNAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, in one of the toughest leagues in the country. In the season opening win against Colorado State-Pueblo, Brinson, (senior, accounting) scored 20 points. A week later, the Nanooks captured the GCI Alaska Invitational team title with three convincing victories to get off to a 4-1 start. The Nanooks started 5-1 in the GNAC and were the talk of the league but three straight defeats on the road put Alaska at 5-4 at the halfway point – still in fourth and a surprise to everyone besides the team. Three wins in the next four allowed for Alaska to sit at 8-5 in conference play and after a second straight loss in season to rival Alaska Anchorage, the defending national champions, Western Washington, The Vikings, ranked second in the country at the time, were riding a nation’s-best 30-game win streak and Western probably figured this would be the 31st in a row. Little did the Vikings nor anyone else in the gym that night know that Alaska had something different in mind. A hot start for the Nanooks, due in large part to consistent perimeter shooting and WWU’s inability to find a rhythm offensively, put Alaska up early.
WWU closed the gap and took a brief lead but the ‘Nooks answered back and as it went down to the wire in the second half, Brinson made a huge three pointer, the team made its free throws and the champs were stunned by Alaska, thus ending the streak.
The other neat aspect of that night was that Brinson’s mom, who lives in Juneau, saw Dom play for the first time live on the college hardwood.
“I was glad my mom was there because she doesn’t get to travel much having to work as a single mother,” Brinson said. “It was a special night for me. To compete with those guys says a lot about our team. Western could blow people out by 30 or 40 so to come out with that win is something I can’t explain.”
The Nanooks entered the GNAC Championship for the first time in program history as the No. 4 seed after finishing 15-11 in the regular season with a 10-8 record in conference action. Arguably its best performance of the season, Alaska was a fraction-of-a-percent off the best shooting percentage in tournament history as the Nanooks cruised to an 87-73 quarterfinal win over fifth-seeded MSU Billings. The following night, the season ended at the hands of Western, which would eventually advance to the Division II Final Four a couple weeks later.
“It was very special to have a winning record my senior year,” Brinson said of the team’s 16-12 season. “We wanted to bring the program back to what it used to be by winning, making the GNAC tournament and it was just a fun experience to be a part of.”
Looking back on the season that was, Brinson was the veteran leader on this team and his team-best 12.4 points per game put him on the All-GNAC Second Team.
“My goal was to be up there with the top players in the conference,” Brinson said. “To be considered with the best players [in the GNAC] is a great honor because there are a lot of great players in this league. It’s a lot on my team, they helped me get there in how we prepared and practiced as a team.”
Brinson was happy to play back in his home state and it is something he will hold near and dear to his heart for many years to come.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity I had to come back [to Alaska] to play,” Brinson said. “I saw Alaska on my chest every game and I knew this is where I was born and raised. It’s cool to play for a coach who knows so much and who can make players better when they come here. I was grateful to play here and to play in one of the best leagues in Division II.”
The Nanooks should be very happy still, as they have landed 2013 JDHS grad Aquino Brinson who will be a preferred walk-on. UAF head coach Mick Durham as said he plans to red-shirt the younger Brinson for his freshman season.
Alaska Sports News
Dom Brinson Most Valuable Player
Sunday June 09, 2013
While the name may be new, the goals of the Juneau Fast Break Basketball Camp will be the similar to those established throughout 35-plus years of camps offered by the coaching staff of the boys basketball program at Juneau-Douglas High School. The aim is to help campers improve throughout the week, with an emphasis on individual skill development, team play, and execution of basic fundamentals. Campers will learn offensive and defensive skills while gaining valuable opportunities to set and work towards goals, improve physical fitness, and build self-confidence… all through the fun and excitement of the game of basketball.
