Sports

Kamaka Hepa captures gold medal with US basketball team

Kamaka Hepa is bringing a gold medal back to Alaska.

Hepa, the 6-foot-9 basketball player from Utquigvik, was part of the 12-man U.S. team that roared past Canada 113-74 Saturday in the gold-medal game at the FIBA U18 Championships in St. Catharines, Ontario.

Hepa registered limited playing time in the game — 4 minutes, 15 seconds. During that time, he contributed three rebounds, three assists and one steal.

The tournament, for players 18 and younger, featured countries from North America and South America. It marked Hepa's first appearance on a U.S. national team — he was selected from a pool of 33 players who took part in a tryout camp earlier this summer.

[Kamaka Hepa's shot, from behind the Arctic Circle]

The Americans, who were undefeated in six tournament games, trailed early Saturday but outscored the Canadians 32-13 in the second quarter to lead 61-33 at the half.

Seven players reached double figures for the United States, which has captured the last five championships at the tournament.

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Hepa, a recent graduate of Barrow High, led the Whalers to Class 3A state championships as a freshman and sophomore before moving to Oregon to increase his profile in the sport. At Portland's Jefferson High, he led the Democrats to a state title as a junior and a runner-up finish as a senior.

He was Alaska's Gatorade Player of the Year as a freshman and sophomore and Oregon's Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior. He's headed to the University of Texas, where he will play for the Longhorns and coach Shaka Smart.

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