Payton Gage at Elks Tournament, Photos Courtesy of Joe Prax
VHS Varsity Boys Basketball Wrap-Up [February 9, 10, 11]
Courtesy of VHS Coaches – The 45th annual Valdez Elks Tournament kicked off on February 9th, which was arguably the nicest day in Valdez this winter thus far. The tournament drew student-athletes from Redington, Delta, Barrow, Cordova, Seward, North Pole, Wasilla, and Sitka (Mt. Edgecumbe). If you happened to be driving around town on Thursday you likely noticed the vast amount of players and coaches alike wandering the streets in team or Elks tournament apparel, marveling at the beauty Valdez had to offer.
While not AS spectacular as the outside scenery that day, the action inside the Valdez gym all weekend was pretty good as well. As is customary, Valdez supporters showed out in force – both as spectators and volunteers- to make the tournament a success and one in which schools throughout Alaska clamor to participate in each year.
Thursday, February 9th: Valdez 68, Redington 36
The 8th game of the day, and the tournament, featured the Valdez Bucs taking on the Redington Huskies – a matchup of coaches who know one another well from their respective Bethel days. The Bucs, after having been on the road for about a month and forced to wait 7 games prior to tipoff, were excited to take the court in front of a typical Elks Tournament home crowd.
A little too excited, it turns out, as the first quarter was riddled with missed shots that lacked the finesse the Bucs normally possess. While the Bucs attempted 13 shots in the first quarter, only 4 found their mark (30%) and the Bucs trailed the Huskies 13-12 at the end of the first. After that the Bucs settled in and converted at a rate they are more accustomed to, powering out to a 34-19 halftime advantage.
The third quarter belonged to the Bucs, as they outscored Redington 24-6 (behind 3-of-5 shooting beyond the arc) to take a 58-25 advantage into the final stanza and en route to a 68-36 victory.
The Buccaneer defense, a point of emphasis entering the tournament, was active and effective throughout the game, creating 24 Huskie turnovers behind 11 steals and 10 deflections. The Bucs also recorded a season-high 3 charges taken in the contest – 2 by Hunter Mathews and 1 by Jarrett Gage.
All 10 eligible Buccaneers entered the game and recorded a positive statistic. Payton Gage led the Bucs in scoring with 27 points, followed by Bryce Tucker with 19. In limited action, Jarrett Gage stuffed the stat sheet with 8 points, 1 steal, 1 rebound, 3 fouls, and two missed free throws to go along with his charge taken. Owen Watson snatched 8 rebounds.
Dillon Fowler Fights for a Ball against Redington
Friday, February 10th: Valdez 47 , Barrow 50
The win on Thursday cemented a Friday night matchup against the team that traveled farthest to participate – the Barrow Whalers. As usual, Barrow’s roster featured accomplished ball handlers and a trio of big men. Defensive pressure, connectedness, and rebounding were the points of emphasis entering the game.
Valdez once again sported their home white uniforms, which were recently (and partially) laundered at the time of tipoff. The damp jerseys didn’t impact the Bucs much to start the game, as their shots were “wet” early and often. The Bucs shot an impressive 50% from the floor, including 2-of-4 behind the arc, in the first quarter to establish an early 16-11 lead. The hot hands continued into the second quarter, as shooting improved to 55% and another nine points coming off of made 3-pointers, to stretch the Buc advantage to 13 (33-20) at the intermission.
The message at halftime included continued defensive pressure as well as a concerted effort to get easy shots, points in the paint, and to work the ball inside. From the onset, the beginning of the third quarter suggested that the game might turn into one of each half telling a different story. As expected, the Whalers implemented a 2-3 zone defense. As feared and warned not to let happen, the Buccaneers stopped penetrating the gaps of the zone, showed a reluctance to feed the ball into the posts, and instead settled on shooting three pointers. Unlike the first half, they were not converting at a high rate (going 2-for-8 in the quarter). The Buccaneers only managed to net 8 points in the 3rd quarter, with their lone two-point basket coming at the buzzer with Bryce Tucker hitting a contested 10-footer on the left baseline. That basket allowed the Bucs to limp into the final stanza with a 41-37 lead.
The fourth quarter saw much the same offensively, as the Bucs went 0-for-6 from deep and saw
their shooting percentage plummet like a shot down UFO off the Alaska coast. The Bucs followed up a poor scoring third quarter by only posting 6 points in the quarter, being outscored 13-6, and ultimately falling to the Whalers by a final score of 50-47.
A quick glance at some statistics and one need not look any farther to see where the Bus went astray on Friday night. As a team they only shot 2 free throws the entire game. Remarkably, the two free throws they DID shoot came within the first 70 seconds of game action – meaning the hard charging, rim attacking, slashing Buccaneers did not get to the line in over 30 minutes of actual game action. As equally disappointing was their rebounding prowess in the second half – when they were outrebounded 18-9, including 9 offensive rebounds to the Whalers.
The Buccaneers were led in scoring by Payton Gage (19) and Bryce Tucker (18). Not a single Buc successfully drew an offensive foul.
Saturday, February 11th: Valdez 62, North Pole 37
Friday’s loss forced the Buccaneers into a Saturday matinee contest with the North Pole Patriots – a matchup on paper that the Buccaneers should dominate. Coming off of a tough loss at home, for many of the players in their final Elks Tournament, it was a test of the mettle and makeup of the team to see how they would respond.
Early indications were that the Bucs showed up to play and prove a point. They jumped out to a 17-1 lead in the first quarter and won the second quarter as well, taking a 29-12 lead into halftime. The Bucs won both of the ensuing quarters as well, ultimately prevailing by a score of 62-37.
Responding to the challenge and criticism from coaches, the Bucs caused 25 turnovers that resulted in 32 Buccaneer points. Additionally, the Bucs shot 14 free throws during the game- doubling their attempts from the previous two games combined.
All eleven rostered and eligible Buccaneers entered the game and recorded a positive statistic. Bryce Tucker led the Bucs, with 26 points, and Payton Gage chipped in 22. No other Buccaneer scored more than 4 points, as Gage and Tucker accounted for 41 of the 54 shot attempts. Hunter Mathews successfully drew an offensive foul.
Notes:
All Tournament Team: Bryce Tucker and Payton Gage were named to the All-Tournament Team. Tucker averaged 21 points per game, while Gage averaged 22.7 points per game and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
3 Point Award: In recent history, the Elks Tournament has acknowledged and awarded a trophy to the team that makes the most 3-pointers in their three days of the tournament. The Bucs won this year’s award, making 15 three-pointers total.
FT Award: The Elks Tournament has also traditionally recognized the team with the highest free throw shooting percentage. The Bus took home that honor as well, shooting 20-of-26 (76.92%) from the line over the course of three games.
Upcoming games:
The Buccaneers will enjoy another weekend at home, as they take on the Hutchison Hawks on Friday and Saturday (February 17th and 18th).