The camp, in all its names (Hamey’s Hoop Camp, Houston’s Hoop Camp, and Crimson Bear Cage Camp), has served as an opportunity for boys and girls basketball players from around the state, and especially the region, to come together. It has allowed campers to improve their fundamental skills, make new friends, and enjoy a week of games and competition. Pre-registered campers for this year’s installments of camp hail from all over the Inside Passage including Juneau, Hoonah, Angoon, Petersburg, Sitka, Ketchikan, and Skagway.
Participants in Camp 1 will receive a camp T-shirt, camp basketball, undergo basic skills testing, and receive a certificate of achievement for successfully completing the camp. Participants in Camp 2 will receive a camp t-shirt, camp basketball, and have the opportunity to earn special awards including: League Champ, All-Star, Best Passer, Best Defense, Station Master, Most Improved, and Most Valuable Player.
Instructors at the Juneau Fast Break Basketball Camp will include current and former high school, college, and professional players/coaches. A highlight of Camp 2 will be the return of former Juneau-Douglas High School standout, and current women’s professional player, Talisa Rhea.
Space is still available in Camp 1 and Camp 2, details available at www.jdcrimsonbears.com.
Orientation for Camp 1 (players entering grades 2-8 next year) will be today, from 4pm – 5pm at the Juneau-Douglas High School main gym. Camp will run from June 10 – 14, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. each day. All campers will begin at the JDHS gym each day. Coaches will escort some players to Harborview and/or Marie Drake for instruction, as necessary. All Campers will be picked up from the JDHS main gym at the end of each day.
Orientation for Camp 2 (players entering grades 8-12 next year) will be Sunday, June 16th, from 4pm – 5pm at the Juneau-Douglas High School main gym. Camp will run from June 17 – 21, 9am – 5pm. The All-star games and award ceremony will be held on Saturday, June 22 from 9am – 12pm.
Fast Break Basketball Camp begins tomorrow
Dust off your gym shoes and dig out your tank-tops, the Juneau Fast Break Basketball Camp will kick off two weeks of fundamental basketball instruction with Camp 1 on Monday (through the 14th) for boys and girls entering grades 2-8. Camp 2 will follow, beginning June 17-22 for boys and girls entering grades 8-12.
Tuesday May 07, 2013
The coaching staff wants to extend our gratitude to all the parents/guardians that filled vital roles volunteering this season staffing the Fast Break Club table, running concessions, housing visiting teams, etc. We would like to give a special nod to organizer-extraordinaire, Christina Rich, as she did great job wearing many of these hats in support of the season.
We would also like to acknowledge the support of the community at-large this season. All those that attended our home games and cheered us on, purchased raffle tickets, and the members of the Fast Break Club and the banner program provided the necessary financial support to fund our season.
Our thanks go out to Mark Calvert of AWARE, Inc., who was in attendance at the banquet, and has been instrumental with his guidance and encouragement during our first year implementing the Coaching Boys into Men program, a piece of Governor Sean Parnell’s Alaska Men Choose Respect campaign.
The coaching staff greatly appreciates the efforts and continued support of the JDHS administration and activities office; Principal Ryan Alsup, Assistant Principal Paula Casperson, District Athletic Director Sandi Wagner, and Activities Assistants Carrie Pusich, Cricket Curtain, and Gaye Willis.
Also, a big thank you to Klas Stolpe for the countless hours he put in to write the articles, take the photos, and provide stellar coverage of our team this season. His efforts absolutely add to the lifetime of memories created through high school athletics and activities.
Monday evening at JDHS also featured an awards banquet to wrap-up the 2012-13 Boys Basketball season. Family, friends, players, and coaches that were in attendance for the two-hour event used the time to reminisce, share stories of the past season, and celebrate the senior class as they embark on the next phase of their lives. A DVD slideshow from the season, with photos of players during game action and hanging out, was put together by Alberta Jones and thoroughly enjoyed by all. Klas Stolpe and several parents contributed photos for the slide show.
A focal point of the evening was honoring the accomplishment of the team and individuals with several awards. Some of the awards are statistical in nature and the players voted on the rest.
The winners for the JV’s special awards, as voted by team members, are as follows:
•The Most Improved award went to Raj Kumar (Jr).
