With 33 games on three courts in three days, Chugiak High was a bevy of activity for the annual Junior Varsity and C team girls and boys basketball tournament held Dec. 17 through Saturday.

While neither Eagle River nor Chugiak won the event, coaches were able to collect early season appraisals of their team's strengths and weaknesses going into the two-week holiday break.

The Eagle River boys teams went 1-2, with the Chugiak boys teams 2-1, the Mustangs C team 3-1, the girls JV squad, 2-2, and the Eagle River girls JV team winless in three games.

First-year Eagle River High varsity coach Terra Bingham oversaw the school's JV tournament after learning that the Wolves participation in the Grace Christian tournament had been nixed.

Bingham said she was pleased with the team's defensive efforts, but that the team needs to work on their offense.

After losing badly to the Chugiak JV Dec. 17, the coach said things got better as the weekend progressed with games against Glennallen, Friday, and Wasilla on Saturday.

"Each game we took more shots and scored more points," she said. Bingham gave special recognition to junior Danielle Trubiano for her fine post play underneath.

"When we got the basketball to her down low (at the post), she made some nice plays," Bingham said.

The Chugiak girls JV team finished with a 2-2 record with wins over Eagle River Dec. 17, and Service Saturday.

Sophomore Andre Samaniego scored nearly half the team's points, with 15, during the Mustangs 33-23 victory over the Cougars.

Chugiak C team boys coach Steve Stone reported that his team when 3-1 in the three-day tournament, and that he was pleased with the team's performance.

The Chugiak JV team defeated Eagle River, 49-41, Saturday with a flurry of at the end, after the Wolves had taken a 39-36 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

Austin Husberg scored 14 points to pace the Mustangs' efforts in the win.

Eagle River boys' JV coach Brad Bowyer said he was pleased with the Wolves' early-season play.

The team lost to Chugiak and Glennallen, but defeated Grace Christian, he said.

"Our defense was great," Bowyer said.

The team's best show of determination came against Glennallen's varsity team on Saturday, he said.

"They jumped out on us with a 15-point lead early, in the first few minutes - but two, three times, we battled back to get within 10 points," he said.

With 11 players on the JV team, and only five as returnees, Bowyer said he is still in the instruction mode.

"Our offense is shaking - we have some players new to the program," he said.

Bowyer gave credit to players Steven Carlos and Kelechi Madabuko.

"Carlos is key to our defense - he's like a bulldog out there," he said.

Madabuko, a 5-foot, 11-inch guard, spurs on the team's offense.

This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, December 24, 2009.