The Fraker sisters from Yakutat have never suited up together for a Gold Medal tournament. They proved Tuesday what can happen when they’re all together.
In Yakutat’s 61-41 victory over Angoon to open up play in the Women’s Bracket, Katrina and Rose Fraker combined for 37 points. A third Fraker sister, Nadine, didn’t score but was heavily involved throughout.
“It’s crazy,” Rose said of playing with her sisters. “It’s different. I’d always played with my sister Katrina. We’d played in high school, but Nadine, we’re five years apart, so this is the first time that we’ve all gotten to play.”
This is the first time Rose has played in the tournament since playing a key role in Yakutat’s overtime championship victory over Angoon in the 2014 Gold Medal finals. She sat out the 2015 event as she was pregnant, and Yakutat didn’t qualify for the tournament in 2016.
Rose picked up where she left off in 2014, hitting a long three to start her day before scoring 17 points in total. Katrina did all of her damage inside the arc, scoring all 20 of her points on two-pointers or free throws.
Yakutat advances in the winner’s bracket, set to play at 6 p.m. Thursday against the victor of Haines and Hoonah’s matchup. Angoon will take on the loser of that Haines-Hoonah game at 9 p.m. Wednesday.
Angoon’s Carmaleeda Estrada played aggressively, leading her team with 18 points despite early foul trouble. She hit a trio of three-pointers, showing no hesitancy to shoot from deep. She and her teammates continued their aggressive play all game, including using a full-court press in the final minute despite being down 20.
Sounds of bodies hitting the floor for a loose ball and skin scraping against the hardwood were common. Stomps and coordinated chants rained down from the stands, which were nearly full on the north sideline and more than half full on the south. Estrada traced the intensity of Tuesday’s contest to the dramatic 2014 championship.
“Ever since that 2014 game,” Estrada said, “we’ve kind of developed this friendly rivalry and they’re great games because we’re both aggressive teams. It’s always an exciting game regardless, and that’s definitely what happened today.”
Yakutat began pulling away midway through the first half, when offensive rebounds and a quick scoring barrage from Katrina Fraker helped create some separation. Yakutat went on a 9-0 run after leading 14-11, including seven second-chance points from Katrina, to build a double-digit cushion.
Angoon went into halftime down 36-20, but began the half on an 11-4 run to get back within single digits. It seemed, however, that every time Angoon made a run, Yakutat had an answer.
Janie Jensen was particularly effective after halftime, scoring nine of her 15 points in the second half and constantly finding room in the paint to operate. Yakutat’s lead ballooned to as many as 23 points, as the Frakers and Jensen scored and rebounded at a relentless rate.
There’s still room for the group to grow, Rose pointed out, but Yakutat’s chemistry has it set up for success.
“Our team works really well, we’re all respectful of each other, we understand each other,” Fraker said, “and it shows.”
• Contact reporter Alex McCarthy at 523-2271 or alex.mccarthy@juneauempire.com
Yakutat’s Katrina Fraker, left, challenges Angoon’s Rosanna See for the ball during the Women’s Bracket game in the Lions Club’s Gold Medal Basketball Tournament at Juneau-Douglas High School on Tuesday. Yakutat won 61-41. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
Yakutat’s Kim Buller, left, and Nadine Fraker team up against Angoon’s Patricia O’Brien during the Women’s Bracket game in the Lions Club’s Gold Medal Basketball Tournament at Juneau-Douglas High School on Tuesday. Yakutat won 61-41. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)