•The Most Inspirational award went to Jericho Erasmo (Sr).
•The Most Hustle award went to Rahul Chhabria (Jr).
•The Best Defense award went to Dartanan Hodge-Campos (Jr).
•The MVP award went to Moa Maka (Fr).
The winners for the Varsity statistical awards are as follows:
•The Best Passer (most assists) went to Aquino Brinson (Sr).
•The Best Rebounder (most rebounds) went to Gary Speck (Sr).
•The Toughness Award (most charges drawn) went to Aquino Brinson (Sr).
•The Marksman award (highest 2pt shooting percentage) at 53% went to Aquino Brinson (Sr).
•The Deep Threat Marksman award (highest 3pt shooting percentage) at 35% went to Keith Ainsworth (Sr).
•The Mr. Clutch award (highest free-throw percentage) went to Keith Ainsworth (Sr).
The Varsity special awards, as voted by team members, are as follows:
•The Most Improved award went to Dartanan Hodge-Campos (Jr).
•The Most Inspirational award went to Phillip Fenumiai (Sr).
•The Most Hustle award went to Ben Williams (Sr).
•The Best Defense award went to Aquino Brinson (Sr).
•The MVP award went to Keith Ainsworth (Sr).
The last special award was created decades ago and named for Zach Gordon, due to his commitment to Juneau-Douglas High School athletics/activities and to supporting the youth of Juneau. It is awarded to the player that most embodies the ideals and values of Juneau-Douglas basketball on the court, in the school, and the community. This year, through team member voting, the Zach Gordon award went to Jackson Lehnhart (Sr).
As a coaching staff we would be remiss not to mention the leadership and guidance provided by the senior class this season. They were a pleasure to work with and we are proud of them for the legacy of hard work, determination, and resiliency they have left for the underclassmen to build upon.
Again, thank you Juneau for all your help. Each season is truly a “team” effort that is supported by many. We look forward to our returning/incoming players working hard to improve this off-season so Juneau-Douglas High School can continue to represent our community in a positive manner.
Sincerely,
Juneau-Douglas High School
Boys Basketball Coaching Staff:
Robert Casperson, Kevin Casperson, Steve Houlihan, Greg Huebschen, and Akeem Micheli
JDHS Awards Banquet Concludes 2012-2013 Season
The Juneau-Douglas High School boys basketball team recently held their end of the season awards banquet. During the celebration, the coaching staff noted how important the community was to our efforts this season, and in light of that, we would like to acknowledge the following groups and individuals for their continued support.
Wednesday May 01, 2013
Keith Ainsworth to Play College Basketball
Spokane Community College will add the services of Juneau-Douglas High School graduating senior Keith Ainsworth to their roster next season. This week Ainsworth signed his Letter of Intent to play for the SCC Bigfoot. The 2012-2013 leading scorer and MVP for the Crimson Bears will take his athletic ability to the NWAACC in pursuit of his Associates Degree. The JDHS boys basketball coaching staff give their congratulations to Keith and his family on this monumental occasion!
Sunday March 10, 2013
Region V 4A All-Conference
The Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears boys basketball team landed two players on the the All-Conference team this season. Senior guards Aquino Brinson and Keith Ainsworth secured their spots through aggressive and consistent conference play in the regular season. They were joined by Sam Jahn, Vili Tupou, and Matthew Seymour of Thunder Mountain, and Kable Lervick of Ketchikan.
Saturday March 09, 2013
With his team leading 55-52 and just seconds remaining, Thunder Mountain High School junior Matt Seymour calmly stepped to the free throw line to ice the Region V 4A Boys Championship and give the Falcons' their first basketball title in the school's short history.
It would have to wait one free throw.
"Yeah, I missed that first one," Seymour said. "But man, the second one felt so good. It was a great feeling when that buzzer went off, there is nothing else like it. I was in the championship last year and we lost it, that was awful. This is great."
