The Haines High School basketball coaches say next season’s success will be determined by the work that players put in during the summer, developing skills.
The Glacier Bear basketball season came to an end quickly at the recent Region V Basketball Tournament in Juneau, where the boys’ and girls’ squads each lost two consecutive games.
In the opening round, the boys lost a back-and-forth game against Craig on March 8, 58-52. The game was a reversal of a Glacier Bear victory against Craig only two weeks previous, when multiple players scored in double figures and local guards nullified the Panthers’ full-court defensive pressure.
But in the tournament, Craig forced numerous turnovers with its full-court defense and knocked the Haines offense off balance. Dylan Swinton continued his strong play, leading the team in scoring with 31 points and grabbing rebounds. Hudson Sage added 12 points, but other players were held to four or fewer points.
Coach Steve Fossman acknowledged Craig’s effort. “You’ve got to tip your hat to Craig. Their back court, defensively, came to the tournament with a lot of intensity and that helped them.”
Having defeated Craig three times in the regular season, the game may have deflated the Bears, who lost to Wrangell, 51-33, in the second-round game March 9. The boys ended their season with a 5-21 record.
The team’s top scorers – Sage and Swinton, both of whom will be seniors – will return next season, but the squad’s fate will hinge on the work that players do before December, Fossman said.
“I hope all the guys will come back with some improved, individual talent, whether it’s getting up shots, playing organized ball in the summer, or just working on ball-handling,” Fossman said.
In girls’ play, the Glacier Bears opened the tournament on the afternoon of March 8 with a 58-43 loss against Wrangell, the only league team they beat all season.
Brittney Bradford, 15 points, and Makayla Crager, 18 points, led the team in scoring and continued the strong play they demonstrated all season. Coach Greg Brittenham credited Marissa Haddock for energy, grabbing rebounds and applying intense defensive pressure.
After the loss, the girls faced an 8 a.m. game in the second round on March 9. They fell to Petersburg 39-26 and concluded their season with a 2-18 record.
Brittenham said he was proud of his team’s effort and praised seniors Bozhi Sebens and Jordan Stigen for their leadership during the season.
Looking ahead, with the team’s core nucleus of young players and its top scorers – seniors-to-be Bradford and Crager – all returning next season, Brittenham spoke about the importance of ball control.
“That’s what I want to address. This year, going into next year, we are going to cut down on our turnovers,” Brittenham said. “We are only going to be as good as the hard work we put in” in the off-season.
As both the boys’ and girls’ teams face a long nine months until next season, fans can only wait to see if the players will rise to their coaches’ challenge and make the individual improvements necessary to contribute to improved team successes next year.