Prep basketball: Hutchinson boys snag win from Houston

Dec. 17, 2006

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

PALMER - For the first 31 minutes of action Saturday afternoon, Hutchinson did just enough to stick around. In the final minute, the Fairbanks program found a way to spoil the afternoon for the Houston Hawks.

Hutchinson used a 7-0 run in the final 45 seconds of regulation to edge Houston 54-47 on the final day of the Palmer Elks Showdown at Palmer High School.

Houston led for virtually the entire game, until Hutchinson sophomore Cole Daniel tied the game at 47-47, with a free throw at the 45-second mark.

In the ensuing seconds, Houston was called for traveling on consecutive possessions. With six seconds left, Hutchinson junior Matt Akins pulled down a rebound and hit a two-foot jumper to give his team the 49-47 lead.

&#8220I'm proud of our kids,” first-year Houston head coach David Porter said. &#8220We fought up until the very end, where we lost our composure a little bit.”

The Hawks were tagged with a technical foul late in the game, giving Daniel an extra three free throw attempts.

Daniel hit five of six free throws down the stretch to seal the win for Hutchinson.

Houston entered the contest with a short bench - only three substitutes were available. With 1:25 left in the game, Porter was down to only the five players he had on the court.

After scoring six of his team's first 17 points, Houston sophomore Brian Mason was lost to an apparent ankle injury at the end of the first quarter.

&#8220We had a key injury,” Porter said. &#8220He was very active and was working very hard.”

Forward Aaron Conn and guard Donovan Parker fouled out in the final minutes of the game.

Porter said he thought the short bench was a factor, but couldn't call it the specific reason for the loss.

&#8220We made some crucial mistakes,” Porter said.

A big thing, Porter said, is everyone is still learning as Houston enters a new era of Hawks' basketball.

&#8220They're still learning me a little bit, as I am trying to learn them,” said Porter who came to Houston after serving for two season on the Heritage Christian boys' basketball coaching staff.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.