The second one gave Seymour a game-high 17 points. Just 25 seconds earlier he scored on a twisting layup.
And with four seconds remaining Seymour stole the eight-time defending Southeast champ Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears' inbound pass and time expired and fans stormed Mt. Egecumbe's B J. McGillis Memorial Gymnasium floor.
"I want to give a shout out to Michael," Seymour said in an interview later. "Our coach read us an email from Michael, a home school kid who is a big fan of ours. We want to give a big shout out to Michael and all our fans."
Senior Sam Jahn, the team's workhorse, waited four years to defeat cross town rival JDHS in the Region V championship, to follow shots and post up, to defend the post and to hear the buzzer that signals his Falcons were going to the state tournament for the first time.
"I was so excited for our team," Jahn said. "We have been working so hard for four years now and it is just such a great feeling to finally accomplish what we have been working so hard for."
Jahn has had his arms full with Crimson Bears big men Gary Speck, Jeffrey Pusich and Bruce Jones all season.
"I was just thinking I have to go after every ball as hard as I could," Jahn said. "I had to fight for every rebound. If I got the ball inside I had to be strong with it or they would just take it away. I tried to be as strong as possible. The guys on JD are pretty tough."
Senior brothers Vili and Josh Tupou, the team leaders in composure and ball control, have battled their childhood friends for the past four years and when the buzzer sounded they hugged not only their Falcons' teammates but their brethren in the Crimson Bears' red and black as well.
"It was a good feeling to know that we beat a really good team," Vili Tupou said. "I grew up with almost all those guys, I am going to miss them a lot too. Our senior class has been working hard for this."
The Falcons were looking at a 16-10 first quarter deficit and trailed 29-21 at the half as Crimson Bears' senior Phillip Fenumiai nailed a basket at the break.
The second half was back-and-forth action.
V. Tupou hit five points in a row in the third period to cut the lead to three, 33-30 at the 3:15 mark.
"Those Tupou boys played controlled and intelligent," JDHS coach Robert Casperson said. "We used to be able to rely on them to force passes and shots... those two boys are the difference makers. To see their growth over four years and their maturity coming through proved to be very tough for us to deal with."
JDHS' Adam Empson came out of a time out to drop a soft jumper in the lane and the Crimson Bears put on a full court press for the first time in the evening.
V. Tupou found Ty Grussendorf in the corner for the first of his three triples to make it a 35-33.
Bruce Jones hit inside for the Crimson and Grussendorf hits his second three to cut it back to two. Another hoop by Jones and free throw by Speck pushed the lead to five but Seymour buried a three to cut it to 41-39 at the buzzer.
At 7:13 of the fourth quarter, clinging to a 41-40 lead, the hopes of another Crimson Bears' Region V title lay writhing on the court as JDHS senior Phillip Fenumiai landed on a defenders foot after a jump shot.
Suffering a severely dislocated ankle, Fenumiai refused to leave gym after medical personnel and coaches carried him back to the bench. Instead he gave what little he had left in vocal support.
On the next possession Seymour gave the Falcons their first lead since the first quarter on an up and under for a basket and a free throw for a 43-41 lead.
JDHS' Jeffrey Pusich answered by drawing S. Jahn's fourth foul and tied the game with two at the charity stripe. Senior teammate Keith Ainsworth rebounded a miss and fed Speck for a 45-43 Crimson Bears' advantage with 4:58 remaining.
The back-and-forth play continued as Ben Jahn, who game-to-game does all the quite dirty work on the boards, gave the Falcons a tie. JDHS' Gary Speck answered to regain the lead with a free throw.
J. Tupou hit V. Tupou for a 47-46 lead with 3:36 remaining and Ty Grussendorf hit his third shot from beyond the arch for a 50-46 advantage. V. Tupou added an old-fashioned three point play for a seven point led.
Ainsworth answered with a JDHS triple, and Seymour answered right back for a 55-49 Falcons lead.
