High School Sports

Ketchikan wins again to earn shot at Dimond in 4A boys championship game

The Ketchikan Kings are one victory away from ruling Alaska basketball.

The Ketchikan boys continued their Cinderella run through the Class 4A state basketball tournament Friday by defeating Soldotna 53-48 in a semifinal game at the Alaska Airlines Center.

The Kings, the No. 8 seed in the eight-team tournament, will play in Saturday’s 8 p.m. title game against Dimond, which used a big fourth quarter to take down Colony 42-34.

Ketchikan hasn’t won a boys championship since the 1960s. Dimond, which will be making its fourth straight title-game appearance, is the 2017 state champ.

Ketchikan followed Thursday’s stunning 60-58 win over the top-seeded East T-birds by rallying past fifth-seeded Soldotna. The Stars led 35-33 after three quarters but the fourth quarter belonged to the Kings, 20-13.

Brothers Chris Lee and Marcus Lee both hit double figures and both hit their free throws for Ketchikan, which outscored Soldotna 17-6 from the foul line.

Chris Lee, a junior, racked up 19 points, seven rebounds and four steals, and Marcus Lee, a senior, added 16 points. Chris sank 7 of 11 free throws and Marcus made 6 of 7. As a team, the Kings hit 17 of 23 foul shots.

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Jersey Truesdell put on a shooting display for Soldotna with 30 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the field. He drained five of six shots from 3-point range.

[No. 8 Ketchikan rallies past No. 1 East T-birds]

In the late semifinal, Dimond and Colony were deadlocked after three quarters, 30-30, but the Lynx owned the fourth quarter.

Colony struck first in the fourth quarter for a 32-30 lead but Dimond hit consecutive triples to ignite a 12-2 run that finished the Knights.

Dimond’s Isaiah Moses netted five 3-pointers en route to a game-high 23 points. Evan Hoosier delivered 10 points and 10 rebounds to help his team to a 27-20 advantage on the boards.

The Lynx held Colony’s Sullivan Menard, the Class 4A player of the year, to eight points on 2-of-8 shooting. Patrick McMahon came through with 16 points and seven rebounds for the Knights.

In Friday’s consolation action, the East T-birds demolished West 77-36 a day after Ketchikan ruined their title hopes.

Kaeleb Johnson poured in 29 points on 10-of-15 shooting (including 7-of-12 from 3-point range), Jaron Williams hit 6 of 12 shots for 16 points to go with six assists, and Andrew Graves hit all six of his shots from the field to furnish 12 points and four blocks.

The T-birds will play for fourth place Saturday against West Valley, a 50-44 winner over Palmer in Friday’s other consolation game.

Damarcus Davis and Dylan Erhart both scored 12 points for West Valley, and Ronny Marshall carried the Moose with 17 points and nine points.

ASAA March Madness Alaska

Friday’s results

East 77, West 36 (consolation)

West Valley 50, Palmer 44 (consolation)

Ketchikan 53, Soldotna 48 (semifinal)

Dimond 42, Colony 34 (semifinal)

Saturday’s games

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10 a.m. — Soldotna vs. Colony, 3rd place, Alaska Airlines Center

12:30 p.m. — West Valley vs. East, 4th place, Wells Fargo Sports Complex

8 p.m. — Ketchikan vs. Dimond, championship, Alaska Airlines Center

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