<\/a>Thunder Mountain senior TJ Guevarra blocks a shot by Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé sophomore Brandon Casperson during the Falcons 63-58 win over the Crimson Bears in the championship game of the Alaska Airlines Region V 4A Basketball Tournament on Friday at Mt. Edgecumbe High School’s B.J. McGillis Gymnasium in Sitka. (James Poulson\/Daily Sitka Sentinel)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
“Man, I don’t even know, I was just thinking, ‘Get out on the fast break,’” Baxter said of his game-defining work. “I knew when he (senior teammate TJ Guevarra) stole the ball that he really sealed the deal there. He had hit two free throws, a three before that. Man, he was awesome when it really came down to it. I was just thinking about getting out on the fast break and then I dunked that.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
The pass came from Guevarra, who stole the ball with JDHS looking for a final shot to tie the game.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“What was going through my brain was, like, I didn’t want them to score,” Guevarra said. “He had hit a three because I had helped off on Brandon (Casperson) and I was, like, I can’t let that happen again. We have to win this game and cut the net. I just tried my hardest the last minutes of the game because I wasn’t playing my best so I had to do what was right for the team.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Guevarra already had six assists and was a terror on defense through the first three quarters, closing out on the perimeter to record two blocked shots.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“As a point guard, I know we have so many scorers on the team so I have to do my job,” he said. “Just distribute the ball to them and take some of the load off if they are being pressured and JDHS has good shooters so I have to close out on the perimeter.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Alwen Carrillo (3) drives against Thunder Mountain senior James Polasky (24) during the boys championship game of the Alaska Airlines Region V 4A Basketball Tournament on Friday at Mt. Edgecumbe High School’s B.J. McGillis Gymnasium in Sitka. (James Poulson\/Daily Sitka Sentinel)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
TMHS senior James Polasky landed awkwardly earlier in the first half and sprained his ankle, but gutted out his minutes on the court.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“I don’t know,” Polasky said of the injury. “There was something else that just got me through it. I told Sam (Lockhart) halfway through the game that we need to win today so I don’t have to play tomorrow. I’m just glad we could get the W.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
With the game tied at 50-50 and 2:49 remaining in the fourth quarter, Polasky was triple-teamed in the post but pivoted and lifted a soft hook shot for a 52-50 lead.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“I was feeling good,” Polasky said. “The ball was going in the hoop, teammates were getting me open underneath the hoop.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
JDHS senior Sean Oliver would drain a three on an inbounds play to take a 53-52 lead, but TMHS senior Sam Lockhart hit a basket for a 54-53 lead.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Lockhart had been getting special attention from the JDHS defense after he put up 39 against Ketchikan on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“My teammates do a great job of setting screens,” he said. “I think focusing on the other guys gets me open. I didn’t have to force anything. It all just came from our offense. I can’t take credit for any of it.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>Thunder Mountain players huddle after a score against Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé during the boys championship game of the Alaska Airlines Region V 4A Basketball Tournament on Friday at Mt. Edgecumbe High School’s B.J. McGillis Gymnasium in Sitka. (James Poulson\/Daily Sitka Sentinel)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
Lockhart’s stat line also included five rebounds and six assists.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“I love to crash hard,” he said of rebounding. “My center (Polasky) always gives me crap about it, he hates how I just come flying in and steal his rebounds. It is the little things I have learned over my life. It’s the little things in basketball that win you games. Making the right pass and rebounding, those are going to win you games. I take pride in doing both of those.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
JDHS senior Alwen Carrillo drove and lifted a shot over Polasky for a Crimson Bears 55-54 lead with 1:18 remaining.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
The Falcons’ Guevarra then hit from the arc for 57-55 and blocked his second shot of the game, which Lockhart controlled for a timeout with 47 seconds left to play.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
TMHS would work the ball under heavy JDHS pressure, and Guevarra made two free throws for a 59-55 lead with 27 seconds left.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
JDHS sophomore Brandon Casperson connected on a shot past the arc with 16 seconds remaining to close the Crimson Bears to 59-58.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
JDHS then fouled Lockhart immediately on the inbounds pass, sending the all-state guard to the charity stripe with 15 seconds remaining in the game.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>Thunder Mountain seniors Thomas Baxter and James Polasky hug after the Falcons defeated the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears 63-58 in the championship game of the Alaska Airlines Region V 4A Basketball Tournament on Friday at Mt. Edgecumbe High School’s B.J. McGillis Gymnasium in Sitka. (James Poulson\/Daily Sitka Sentinel)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
Lockhart said he was thinking, “I’m going to make these two. I want to be the one shooting these. I’m not going to miss them.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Both shots nestled into the nylon for a 61-58 lead and set the stage for a game-tying shot by the Crimson Bears.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
With JDHS’ Carrillo getting pressure, TMHS’ Guevarra stripped the ball from behind and hit Baxter downcourt, who hammered a one-hand dunk.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“This group has just been through so much over the years, and we stuck together through it all,” Baxter said. “When it really mattered, our senior year, we all performed, we worked together and we pulled away with it. I just give props to my team. Everyone was hitting shots and playing with confidence. We scrapped for rebounds and were physical on some of their better players. We locked in on defense and worked together. It was awesome.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
To start the game, JDHS took a 1-0 lead on an Oliver free throw and TMHS’ Lockhart matched that score.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Oliver scored for a 3-1 lead and then the Falcons went on a 12-2 run, with scores and steals by Baxter, Lockhart and Polasky for a 13-5 lead after eight minutes.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
JDHS pulled to within 13-12 starting the second quarter as Oliver scored on a break, senior Jhowel Estigoy hit two free throws and junior Gavin Gerrin hit past the arc.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Both teams would score in short bursts, with the Falcons holding a 10-point advantage, 27-17, with under two minutes remaining in the first half.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t