JDHS' Jeffrey Pusich scored and fouled S. Jahn out of the game with nine seconds remaining. Teammate Ainsworth would rebound a missed free throw and get fouled, making one, missing the second and fouling Seymour on the rebound.
"I could not believe it, it was pretty surreal," TMHS coach John Blasco said of hearing the final buzzer. "I am extremely proud of these guys. They have been fighting for me for four years, putting in all the hard work truly paid off for them, I couldn't be more proud. It was a great win. It was a hard fought game. We have had quite a few comeback wins this year. The guys have a lot of confidence in each other and I have a lot of confidence in them. We just kept battling and we knew our shots would fall. We just kept attacking and finally we hit some big shots. Everybody contributed. That is the team aspect of us. Guys stepped up."
S. Jahn added 12 points for the Falcons, V. Tupou 10, Grussendorf nine, J. Tupou and B. Jahn four each. TMHS hit 8-15 at the charity stripe, JDHS went 9-15.
Pusich led the Crimson Bears with 15, Speck had 11, Fenumiai eight, Aquino Brinson and Jones six apiece, Ainsworth four and Empson two.
"We were focused and came out playing hard," Casperson said. "I know are guys are disappointed and I am disappointed for them, but I have told them all year long that all I can ask is they do their best. By far I got their best effort tonight. They played smart and played together. I am sure they would have liked a different outcome but it just wasn't in the cards for us tonight. I was proud of how they played. I hate to lose but they played as hard as they could and left everything out there."
The Falcons will play tonight at 8 p.m. against the Mt. Edgecumbe Braves in the 3A/4A crossover championship for trophy-less southeast bragging rights. The Braves defeated top ranked Sitka 55-45 for the Region 3A title and trip to state.
"We will approach it to win," Blasco said. "We want to go out and compete to win every game."
Falcons claim first Region V basketball title - Juneau Empire by Klas Stolpe
Thunder Mountain tops Juneau-Douglas 56-52
Friday March 08, 2013
A big rebound by Juneau-Douglas High School senior point guard Jackson Lehnhart in the fourth quarter drew the fifth foul on Ketchikan’s hot shooter Brien Auger and the Crimson Bears survived a 60-58 nail biter in the loser-out game of the 4A Region V Basketball Championships at Mt. Edgecumbe’s B. J. McGillis Gymnasium on Thursday.
Senior Gary Speck’s seven rebounds in the fourth quarter and Ainsworth’s first free throw of the game with five seconds left sealed the win.
“We had a great team effort on both sides of the ball against a very determined opponent,” JDHS coach Robert Casperson said. “The Ketchikan kids had a lot of heart and play extremely hard the entire game and today was no exception.”
The Crimson Bears drew two quick fouls on Ketchikan mainstay Malik Alamenzor with just a minute gone in the first quarter but the Kings rallied to take a 16-12 lead at the break seven minutes later.
Back-to-back baskets by Kayhi’s Brien Auger gave the Kings a 21-12 advantage in the first moments of second quarter action.
Keith Ainsworth hit a deep triple and Bruce Jones blocked a Kayhi shot off the glass.
Ketchikan stretched a lead to ten 28-18 with three minutes remaining in the first half when Phillip Fenumiai took a rebound and drove the length of the court to draw a foul and sank both shots at the charity stripe.
Aquino Brinson hit two of his own from the line to bring the Crimson Bears within three points at the break, 30-27.
“I believe the difference in the game was that we were willing and able to match their competitive drive for a full 32 minutes,” Casperson said. “It was truly and entire team effort with everyone contributing at some point throughout the game, which is what we talked about pre-game.”
Fast paced action pushed the third quarter score to 36-32 Kings with just two minutes gone.
Gary Speck followed a Brinson miss to close within two points. After a Kayhi free throw, Brinson scored underneath on a tip pass from Speck and Ainsworth drew a charging call against the Kings for ball possession with 3:36 left in the period.
Ainsworth then cut back door and received a lob pass from Fenumiai for the Crimson Bears’ first lead of the game, 38-37 with 2:39 left in the period.
