Sophomore Hudson Sage and senior Trevor Cox combined for 45 points on Saturday night to lead the Haines High School boys to their first conference basketball win since qualifying for state in 2014.
The Glacier Bears split the season-opening home series with Craig, falling 65-60 on Friday and winning 62-56 on Saturday.
“Some of the guys made some big improvements,” said coach Steve Fossman. “Hudson had a really good weekend, and Trevor.”
Friday’s scoring totals included Cox, 18; Sage, 16; sophomore Dylan Swinton, 12; senior Matthew Green, 10; and junior Jacob Stigen, 4. Cox drained three 3-pointers, and Swinton tallied a whopping 19 free-throw attempts but made fewer than half.
Cox connected on three 3-pointers again Saturday on his way to 24 points. Sage was an early spark, with 17 points in the first half and 21 for the game. Green added 9 points, Swinton, 6; and Stigen, 2.
Fossman said “it was good for the guys to get a win,” but cutting down on turnovers will be a priority, as Craig created many opportunities off full-court pressure.
The Glacier Bears had little time to savor their win, as they left town Monday night for games against Petersburg and then Wrangell.
The Haines girls matched the boys’ 1-1 record against Craig. Both Glacier Bear squads won on the same night for the first time since each topped a junior varsity Thunder Mountain squad at home last January.
The girls, as expected, arrived in Craig on Friday with only a few minutes until tip-off. Coach Greg Brittenham said “even with every excuse not to do well” after the lengthy trip, the Glacier Bears put in a solid performance in a narrow, 42-40 loss.
Senior Destinee Cowart notched a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Sophomores Brittney Bradford and Tulsi Zahnow scored 6 each, senior Kayley Swinton, 5; sophomore Makayla Crager, 4; senior Jenae Larson, 2; and senior Autumn Gross, 1.
Brittenham said after trailing early during the second game, the girls turned up their defensive pressure following a timeout. He said the team aims for “turkeys” on defense, or three defensive stops in a row from turnovers or low-percentage shots.
The game was a defensive struggle, and a late Bradford free throw provided the final margin in the Glacier Bears’ 31-30 victory.
Swinton had 11 points, Crager, 5; Cowart and Zahnow, 4; Bradford, 3; and Gross and junior Jordan Stigen, 2.
Brittenham said the girls “are crashing the boards” and “finding their teammates who are open,” with almost every Glacier Bear basket on Saturday coming off an assist.
The Haines girls host Wrangell this weekend at Karl Ward Gymnasium.