Varsity Boys Basketball
VHS Boys Varsity Basketball at Seward, Courtesy of Dalon Gage
VHS Varsity Boys Basketball Wrap-Up [February 3 – 5]
Courtesy of VHS Coaches – The first weekend in February and the Seahawk Classic marked the halfway point of the regular season for the Bucs, who were coming off an undefeated January and sit atop the Aurora Conference with a 4-0 record. While a long trip to Seward, the 4-team round robin tournament offered a respite from conference play and new opponents, as the 2021-2022 edition featured the Bucs, Seward Seahawks, Bethel Warriors, and Ninilchik Wolverines.
Thursday, February 3rd: Valdez 67, Bethel 41
The Thursday afternoon matchup between the Bucs and Bethel Warriors was the first time Coach Cronk took the hardwood against his former school. Bethel, who typically travels well, sported an energetic and vocal crowd that appeared genuinely pleased to see the former coach of their squad. At least off the court.
The Cronk-led Bucs wasted no time exerting their will against the Warriors once the game began, jumping out to a 17-10 first quarter lead and 33-15 halftime advantage. The Bucs’ stifling on-ball and interior defense held the undermanned Warriors to a single two-point field goal in the first half.
The Bucs continued their consistent offensive output in the second half, scoring 17 in the third and 18 in the fourth while cruising to a comfortable 67-41victory. The vast majority of the scoring for the Bucs occurred in the paint, where they had a dominant 50-14 advantage. Behind the arc the Bucs shot a dismal 1-of-13 (7.7 %), with Payton Gage and Bryce Tucker going a combined 0-for-10.
Dennis Mott muscled his way to 17 points and 8 rebounds. Payton Gage netted 14 and Hunter Mathews scored 10 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter. Allen Watson chipped in 10 and was named Player of the Game, largely due to his relentless defensive effort.
Friday, February 4th: Valdez 49, Seward 36
When in Seward in February…go to the Alaska Sealife Center. For some of the players/manager it was the first time they were there since their 5th grade field trip, for others it was the first time ever. For others (ahem…Josh) it was a dream come true. This much was evident when the team took a sharp right and spent the first 45 minutes inside the gift shop picking out their new team hat of pink jellyfish, black squid, or a shark consuming their cranium. Perhaps even more notable was the lack of participants for the touch tank of starfish, sea cucumbers, and anemones. It was a nice team-building activity leading up to gametime.
Friday’s nightcap featured the 10-1 Bucs taking on the host Seward Seahawks, who entered the game 2-8 for the season. Heavy underdogs, the Seahawks kept their hometown fans engaged throughout behind a 19-point performance from their point guard and several hustle plays on the defensive end.
The Bucs took a 19-9 first quarter advantage but were outscored in the second quarter and entered halftime with a 29-20 lead. At the end of the third quarter the Bucs lead 43-30. In the fourth quarter the Seahawks point guard scored 6 points, as did the Bucs offense. Despite the lackluster performance, the Bucs escaped with a 13 point win.
While the Bucs never trailed in the game, they were not particularly sharp or focused throughout the contest. By most measures this was a classic “trap” game, with a showdown against the undefeated Ninilchik Wolverines slated for Saturday afternoon.
The 49 point total was only the second time all season the Bucs failed to reach 50 points. The lower-than-average point total was a byproduct of a second consecutive night of subpar perimeter shooting and an over-reliance on the 3-point shot. Over ⅓ of the total shots from the floor were 3 pointers, all taken from two Buccaneer players. For the game they were a combined 5-for-18 (27.8%) behind the arc.
Payton Gage registered 4 of the makes from long-range, along with 5 made free throws and zero 2 point baskets, to lead all Bucs with 17 points. Dillon Fowler shot a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor, recorded 12 points, and was named Player of the Game.
Saturday, February 5th: Valdez 63, Ninilchik 64
The Duke-UNC matchup later in the afternoon paled in comparison to the much-anticipated Valdez vs. Ninilchik showdown near high-noon on Saturday. From the onset it was the matchup that locals and visiting teams alike were talking about. The Ninilchik Warriors entered the contest undefeated and averaging 77.3 points per game. They were fresh off a 93 point performance the day before against the Bethel Warriors. The Valdez Bucs entered the game 11-1. Kudos to the Athletic Directors and schedule makers considering the schedules and tournament slots are cemented approximately 12 months in advance.
To the credit of the Bucs, they did not enter this game with the mindset that they could sleepwalk their way to a victory. They knew it would be a hard fought battle going into it and were well equipped and prepared.
While it has not been directly communicated, it is assumed there is a word limit on these writeups. Thus, anything communicated here in abbreviated format will likely not do the actual game justice. If a reader is wont to do so, the game can be viewed on the Seward High School gym or Albert Plan YouTube channels. If one finds themselves in isolation or in need of a few hours of viewing, it is highly recommended, as it is more entertaining than the Scrubs reruns and a likely game of the year candidate for Alaska high school basketball.