Brinson drew his third foul of the game to join Speck and Fenumiai on the danger list.
Kable Lervick gave the Kings a three-point lead and Fenumiai drove the floor to cut that margin to one with less than a minute in the third. Kayhi’s Auger was called for his fourth foul on an offensive drive but JDHS could not get off a final shot and trailed 41-40 starting the fourth quarter.
Fenumiai hit two free throws to give the Crimson Bears a one-point lead. Pusich hit two more for a 44-41 advantage for their biggest lead of the game.
In one 10 second stretch Lervick buried a triple for the Kings, Ainsworth dunked on a base line drive to pull the crimson Bears within one and Alex Pihl drove right down the middle to score for the Kings and draw Ainsworth’s fourth foul and a 49-46 Ketchikan lead.
A deep three by Ainsworth off the glass tied the score at 49 but Isaiah Navales came right back to score and earn Adam Empson’s third foul and a Kings lead.
Fenumiai scored on his own follow, Speck on a Fenumiai miss to pull within one and to tie game at 52 from the line with three minutes remaining.
Speck followed with two more charity stripers to give JDHS the 56-54 lead with 2:43 remaining.
Speck hit another free throw to give JDHS the 58-54 lead with 20 seconds remaining and Ketchikan’s Navales drove the floor to cut the lead to two with 11 seconds left.
Ainsworth was fouled and hit two free throws to seal the win and a last second shot by Kayhi’s Malik Almenzor at the buzzer notched the game’s final basket.
“I am proud of our guys,” Casperson said. “But our job is not finished. We will have to replicate today’s focus and desire against Thunder Mountain.”
Ainsworth led the Crimson Bears with 18 points, Fenumiai added 13, Speck and Empson nine apiece, Brinson six, Pusich and Jones two each, and Lehnhart one.
Lervick led the Kings with 12 points, Auger and Navales had 10 apiece, Phil eight, Gass seven, Almenzor six, Colton Paulsen and Mo Bullock two each and Erwin Malabanan one.
The Crimson Bears will play Thunder Mountain at 4:45 today in the championship game. A win for JDHS means both teams will battle again on Saturday. A win for TMHS will be the Falcons first Region V basketball championship.
Crimson Bears' boys nip Kings 60-58 to earn title bid - Juneau Empire by Klas Stolpe
JDHS tops Kayhi in must-win game, will face TMHS in championship
Thursday March 07, 2013
Senior guard Dominique Brinson (Juneau, Alaska/Accounting) and junior center Sergej Pucar (Belgrade, Serbia/Business administration) were both honored on the All-GNAC Second Team while junior guard Pat Voeut (Bellingham, Wash./Communication) was tabbed as a GNAC Honorable Mention selection.
“I think those three are very deserving,” Durham said. “Our team by finishing fourth had a very good GNAC season so I’m excited for them. Anytime you finish higher than people expect, you feel good about that and we definitely did that.”
In only his second year at the helm, Durham led the Nanooks to their first winning season in six years with a 15-11 overall record and turned in the program’s best mark in conference play in seven seasons with a 10-8 record to finish in fourth place.
“It’s a great honor for Mick and a great acknowledgement of the program,” director of athletics Gary Gray said. “He and the team worked very hard and what a tremendous turnaround in one year. He is well deserving and it says a lot about his ability and speaks really well for the future of the program.”
The Nanooks won GNAC Team of the week three times throughout the 2012-13 season and its three All-GNAC honorees were named Player of the Week a combined five times. The signature win of the season, which clinched the program’s first post-season berth since 2005, was against Western Washington on Feb. 21, in which the ‘Nooks snapped WWU’s program- and GNAC-record 30-game win streak with a 77-73 victory at the Patty Center.
“I sure felt we could be a top-four team with how we recruited and we were able to do that,” Durham said. “I sure didn’t think we were an eighth-place team and I don’t think we overachieved. I think we played to our ability and that was fourth place.”
