Wrangell faced a lot of new faces at the Icy Strait Tournament in Hoonah on Thursday and Friday, Feb. 12-13, including some tough competition from last year’s state Division 1A boys champions, the Shaktoolik Wolverines.

The Wolves lost two of their three games at the nonconference tournament, defeating Hoonah in the final game.

The matchup between the Wolves and the Wolverines was the first game of the tournament. Wrangell hoped to come out strong, but it’s hard when your opponent is 14-0 on the season and the defending state champ.

The Wolverines came out with tough defense and quick feet to earn fast breaks. Wrangell pushed back with rebounds and drives to the basket, but it was not enough.

With 10 points from Jackson Powers, four from Everett Mesinner, three from Aadyn Gillen and two from Lucas Stearns, the combined 19 points in the first half fell far short of Shaktoolik’s 46.

The Wolverines got back to their basket quicker than the Wolves could defend, as well as Wrangell’s shots not hitting the mark, contributed to Wrangell losing the game 81-39.

The next game against the Angoon Eagles was looking to be more favorable for the Wolves, as they were leading 19-11 in the first quarter. As time went on, however, Wrangell let Angoon score a 10-point run, giving the Eagles a 29-28 lead.

Though the Wolves pulled down some offensive rebounds, their shots weren’t falling. On the other side of the court, Angoon was picking up their own offensive rebounds while draining baskets.

The final minutes of the game were filled with aggressive play from both sides, with fouls, turnovers and running back and forth down the court in a tight contest.

With both teams in the bonus, it was pretty much a game of free throws. It looked like the Wolves could still make a comeback with 20 seconds on the clock and down by only two, but a second later their hopes were crushed when an Eagle made two free throws.

Even when Meissner made a buzzer-beater three-pointer, it still wasn’t enough to take the victory, and Wrangell lost by one point, 52-53.

Powers, Gillen, Stearns, Cook, Wigg, Howell, Meissner and William Massin all scored at least two points for the Wolves, with team highs of 14 from Powers and 10 from Stearns.

The final game of the tournament pitted the Wolves against the Hoonah Braves, with Wrangell notching a win for just the second time this season.

The Wolves played with good ball movement, giving them time to be smart with their shots rather than rushing to make a play. The team also showed improved defense and rebounding on their way to the victory.

The final score was 59-46.

The final home games of the season for the Wrangell Wolves will be played Friday and Saturday, Feb. 20-21, against the Craig Panthers.

Both the boys and girls play in Petersburg the following weekend, with the Southeast regional tournament in Juneau on March 4-7.