The Thunder Mountain High School girls basketball team roared back for a big conference win on Saturday following a road-weary loss on Friday.
Both games were played against Ketchikan High School at Ketchikan. Kayhi won 43-35 on Friday, and TMHS won 60-38 on Saturday.
“We finally came out in the third quarter and put a team away, and that’s a growth,” said TMHS coach Andy Lee in a Monday morning phone interview.
He said 10-for-12 free-throw shooting from sophomore Cailynn Baxter on Satuday, strong rebounding from junior Ashlyn Gates, who hit double digits in boards in both games, and 7 points in about four minutes of game time for junior Jaya Carandang were among the standout moments from the two games.
Thunder Mountain’s Cailynn Baxter (23) attempts a layup during Saturday’s game at Ketchikan High School, which Thunder Mountain won 60-38. (Christopher Mullen / Ketchikan Daily News)
TMHS now sports a 13-7 (2-2 in-conference) record ahead of a cross-town clash on Tuesday with Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé at JDHS.
The Lady Kings now have a 2-4 conference record, splitting four games with TMHS and two losses to JDHS.
Lee said Saturday’s four-quarter effort following a hard-fought loss is an encouraging sign of improvement and growth. He said coaches continue to preach consistency as the team has demonstrated it can hang with some of the top girls basketball teams in the state.
“We’re playing well, and that’s the key,” Lee said. “It’s one thing to be in the mix and we’re playing well in the mix, and we’re winning close games.”
The game against JDHS will tip off at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday.
Thunder Mountain’s bench cheers after a steal during Friday’s game at Ketchikan High School, which Thunder Mountain lost 43-35. (Christopher Mullen / Ketchikan Daily News)
• Contact Ben Hohenstatt at bhohenstatt@juneauempire.com or (907)308-4895. Follow him on Twitter at @BenHohenstatt.