Durham shared the Coach of the Year accolade with WWU’s first-year head coach Tony Dominguez, who led the Vikings to the regular-season title with a 26-1 overall record and 17-1 mark in GNAC play.
Brinson led the team and ranked 12th on the GNAC’s scoring list with 12.5 points per game. He also ranked eighth in three pointers made (2.0) and ninth in free throw percentage (.831). Brinson recorded 15 double-figure scoring games and five 20-point games, which included a season-best 28 points at home against Western Oregon. He drained a career-high six treys in that win.
“You want your seniors to have a great season to remember and Dom has been very consistent,” Durham. “He’s our leader, he’s our second-year senior and he leads by example. He’s done that since last season ended. He had a great summer and I’m excited he was able to get this honor.”
Pucar turned it on the second half of conference slate and finished the regular season with 11.2 points per game while ranking tied for seventh in the GNAC with 6.9 rebounds per outing. Despite his size and being a post player, he was one of the league’s top three-point shooters as he connected on 45.8 percent (33-72) of his shots from beyond the arc. Pucar scored in double figures on 16 occasions and brought down 10-plus rebounds five times. He had career-highs of 26 points in the upset win over Western Washington and 16 rebounds, which he achieved twice in the road trip at Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene.
“Sergej just really came on the second half of conference and had two outstanding weeks where he was named Player of the Week,” Durham said. “We go how Sergej goes because he gives us that inside game and is also tough to guard because he can pop out and shoot it.”
Voeut ran the offense for the Nanooks at the point guard position and was solid on the defensive end as well. He was 18th in the GNAC with 11.8 points per game while also leading the league with 5.3 assists per game. In addition he was third in steals (1.7), ninth in assist/turnover ratio (1.8) and 10th in free throw percentage (.828). Voeut recorded 16 double-figure scoring games and his season highlights included 25 points at Central, nine assists versus WWU and five steals against Seattle Pacific.
“Pat has been the leader on the court as the point guard,” Durham said. “We recruited him to be our point guard and he knew that the day he signed with us. It was a great opportunity for him and he really took advantage of it. He gets a lot of credit for being a leader on both ends of the court.”
The Nanooks fly to Lacey, Wash., this week for the GNAC Men’s Basketball Championship and will face fifth-seeded Montana State Billings in the first round Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. (PST).First Team: John Allen (WWU), Jarrell Crayton (MSUB), David Downs (SPU), Kyle Fossman (UAA), Paul Jones (WWU), Mark McLaughlin (CWU).
UAF's Brinson named to All-GNAC team - Juneau Empire
PORTLAND, Ore. – Second-year head coach Mick Durham has been named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Coach of the Year while three men’s basketball starters were named to the All-Conference teams, the league office announced Monday afternoon.
Wednesday March 06, 2013
The Ketchikan Kings hit four free throws in the final minute and stole a last second inbounds pass to top the Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears 51-47 at the Region V basketball tournament in Mt. Edgecumbe on Tuesday night.
Ketchikan (1-0) will advance to face top seed Thunder Mountain (0-0) today at 4:45 p.m. in the double elimination format. JDHS (0-1) will play the loser of that game on Thursday at 9:45 a.m.
The Kings (1-0) hit three triples in the first quarter to take a 14-9 lead.
Six-foot-two senior guard Phillip Fenumiai went 6-7 from the free throw line and scored 11 points in the second quarter to spark the Crimson Bears.
Ketchikan stole a pass with 30 seconds left to tie the score at 23-all but Keith Ainsworth followed a JDHS shot to score at the buzzer for a 25-23 Crimson Bears advantage.
Aquino Brinson hit a layup at the buzzer to give JDHS a 39-34 lead ending the third period.
At the start of the fourth quarter Fenumiai was whistled for a charging foul and Jackson Lehnhart fouled on the defensive end but Kayhi managed just one point.
The Crimson Bears then traveled to give up the ball again and Kable Lervick scored on a baseline drive to cut the lead to 39-37 with six minutes remaining.