The Bucs came into the game intent on slowing the high-powered Wolverine offense, and were successful in doing so for much of the game. Defensive intensity and offensive execution led the Bucs to a hard fought 28-24 lead at halftime, in which the feeling was they survived the first half with two starters in foul trouble. The third quarter was played largely even until the end, when Ninilchik hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to end the quarter knotted at 44 apiece.
With eight minutes to play the game was essentially reset, and the fourth quarter marked the highest scoring quarter for each team. The Bucs maintained the lead throughout and, with approximately 2 minutes to play, they held a three possession lead. Shortly thereafter, the Wolverines implemented the Hack-a-Shaq tactic, which led to 18 attempted free throws for the Buccaneers in the fourth quarter.
As has been discussed before, free throw shooting has been an issue for the Bucs all season. They entered the Ninilchik game shooting 101 for 182 (55.5%), and 30 for 60 (do the math) in the fourth quarter this season.
Six different Buccaneers went to the line in the fourth quarter, shooting a combined 11-for-18. Nick Alfaro sank the final Buc free throw with 4.4 seconds remaining in the game to extend the Valdez lead to 63-61. A quick Valdez timeout ensued, allowing each time to gameplan the final seconds with the Wolverines inbounding the ball beneath the Valdez bucket, needing a 2 to tie or 3 to win.
Valdez employed a full-court man-to-man with the instructions to not allow any Wolverine to catch the ball with momentum towards their basket. The inbounds went to the explosive point guard of the Wolverines who was fading towards the Buccaneer sideline. An initial bobble of the first dribble or two seemed as if a turnover and Buc victory was imminent. However, the Ninilchik player was able to gather control, dribble to the three point line, and launch and release at the buzzer.
Pandemonium ensued as the shot banked in at the buzzer, securing a 64-63 Wolverine victory.
During the subsequent awards ceremony, the Seward High School Athletic Director called the game the best one that has been played in their gym. For the Bucs it was a loss that (should) sting for awhile, but has tremendous potential for team growth. While it is easy to magnify the fourth quarter and free throw shooting deficiencies, those possessions in the first three quarters are theoretically equally as important. To that end, the Bucs have some work to do this coming week. Specifically, defending the BLOBs (baseline out of bounds) and executing their own offensive sets and SLOBs (sideline out of bounds).
Payton Gage led the Bucs in scoring with 18, while Dillon Fowler cashed in 16 points and his second consecutive Player of the Game honors.
Next Game: Valdez finally gets to play host this coming weekend, as Valentine’s weekend marks the arrival of the 44th annual Elk’s Tournament. The field for the tournament is a stout one, and the only tournament thus far that the Bucs have played in that has a winners and losers bracket. The eight teams participating on the boys side are: Valdez, Monroe, Bethel, Nome, Houston, North Pole, Delta, and Cordova.
Given the makeup of the bracket the exact schedule and matchups are unable to be advertised, however the Cordova vs. Valdez “Battle of the Sound” is alive and well and will take place at 8:30 Thursday night.
Varsity Girls Basketball
Girls Varsity at Seahawk Classic Basketball Tournament
Courtesy of VHS Coaches – The Girls Varsity Basketball team was on the road once again, traveling to Seward to compete in the Seahawk Classic Basketball Tournament.
Thursday; February 3, 2022
Valdez 30 – Bethel 39
The Girls started off the tournament playing the Bethel Warriors. It was a close game through out all four quarters. Bethel lead 11-10 after the first quarter, 19-14 at the half, 28-22 at the end of the third quarter, and outscored the Buccaneers in the fourth quarter to win 39-30. Bethel was strong on the defensive rebounds and limited the Valdez girls to only 2 offensive rebounds in the first half.
Kylie Gilbert had 9 points and was the Valdez “Player of the Game”. Lilly Brown contributed 6 points and Carsyn Hinkle and Momoe Togaga’e each had 4 points. Ambrosia Woodgate had 3 points and Lucy Selanoff and Mya Christoffersen each had 2 points.
Friday; February 4, 2022
Valdez 14 – Seward 25
The second game of the tournament was against the host team, the Seward Seahawks. One minute into the game, point guard, Kylie Gilbert was in a scramble for a loose ball and she ended up hitting her chin on the floor. She had to exit the game to get 5 stitches in her chin. Without Kylie, and the teams other strong guard, Kelsey Prax, the team struggled against Seward’s full court press. The girls were down 4- 14 at half time, and battled back the second half, but lost 14-25. The team showed a lot of desire and heart, never giving up and players stepped up to play positions that they never played before. Carsyn Hinkle, Momoe Togaga’e, and Carlie VanBuskirk each had 4 points and Ambrosia Woodgate had 2.
