A single second on the clock, down by one and the basketball is put in your hands for two free-throw attempts.
Dream or nightmare scenario?
“This time it was a dream for me,” said Grace Christian senior Sloan Lentfer. “Earlier in the tournament, I wasn’t shooting well. For some reason I didn’t feel any pressure and kind of put that in the back of my mind.”
A 6-foot-7 interior force, Lentfer calmly sank both free throws, showed a mighty flex of the biceps once the second fell and the final buzzer soon sounded. Those points, Lentfer’s 15th and 16th of the night, lifted Grace to the 2023 Alaska Prep Shootout championship in captivating fashion.
Grace’s Sloan Lentfer was cool, calm and collected at the foul line.Photo by Bryan Boyett/Alaska Sports Report
The Grizzlies outscored host Dimond 21-14 in the fourth quarter Saturday and scraped out a 55-54 title victory over the Lynx in the Shootout’s 29th edition. Grace improved to 8-2, won a tournament title for the second straight weekend and looked every bit one of the best teams around regardless of enrollment classification.
After winning the Mt. McKinley Bank Tournament at Fairbanks’ Monroe Catholic and the weekend’s Alaska Prep Shootout, coach Jason Boerger’s team begins play in the Alaska Airlines Classic at West Anchorage on Thursday night versus Metlakatla.
All the early success is likely to ease some of the Grace saltiness over finishing second last season at 3A state. The Grizzlies last won the March Madness Alaska title in 2017 but has also finished second in four of the last eight seasons.
“Yes, we’re a 3A team but we’re also a small school,” Boerger said. “We have nine seniors this season so next year will be something totally different.
“So, we really want to enjoy where we’re at right now.”
The Grace bench mob likes what it sees. Photo by Bryan Boyett/Alaska Sports Report
Lentfer also finished with eight rebounds and was named the three-day tournament’s most valuable player.
“Sloan has really grown by leaps and bounds (from junior to senior),” Boerger said. “Tonight, he really kicked it into some new gears. While he’s literally growing, he’s also growing in maturity and composure.”
Five combined players from the two teams finished the game with four personal fouls and three kept performing late with three fouls. Sloan Lentfer – his cousin and senior Luke (five points, 13 rebounds) is also on Grace’s roster – exited for spell when he picked up his fourth foul with 4 minutes, 7 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Like so many others on the court, Sloan Lentfer met the task of playing wise and maybe even a little tentative as the final minutes of basketball theater commenced. No one fouled out.
“You had to be smart, nothing stupid,” Lentfer said. “Some layups when (the opponent) is in front, you just had to give it to them.”
Unfortunately for Dimond, layups and a lot of other shots were far from a given. The Lynx (6-2) lost for the first time to an in-state opponent thanks in large part to awful shooting – 32% to Grace’s 47%.
Dimond’s Luke Johnston goes in for a layup. Photo by Bryan Boyett/Alaska Sports Report
However, Dimond senior Luke Johnston – the 2022 Shootout MVP – willed his squad to a 54-53 lead with 9.3 seconds left. A missed 3-point attempt from the far-left corner, careened towards Johnston and Grace defender. Johnston somehow gained possession and put up a pair of shots against a wall of Grizzlies. He was fouled and sank both free throws.
“The moment right there is no different than any other,” said Johnston, who led Dimond with 18 points despite the rough shooting night. “I’m going to after every rebound 100% and do everything 100%.”
Grace hustled the ball downcourt and Luke Lentfer attempted a triple from the left wing. It missed and bounced wildly to the right baseline where Sloan Lentfer hauled it in and was fouled almost as time expired.
The officials met, put 1.0 on the clock and Lentfer at the line. No problem.
“I’ll remember this forever,” he said.
Grace junior Kellen Jedlicka chipped in with 16 points and nine rebounds. Grace pummeled Dimond on the glass to the tune of a 36-20 advantage.
Grace’s Kellen Jedlicka dribbles while being defended by Dimond’s Malachi Casey. Photo by Bryan Boyett/Alaska Sports Report
Sophomore Marek Hajdukovich scored 11 points for Dimond and senior Maguire Hamey added 10. The Lynx next play Jan. 23 in a Cook Inlet Conference affair at South.
“We had a goal to go undefeated in the state this year,” said Johnston, who in December verbally committed to play at NCAA Division III Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.). “But a loss like this can be good because a lot of learning comes from loss.
“We’re going to keep our heads up and move on.”
29th Annual Alaska Prep Shootout
At Dimond High, Anchorage
Championship
Grace Christian 55, Dimond 54
Tournament MVP
Sloan Lentfer, Grace
All-Tournament Team
Arthur Adams, Wasilla
Tyler Binder, Grace
Anders Larsen, Chugiak
Xzavier Baker, Dimond
JD McGee, Anchorage Christian
Joelian Lane, Tikigaq
Bishop Hardman, Chugiak
Parker Kroon, Wasilla
Kellen Jedlicka, Grace
Luke Johnston, Dimond
Wasilla 77, Tikigaq 54
Junior Arthur Adams paced a trio of double-figure scorers with 24 points and the Warriors earned third place with its second win of the Shootout.
Junior Parker Kroon added 14 points and junior Connor Dudley 12. Wasilla jumped out thanks to a 46-point first half. It improved to 4-1.
Tikigaq, located in Point Hope above the Arctic Circle on the Chukchi Sea, makes a habit of representing Class 2A (51-100 student enrollment) well against the state’s larger school. The Harpooners (2-5) didn’t win a Shootout game, but put on a show.
Joelian Lane is believed to have set a Shootout record with 114 points scored in his three games. Based on available records, he bested Dimond’s Warren Lewis, who scored 97 points in 2005.
ACS 74, Chugiak 48
The Lions shot close to 50% from the floor and sailed to victory for fourth place. Sean Malinis turned in 18 points, five assists and five steals. ACS improved to 3-6.
A 19-point first quarter helped get the ACS party started. Jaidhen Oyao scored 14 points and JD McGee totaled 11.
Chugiak sophomore Bishop Hardman continued to impress with 25 points. He finished with 84 points in three Shootout games. The Mustangs dropped to 2-4.
One of the MVPs returns
Joe Chirhart was named the 2002 Shootout’s Most Valuable Player after scoring 79 points in three tourney games and graduated from Dimond the same year. Life never really allowed for visits to the alma mater until now when he made it back for a few days with a dual purpose – showing appreciation to his past while eyeballing on-court talent.
“Just walking through the airport and seeing all the changes, the nostalgia started right there,” Chirhart said.
Chirhart is in his first season as an assistant men’s coach at Centralia (Community) College, located halfway between Seattle and Portland. He headed back early Saturday morning because the Blazers played host to South Puget Sound.
“Super cool,” he said. “Telling my (Centralia) players I was coming up to scout and recruit a little bit, they wanted to know why. I told them I played up here, and was an MVP.”
Another day, another gym . . . except this one's special . . . Its my HS Alma Mater 💯
📍 Dimond HS – Anchorage, AK@Dimondboysbask1 pressured ACS into 30 turnovers & that press with @xzavierbaker32 & @_big44_ is ferocious!! @Luke05J & @JavonteWalls led in scoring for the Lynx pic.twitter.com/G7lZrVi4Ox
— Coach Joe (@josefchirhart) January 13, 2023
Active on social media, Chirhart made his presence felt in person and online. He and current Dimond assistant Chris Stovall played key roles in the Lynx capturing the 2000 and 2001 Division I state football championships.
“Seeing all the banners in this gym is amazing to me,” Chirhart said. “The chance to get up here and see a tournament running its 29th year, it’s just a lot of great memories and emotions.”