Alex Pihl dished off for a score and then drove for another as the Kings took a 44-43 lead with 4:02 remaining in the game.
A Crimson Bears turnover and a missed shot with a Pihl rebound gave the Kings a spread offense set. With three minutes remaining the Kings took a 45-43 lead.
Another missed Crimson Bears shot and the Kings brought the ball up court.
The Kings spread the court, forcing JDHS to chase and foul.
The Kings hit two free throws with 44 seconds remaining to open a four-point lead.
Fenumiai saved a loose ball on the JDHS end and drove to the hoop and fed a team mate for a layup.
The Crimson Bears fouled with 20 seconds remaining and put Kayhi on the line for a three-point lead.
Jackson Lehnhart drove the length of the floor to score and close within one, 48-47.
Malabanan was fouled and hit two free throws for a three-point lead with 10 seconds remaining, 50-47.
The Crimson Bears called time out and when they inbounded the ball the Kings picked it off. Alex Pihl was fouled and made one free throw to push the final lead to four.
Fenumiai led JDHS with 14 points and Ainsworth added 10.
Kayhi stuns JDHS boys 51-47 in tourney opener - Juneau Empire by Klas Stolpe
Free throws advance Kings to face top seed Thunder Mountain
Monday February 25, 2013
That is not in the Falcons nature.
After Friday’s 62-43 win over Juneau-Douglas High School, TMHS (7-1 conference, 18-6 overall) went head-to-head with the Crimson Bears (3-5, 8-16) on Saturday and came away with a 57-52 win.
Ty Grussendorf and Josh Tupou gave the Falcons an early 6-0 lead and JDHS’ Jackson Lehnhart went back-to-back to pull the Crimson Bears even in a game that saw 15 lead changes and three buzzer beaters.
Josh Tupou broke a 15-15 tie at the end of the first quarter with a make at the buzzer.
JDHS went on a 6-0 run at the end of the second quarter on baskets by Keith Ainsworth and Lehnhart to lead 30-23 with four seconds remaining.
That was just enough time for Ben Jahn to can a three-pointer and pull the Falcons to within four points at the half.
The Falcons tied the score at 36 with 1:55 remaining on a Vili Tupou drive, B. Jahn hit two free throws and Grussendorf went back door for a 40-36 advantage and momentum with just seconds remaining. This time JDHS got the finish as Phillip Fenumiai hit a length of the floor lay in with time expiring to cut the score to 40-38 starting the final quarter.
JDHS’ Ainsworth tied the score for the last time with 7:25 remaining in the final stanza. A basket by Sam Jahn inside and a key momentum triple by Mike Uddipa started a 9-0 run and the Crimson Bears did not find the hoop until 1:42 remained and Aquino Brinson slashed in for a score. JDHS could not get closer than five points down the stretch.
TMHS shot 20-39 from the field and 11-17 at the charity stripe; JDHS hit 21-39 outside and just 9-22 at the line. TMHS had eight turnovers to seven for JDHS.
Sam Jahn had a game-high 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Falcons, B. Jahn added 13 points (6 RB), J. Tupou (4 RB, 2 AST) and Grussendorf seven points apiece, V. Tupou (5 AST) six, Matt Seymour four, and M. Uddipa three.
Fenumiai led JDHS with 10 points (3 AST, 1 ST), Lehnhart nine (4 RB. 2 AST), Ainsworth (2 AST, 1 ST), Brinson (2 AST) and Gary Speck (7 RB) eight apiece, Jeff Pusich four, Nathan Klein three, and Adam Empson two.
Next up for Juneau teams are the Region V Championships at Mt. Edgecumbe on March 5-9.
Saturday's season finales hard fought at Thunder Dome - Juneau Empire by Klas Stolpe
After clinching the Southeast Region V Basketball Tournament top seed on Friday night, the Thunder Mountain High School Falcons boys could have let up on senior night Saturday and coast into the championships next week.
