Cruiser boys have rough start at Alaska tournament

Recent off a satisfying 70-33 whooping of the Orting Cardinals, the Eatonville Excessive College boys basketball staff hopped on a aircraft final week and headed to Ketchikan, Alaska, to tackle the Lathrop Malemutes within the first spherical of the 2022 Clarke-Cochrane Christmas Traditional, Dec. 28.

The Cruisers did not fare so effectively and let this one get away from them as they misplaced to Lathrop 51-45 in extra time.

Turnovers and missed free throws troubled the staff within the loss. The Cruisers turned over the ball 31 instances whereas taking pictures solely 41 p.c from the free throw line, which proved disastrous.

Eatonville led by 9 within the second quarter earlier than permitting Lathrop to go on an 8-0 run to get again within the recreation. The Cruisers held on for a one-point lead on the half at 18-17 regardless of a dismal 2-12 taking pictures from the charity stripe and 18 first-half turnovers.

The Cruisers continued to wrestle within the third quarter as Lathrop outscored them 18-13 to take a four-point lead at 35-31 as they entered the ultimate quarter.

The Cruisers battled again and held the Malamutes to solely eight factors within the closing quarter whereas scoring 12 of their very own to the sport at 43 on the finish of regulation.

Within the four-minute extra time interval, Lathrop went on a 6-0 run whereas holding Eatonville scoreless till Shay Brannon scored on a lay-in with 7 seconds left within the recreation. The Malemutes went on to win 51-45.

“It was numerous uncharacteristic errors, and all of these added up — between the turnovers, lack of rebounds, missed free throws, missed alternatives inside and some extra 50/50 balls we wanted to be on high of,” head coach TJ Cotterill mentioned.

“I used to be proud, although, of their battle on the finish of the third quarter to get again into the sport and within the fourth to ship it to extra time,” Cotterill added. “Hunter Klumpar hit some huge pictures. It was actually robust when Kyle Cox fouled out as a result of he was so aggressive. He had an incredible voice to get guys in the proper spots, and he was actually cleansing issues up for us on the boards.”

Cotterill did not really feel journey was a difficulty within the loss.

“A number of groups needed to journey, not simply us,” he mentioned. “It is an incredible match. We had an incredible first day stepping into city [Tuesday] and performing some staff bonding, using the ferry, getting apply in whereas bunking and cooking meals in our classroom, and collaborating within the particular person competitions with all these different applications. Our children have not had an expertise like this in additional than two years. They needed to undergo a lot in the course of the pandemic.

 “What was so nice was listening to guys like Jake Wooden and Shane Taylor explicitly inform us how grateful they’re to have the ability to have this, and you might see all the thrill with everybody else, with guys like Walker [Bruun] flying on a aircraft for the primary time in his life,” Cotterill continued. “Perhaps all the thrill and ambiance of this bought to us a little bit bit.”

Hunter Klumpar led Eatonville with a double-double, 16 factors and 10 rebounds, whereas Shay Brannon additionally recorded a double-double with 14 factors and 12 rebounds.

Following the Cruisers’ extra time loss to Lathrop, which dropped them into the comfort bracket, they confronted the Nome-Beltz Nanooks out of Nome, Alaska, on Thursday.

Each groups entered the sport wanting to show issues round after their opening video games, with an opportunity to put fourth within the match at stake. The Nanooks suffered an embarrassing loss the day earlier than by the hands of Dimond Excessive College, who beat Nome by 47 factors, 84-37.

It simply wasn’t within the playing cards for the Cruisers to get the win as they fell 51-48.

Free-throw taking pictures once more hampered Eatonville because the Cruisers shot 56 p.c from the road, changing 9 of 16. Shay Brannon led the staff with 16 factors.

That loss dropped Eatonville to the seventh/eighth-place comfort recreation, the place the Cruisers performed the Nikiski Bulldogs from Nikiski, Alaska. The outcomes from that recreation weren’t obtainable by the press deadline.

Following the Alaska journey, the Cruisers will soar proper into 1A Evergreen Convention play after they host the Montesano Bulldogs at 7 p.m. Friday at Rainier Join Area at Eatonville Excessive College.

The Eatonville ladies basketball staff additionally competed on the Alaska match. Outcomes for his or her video games weren’t obtainable earlier than deadline.

Field Rating

LATHROP 51, EATONVILLE 45, OT

Eatonville: 9 9 13 12 2 – 45

Lathrop: 6 11 18 8  8 – 51

Eatonville: Hunter Klumpar 16, Shay Brannon 14, Walker Bruun 4, Shane Taylor 4, Kyle Cox 4, Mark Nueva 3

Lathrop: Luke Skinner 14, Peyton George 12, Atticus Foley 9, Earl Parker 6, Kal Vanhovein 4, Rylee Corbett 3, Marc Salvador 2, Jamal Gosier 1

Field Rating

NOME 51, EATONVILLE 48

Eatonville: 17 5 13 13 – 48

Nome: 17 10 14 10 – 51

Eatonville: Shay Brannon 17, Hunter Klumpar 10, Shane Taylor 8, Kyle Cox 6, Mark Nueva 6, Logan Taylor 1

Nome: Finn Greg 24, Jade Greene 12, Richard Cross 9, Orson Hoogendorn, Ethan Hannan 3