The Haines Glacier Bears girls’ basketball team played their best basketball when the game was on the line and defeated both Wrangell and Craig in elimination games to earn the right to represent Region V at Alaska’s March Madness tournament in Anchorage. The tournament berth is the first for a Haines girls’ team since well before any members of the current squad were born.
“I’m excited,” Raven Hotch told the CVN. Merissa Verhamme agreed, “I’m really excited about it and really happy!”
Emma Dohrn offered some historical perspective. “It’s the first time the girls have gone to state in twenty-two years.”
The Region V tournament commenced on Wednesday with the third seeded Glacier Bears tipping off against the second seeded Craig Panthers. Soon after the bended guitar notes of Nate White’s rendition of the national anthem stopped reverberating around the Thunder Mountain High School Gymnasium, Craig had taken a 6-0 lead. Haines missed six consecutive free throws to start the game and didn’t score until 1:10 remained in the first quarter when Ari’el Long grabbed a steal and fed her sister Grace Long for a fast break layup. By half-time the Glacier Bears had cut the lead to 20-18.
In the second half the Glacier Bears generated some offense with their defense. Their full-court press created three steals that led to fast-break lay-ups, but the Panthers managed to slowly increase their lead and in the end, with time slipping away, Haines was forced to foul. Craig had enough success at the free throw line to secure a 37-31 victory. Alison Benda had 12 points for the Glacier Bears and Ari’el Long had 10, but it was a rough way to start the tournament and Haines was forced to play their way through the loser’s bracket. The regional champion and runner-up from Region V Division 2A both earn a trip to state.
Haines next played the fifth-seeded Petersburg Valkyries with their press and started to find a rhythm on offense. They jumped out to a 26-3 half-time lead, with Benda, MacKenzie Dryden and Emma Dohrn all connecting from behind the three-point arc. The second-half was an opportunity for all of the players on the Haines bench to get some Regional tournament experience. Freshman Audrey Bader drained a 14-foot jump shot as part of Haines’ convincing 38-16 win. Ari’el Long had 12 points on the back of five steals. Dohrn had eight rebounds to go along with her pair of three-pointers.
The fourth-seeded Wrangell Wolves were almost the Cinderella story of the tournament on Thursday when they nearly upset the top-seeded Metlakatla MisChiefs. Metlakatla was able to pull away in the final minute and escaped with a four-point lead, but the Wolves clearly demonstrated that they were a serious contender for a spot at state.
Haines faced Wrangell in the dreaded Friday morning win-or-go-home game. It turned out to be the game of the tournament and another dramatic comeback victory for the Glacier Bears.
When the two teams met in Haines this January, the Glacier Bears were able to demoralize the Wolves in the backcourt cruising to two victories. This time the Glacier Bear press was effective at forcing turnovers including a 10-second and a five-second violation, and four steals that led to fast-break lay-ups. The problem was, they weren’t scoring any points with their half-court offense. Gracie Stickler’s offensive rebound and put-back were the only two points that the offense was able to generate and Haines found themselves down 20-10 at the half.
Early in the third quarter, Haines pounded the ball into the low-post where Stickler was able to battle through Wrangell’s stifling 2-3 zone and over their 6-foot center Kiara Harrison for three buckets. Meanwhile on the other end, Harrison’s dynamic skills threatened to take control of the game as she hit shots and dished assists to cutting teammates, staking her team to double digit leads in the third and four quarters.
It was getting late, and the Glacier Bears’ backs were to the wall. What happened next may be best described as a group of friends who weren’t ready for their time playing together to be over. Benda drained a three from deep downtown. Grace Long hit a three. Benda hit a pair of free throws. Grace Long hit a pair of free throws. With 2:45 in regulation, Grace Long scrapped for a steal and fed her sister who drained a three to make it a six-point game, 39-33. Benda flexed deep into her free throw stance and drained two more free throws, one of which bounced high off the rim before falling through the net. Another Ari’el Long three-pointer brought the Glacier Bears within one and then Grace Long’s three-pointer gave the Glacier Bears the lead, 41-39.
After scoring only 20 points in the first three quarters, the offense erupted for 21 points in the fourth, all without the benefit of a single two-point field goal.
Wrangell’s Kayla Meissner hit a pair of clutch free throws to tie the game and at the end of regulation, it was Haines 41, Wrangell 41.
In the pressure-cooker of playing the overtime of a do-or-die game, there were moments of anguish over a missed shot or a potentially costly foul. Haines captain Grace Long could be seen calming her younger teammates with a word or a hug. Ashlynn Ganey spoke about those interactions, “It’s very comforting. Even though you messed up, it’s okay if your team’s there to comfort you.”
There were also moments of great joy and celebration.
Ari’el started the scoring in overtime by making a steal and driving the length of the court for a fast break layup. After Wrangell tied it and Haines failed to answer, Melia Jorgenson-Geise picked off a pass at midcourt and was fouled on her drive to the hoop. She hit one of two from the line.
With the one-point lead, Haines played for possession forcing Wrangell to foul. Grace Long hit two foul shots and Ari’el hit another for a 47-45 lead. Jorgenson-Geise had two key rebounds in the overtime including one in the final seconds to secure the win. The Glacier Bears would live to play another day. Ari’el Long finished with 16 points and eight steals. Grace Long had 13 points and nine rebounds. Benda had 12 rebounds and Ashlynn Ganey had seven steals.
Before Saturday’s state tournament qualifying game, Haines had defeated Craig twice this season by a single point. Craig had beaten Haines by margins of 16 and six. It seemed destined that it would come down to one final showdown for all the marbles and after Craig lost to Metlakatla 47-18 in the regional championship game, the grudge match was set.
In their most crucial game of the year, the Glacier Bears came out in a full-court man to man press, and their half-court offense finally came to life. All of their 27 first half points came from running their offense with 10 of those points coming on put-backs from offensive rebounds. Although the game was tight, the girls were noticeably upbeat, dancing and clapping along to the pep band at half time.
But nothing comes easy against these Panthers, and Haines’ lead dissolved in the third quarter and they went into fourth down 33-32. With the game tied at 34, Ari’el gave her team the lead for good by driving into the lane for a basket and on the next play, coming up with a steal and racing down the court for a layup.
Only 2:32 stood between Haines and the state tournament and on their next possession they carefully moved the ball around with slick dribbling and short passes until Craig had no choice but to foul.
In the first round against Craig, the Glacier Bears struggled from the foul line, but in this game, with the season on the line they hit seven of ten free throws in the last minute and won the game 45-35 to send the Haines girls to the state tournament for the first time since 2001. “As the game went on everything we did was leading to baskets and steals, we realized, hey, we’re gonna win this!” Ari’el Long said.
Grace Long led a balanced scoring attack with 11 points. Ari’el had five steals and Stickler had eight rebounds. Grace Long and Alison Benda were named to the All-Conference Team. Ganey and Dohrn were named to the Good Sport Team.
On Sunday, the Alaska School Activities Association announced their seeding and brackets for the state tournament. Metlakatla got the number two seed. Haines is the fourth seed.
By virtue of an “at large” selection the Craig Panthers were granted an invitation to the tournament and given the number eight seed. There could be another Haines versus Craig showdown in the second round.
The Glacier Bears start their March Madness on Thursday, March 16 at 7:45 p.m. at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage. In the first round they face the fifth-seeded Glenallen Panthers. Games will be broadcast on KHNS radio.
