The Klawock Chieftains had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 6.5 points), and they went ahead and made it three on Thursday. They came out on top against Gustavus by a score of 54-44. Given Klawock's advantage in MaxPreps' Alaska basketball rankings (they are ranked ninth, while Gustavus is ranked 47th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Klawock's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Tanner Smith, who scored 23 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Smith has scored all season. Tristin Ryno was another key contributor, scoring 15 points.
Gustavus' defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Phin Patrick, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and 11 rebounds. Patrick has been hot recently, having posted eight or more rebounds the last three times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Ashton Patrick, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 11 rebounds.
Klawock pushed their record up to 10-1 with that win, which was their 15th straight at home dating back to last season. As for Gustavus, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 1-3.
Klawock won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Gustavus at 3:30 p.m. on January 12th. Hopefully Gustavus focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 16 on Thursday. They won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Klawock at 3:30 p.m. on January 12th. Klawock is strutting with some offensive muscle, as they've averaged 60.3 points per game.
