<\/a>Thunder Mountain High School seniors Mikah Carandang (4), Jenna Dobson (5), Kara Strong (33), Ashlyn Gates (2), Kairdree Hartman (24) and Jaya Carandang (3) pose for a photo outside their locker room after the Falcons final game of the 2024 ASAA March Madness Alaska 4A Girls Basketball State Championships on Saturday at Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center. (Klas Stolpe \/ For the Juneau Empire)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
TMHS is slated to convert to a middle school next year, with all high school students consolidated at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé as part of a restructuring plan approved by the Juneau Board of Education to deal with an ongoing financial crisis. Six Falcons varsity players returning next year will become part of the JDHS Crimson Bears’ program.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Thunder Mountain (23-5) trailed 2-1 when Mountain City (23-4) put together a 15-2 run over the first eight minutes of action for a 17-3 advantage on an assortment of shots by seniors Maliyah Alex and Morgan Maldonado and sophomore Jasmine Schaeffer.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“We’ve gone through a lot of ups and downs this season with our streaks and stuff,” TMHS senior Jenna Dobson said after the game. “I’m proud that we all worked hard to the end even though it didn’t have the outcome we wanted. I’m really excited for the girls who aren’t graduating to play next year because I know they are going to do amazing things.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
The ups, downs and amazing things hit in the second stanza as the Falcons outscored the Lions 15-7 on scores by junior twins Kerra and Cailynn Baxter, senior twins Jaya and Mikah Carandang, senior Ashlynn Gates and sophomore Cambry Lockhart to close within six, 24-18, at the half.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“I’m just so proud of the team, as a captain, watching everyone grow through the years,” Gates said after the game. “Just growing in skills and growing together as a team. It’s been amazing to get to know everyone on this team and I’m really sad to be leaving, but I’m excited to see how they do next year.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>Thunder Mountain High School senior Cailynn Baxter takes hard defense from Mountain City senior Morgan Maldonado during the Falcons’ 52-37 loss to the Lions in the 3rd\/5th-place game of the 2024 ASAA March Madness Alaska 4A Girls Basketball State Championships on Saturday at Anchorage’s Alaska Airlines Center.(Klas Stolpe \/ For the Juneau Empire)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
The Falcons found themselves falling behind again as the Lions opened the third quarter on a 15-2 run to lead 39-20.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
K. Baxter scored and was fouled. She missed the free throw, but C. Baxter battled for a reverse layup to trail 39-24.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Mountain City’s Maldonado struck from the arc and K. Baxter answered with two scores and J. Carandang another to trail 42-30 after three periods of action.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
The Lions’ Schaeffer scored the first basket of the game and was answered by the Falcons’ K. Baxter who scored from the field and then added two free throws to cut the deficit to 44-34.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Lions’ sophomore Keelie Kronberger hit from past the arc and Maldonado had a steal for a basket for a 49-34 advantage.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
With 1:47 remaining to play in the game Thunder Mountain’s K. Baxter hit the last basket in the girls’ historic and final season.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
TMHS head coach Andy Lee put in five of his seniors to play the finish.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“I think back, you know, to being a freshman and coming up here (Anchorage) and losing, like 16-70 to some of these teams and getting kind of embarrassed…and know, our senior year, although we didn’t win today, getting to compete with some of those teams was really exciting to see how this program grew from being freshmen to being seniors.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t