The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears boys basketball team defeated the Homer Mariners 71-46 on Friday at the Palmer Elks Showdown in Palmer.
A low shooting percentage in the first quarter by both teams still fell in the favor of the Crimson Bears as they led 18-9 after eight minutes.
In that quarter, JDHS missed over 12 shots, and had six fouls and four turnovers. They led 12-2 at one point. Homer racked up 13 misses from the field, three fouls and three turnovers, and closed the quarter on a 6-2 run.
“We certainly did miss more than our fair share of good looks at the rim, layups and stuff,” JDHS coach Robert Casperson said. “We could have put a little more pressure on them earlier in the game that way, if we had scored some of those layups and rewarded ourselves for good defense.”
It was the combined team hustle on defense that kept the Crimson Bears in front along with seniors Ahmir Parker, Pedrin Saceda-Hurt and Gavin Gerrin, and juniors Brandon Casperson, Elias Dybdahl and Tyler Frisby finding the score book.
Parker tallied six points in the stanza, and Dybdahl had four points, four rebounds and a blocked shot.
“One thing I liked was that our defense was creating our offense all throughout the game,” coach Casperson said. “But especially in the first quarter setting the tone. We discussed it, all that hard work you have to reward yourself, focus on your finish, put the ball in the square, and get back on defense and do it again.”
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé junior Tyler Frisby shooting against Ketchikan last weekend. Frisby was credited for his play off the bench in Friday’s 71-46 win over Homer at the Palmer Elks Tournament in Palmer. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire file photo)
JDHS continued the effort into the second period, defensively recording steals by Gerrin, junior Kurt Kuppert and Casperson, but also missing 18 shots on offense, most of those possessions caused by their stellar defense.
Sophomore Logan Carriker came into the second period and provided a spark with five rebounds and four points. Saceda-Hurt, Kuppert and Frisby also tallied points and Casperson hit a pair of free throws to send JDHS into the half leading 33-13.
“The guys are settling into roles in the sense, like, when you come off the bench a lot of kids think that I have to start or else I’m not one of the best players,” coach Casperson said. “That’s not true. There are so many different ways to impact the game. When you come off the bench you get the advantage of kind of watching how the other team is doing things, and the guy you are going to have the chance to guard, how does he defend?…So you get to really set yourself up for success. I think guys coming in off the bench are doing that more and more, and it is working out pretty well. I think Elias played great for us. He had some really nice rebounds and good post-up moves, a couple blocked shots. So you get to see that stuff when you are on the bench. You see the offensive players’ tendencies. You figure that out. And you come in and they might be a little tired, too, and you’re fresh…I think Tyler Frisby has been doing a great job in that role for us off the bench…That is really going to help us pay dividends as we move forward in having that kind of depth and consistent contribution coming from guys as they enter the game coming off the bench.”
Homer’s Justus Grimes and Spencer Dye scored the first two baskets of the second half, but JDHS went on a 15-2 run on multiple scores by B. Casperson, Parker and Frisby for a 49-20 advantage, and coasted into the final stanza leading 59-35. Five steals in the stanza by Casperson, Parker, Frisby, Saceda-Hurt and junior Loren Gasga were key, as were four rebounds by Dybdahl.
Homer senior Henry Wedvik hit to start the final quarter, but Kuppert started a 6-0 run and JDHS led 65-38.
JDHS’ pressure defense into offense continued in the final period, and they finished in Crimson Bears fashion as Dybdahl rebounded and fed Casperson on the break, who slowed and passed to the trailing Dybdahl down the lane for their final bucket of the game.
Homer found the final basket at the buzzer in the loss.
Parker and Frisby led JDHS with 12 points apiece, Casperson had 11, Gerrin eight, Dybdahl seven, Kuppert and Carriker six apiece, Saceda-Hurt five and Gasga four.
The Crimson Bears hit 16-18 from the free throw line, the Mariners 7-11.
Wedvik led Homer with a game-high 18 points, Einar Pedersen had eight, Grimes seven, Preston Stanislaw six, Dye three and Ben Engebrestsen and Graham Plumlee two apiece.
JDHS improved to 5-6 overall (0-2 in 4A Southeast Conference). Homer plays in the 3A Peninsula Conference.
The Crimson Bears take on 4A Northern Lights Conference host Palmer on Saturday.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.