Carsyn Hinkle was named the Valdez “Player of the Game”.
Mya Christoffersen placed second in the Tournament Freethrow Contest on Friday Afternoon!
Saturday; February 5, 2022
Valdez 51 – Ninilchik 23
The final game of the tournament was a Saturday morning game against Ninilchick. The girls adjusted to being short a couple guards as Mya Christoffersen and Lily Brown stepped up to help in handling the ball. Hard working defense held Ninilchick to only 5 free throws in the first half.
Carsyn Hinkle lead all scorers with 13 points, Lucy Selanoff with 8 points, Momoe Togaga’e had 7 points, Ambrosia Woodgate and Mya Christoffersen had 6 points each, Lily Brown and Carlie VanBuskirk had 4 points each, and Katarina Taylor had 3 points. Ambrosia Woodgate and Mya Christoffersen lead the team in rebounds with 6 each. Ambrosia Woodgate was named the Valdez “Player of the Game”.
Next week is the 44th Valdez Elk’s Basketball Tournament! The first game for the Varsity Girls will be on Thursday night at 7:00 pm against the Cordova Wolverines.
J.V. Boys Basketball
JV Boys @ Redington Tournament
Courtesy of VHS Coaches – This weekend the JV Buccaneers traveled to Wasilla to compete in the ACR Rally in the Valley Tournament at Reddington High School. Their first game Thursday was against the Homer Mariners.
Both teams started off shooting well from the floor in what was a fast paced game right from the tipoff. After one quarter Valdez was holding onto a 12-7 lead.
In the second quarter the hot shooting by both sides continued. Some slow defensive rotations and foul troubles allowed Homer to outscore the Bucs by 5 in the quarter ending the half in a 28-28 tie.
At the start of the second half, Valdez began to run their full court press defense and were able to score some quick easy baskets off of turnovers. Homer, however, was able to continue their hot shooting with some great post play and take advantage of some of Valdez turnovers. After three quarters Homer lead 43-41.
Valdez and Homer both had already been playing at a fast-paced, high level throughout the game, but the intensity would keep going up with each passing quarter.
Throughout the fourth quarter Valdez and Homer were going back and forth trading high pressure shots. Some untimely fouls on made baskets had Homer take a 3 point lead with less than a minute remaining in regulation. With not much time left, Valdez ran a play to get an open three, executed it perfectly and were able to tie the game. Homer failed to convert on their end and Valdez drew a foul, however weren’t able to convert the free throws and the game headed to overtime tied 53-53.
The high intensity play continued throughout overtime. Both teams were exchanging big time buckets while the crowd was roaring from excitement of tournament basketball. Valdez unfortunately continued to stay in foul trouble, having two starters foul out in the period, and sending Homer to the free throw line which kept them within striking distance. Valdez was able to take the lead with less than 30 seconds remaining. Homer’s impressive post play again down the stretch proved to be too much for Valdez to contain and The Mariners were able to score a short jump hook at the buzzer to send the game to double overtime tied 62-62.
Double overtime began. Valdez and Homer both showed great toughness and resilience throughout what would be the final period of gameplay. Both teams hunkered down and played some great defense, each team only scoring two field goals. With four second left in 2OT, as had troubled them throughout the game, Valdez fouled and sent Homer to the free throw line where they converted one of the two shots to take a 1 point
lead. Dribbling the length of the court, Valdez sent up a prayer, weren’t able to convert and unfortunately ended in defeat.
The double overtime thriller showed great resilience and character for both teams. The leading scorers for Valdez were Gavin Morris with 28 and Jarrett Gage with 19.
Friday afternoon Valdez faced the home town Reddington Huskies. Although this game didn’t carry near the excitement as the previous night’s contest, Valdez still would show up ready to play. Using their press defense Valdez very quickly jumped out to a quick lead and never looked back.
Although they won the first quarter 21-4, Reddington was able to outscore Valdez in the second quarter by two points.
The second half was a similar story to the first, and Valdez would end up coasting to a 45-22 win. The leading scorers for Valdez were Jarrett Gage with 19 and Gavin Morris with 12.
Valdez’s final tournament game came Saturday afternoon where they faced the Palmer Moose.
The Bucs started great on defense and were able to generate a few steals which lead to an early lead. Aggressive drives to the basket and some hot three point shooting kept Valdez in the game, but Palmer was able to overcome that and Valdez faced a 17-25 deficit after one.
Valdez continued to shoot well from three and were aggressive drawing fouls to earn some free throw shots and managed to outscore Palmer by two points ending the half in a 35-41 deficit.
In the second half, Palmers size and length would end up being too much to overcome and the Moose would end up coasting to a 72-50 win over Valdez. The high scorer for the game was Jarrett Gage with 32.
The Valdez JV boys are now 3-2 on the season and look to keep improving in their next games which will be in Fairbanks against Hutchison High School February 18th and 19th.