Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Pedrin Saceda-Hurt scores against Ketchikan earlier this season in the George Houston Gymnasium. The Crimson Bears fell to Monroe on Friday 84-71 in the Colony Basketball Classic at Palmer. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire file photo)

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Pedrin Saceda-Hurt scores against Ketchikan earlier this season in the George Houston Gymnasium. The Crimson Bears fell to Monroe on Friday 84-71 in the Colony Basketball Classic at Palmer. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire file photo)

JDHS boys fall to state’s fifth-ranked Monroe

Crimson Bears lose game in final minutes against patient Rams

The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé boys basketball team fell to Alaska’s fifth-ranked Monroe Catholic Rams 84-71 on Friday at the Colony Basketball Classic in Palmer.

The Crimson Bears showed they could play patiently and nearly defeated the team known for meticulous ball control until forced to foul in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter.

“Monroe is a good team,” JDHS coach Robert Casperson said. “They present some different challenges with the type of scorers they have, and the size they have that can rebound and do a little bit of scoring inside.”

Monroe senior Tucker Williams and junior Armani Smith scored the first baskets of the game, but JDHS got a shot past the arc and a free throw from senior Pedrin Saceda-Hurt, and another shot outside the arc from junior Joren Gasga to take a 7-4 lead.

The game would be a shooting contest from distance between JDHS’ Gasga and Monroe senior Jett McCullough in the first half.

Gasga had five points in the first quarter and McCullough 10, but JDHS had a 17-14 first-quarter lead.

Players on the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé bench earlier this season help the referees with a call against Soldotna in the George Houston Gymnasium. The Crimson Bears fell to Monroe on Friday 84-71 in the Colony Basketball Classic at Palmer. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire file photo)

Players on the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé bench earlier this season help the referees with a call against Soldotna in the George Houston Gymnasium. The Crimson Bears fell to Monroe on Friday 84-71 in the Colony Basketball Classic at Palmer. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire file photo)

The two sides would not hold more than a four-point spread in the second quarter.

JDHS senior Ahmir Parker was too much for the Rams to handle as he scored six of the Crimson Bears eight points to open the second quarter with junior Brandon Casperson getting the other basket.

Monroe’s Smith, Williams and Adam Geyer kept the Rams close and Smith hit two shots in a row for a 25-23 Monroe lead with just over three minutes left in the first half.

Parker tied the game for JDHS on a rebound put-back.

Monroe’s McCullough hit two shots in a row for a 29-25 Rams lead.

JDHS’ Gasga hit two shots from past the arc in succession and Monroe’s McCullough would hit two in a row, including a buzzer-beater for a 34-31 lead at the half.

“I think everyone played hard,” coach Casperson said. “Everyone contributed. We got guys into good spots with their spacing to be able to create shooting opportunities, and we didn’t just stand around and shoot threes. We attacked the rim and that collapsed the defense, and gave us kick-outs and more opportunities, or drop-downs and dumpoffs for guys inside. It was balanced. I liked the attack, I liked the approach. Against a good team like that you have to maintain your defensive presence and finish, and we didn’t today.”

JDHS’ Saceda-Hurt hit from distance to open the second half, tying the game at 34-34, but Monroe answered with a pair of free throws by Geyer and a shot past the arc by Smith for a 39-34 lead.

A rebound put-back by JDHS senior Ben Sikes and a Parker shot past the arc tied the game at 39-39.

After Monroe scored on an inbounds play, JDHS’ Saceda-Hurt tied the game on a pull-up jumper, Parker scored on a cross over and Gasga spun around a defender in the lane for a 45-41 Crimson Bears advantage.

Monroe sophomore Zavier Oleson scored, and McCullough hit from distance and again in the lane for a 48-45 Rams lead.

Saceda-Hurt hit a deep shot to tie the game and senior Gavin Gerrin added another for a 51-48 advantage with a minute remaining in the stanza.

JDHS junior Elias Dybdahl blocked a shot by Monroe’s McCullough with 28 seconds left, but the Crimson Bears turned the ball over.

Monroe got the ball into the hands of McCullough and he fed Oleson, who was fouled and hit both shots.

JDHS lost the ball with 16 seconds left and Monroe’s McCullough hit a scoop shot at the buzzer for a 52-51 lead with eight minutes left to play.

“We were right in that game through most of it,” coach Casperson said. “It was back and forth, and in order to try and get a lead and put some distance you have to get stops. And we didn’t get any defensive stops while they did. They got some defensive stops, put a few of them together in a row and built a lead. Even once we started scoring again the damage was done and we had to start fouling. They made sure to keep the ball in the hands of their best shooter and that’s who went to the line, and he continued to hit free throws and keep the distance between the two teams. Limited our avenues to return.”

Monroe would not surrender the lead again as Williams rebounded a missed JDHS shot to start the fourth quarter and was rewarded on the other end on an assist by Smith for a 54-51 advantage.

JDHS’ Saceda-Hurt and Dybdahl matched buckets by Monroe’s Williams and Smith to stay close at 61-55.

JDHS’ Gasga scored on a drive and Parker stole a ball and fed Dybdahl on a break to pull within 61-59.

After a Williams bucket for Monroe, Gasga drove inside to pull within 63-61, the last time the Crimson Bears would get that close.

Monroe’s Geyer hit from distance and another closer in. After JDHS’ Casperson hit inside, Monroe’s Smith found a layup for a 70-63 lead with three minutes remaining and JDHS called a timeout.

A missed Crimson Bears shot after the rest was turned into a shot past the arc by the Rams’ Geyer.

After a pair of Gasga free throws, the Crimson Bears tried to get the ball out of McCullough’s hands, but the Monroe marksman would hit and be fouled for a 76-65 lead, and then would proceed to hit eight free throws down the stretch to finish the Rams’ 84 points, while JDHS got two scores from Saceda-Hurt and one from Casperson to give the Crimson Bears 71.

Gasga led the Crimson Bears with 19 points, Saceda-Hurt added 18, Parker 15, Casperson eight, Gerrin five, Dybdahl four and Sikes two.

JDHS hit 3-4 from the free throw line, Monroe 13-14.

McCullough led the Rams with a game-high 39 points, Smith added 15, Geyer and Williams 13 apiece and Oleson four.

Monroe improves to 8-3 overall (2-0 and in first place in the 4A Mid Alaska Conference). The Rams are ranked fifth in the state.

“We’ll see them again later in the year,” coach Casperson said. “For a weekend series at home. Both teams I’m sure will improve between now and then. We’ll see what adjustments we’ve made and how things are working for us at that point of the year.”

JDHS, 5-9 overall (0-2 in the 4A Southeast Conference), face state top-ranked East Anchorage on Saturday. The Thunderbirds are 6-0 overall and lead the 4A Cook Inlet Conference with a 2-0 record.

“It will be a real similar game in the sense that they can create problems with their guards and scoring and stuff that they have and with rebounding,” coach Casperson said. “It is going to be the story of our season really. We just have to settle in and accept it and do the work.”

East defeated Monroe 60-55 on Thursday and Colony on Friday.

The Crimson Bears lost to the state’s third-ranked Colony Knights (6-4 overall, 1-1 in 4A Northern Lights Conference) 64-54 to open tournament play on Thursday.

• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.

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