The Grace Christian girls basketball team defeated host Kenai Central 58-39 on Friday in Class 3A Peninsula Conferenc action. The Kardinals fall to 3-4 in the league and 12-11 overall.
Kenai trailed 18-13 after the first quarter and 34-19 at halftime. Emma Beck poured in 24 for the Kards, while Chloe Goldsby had five, and Rylie Sparks, Ella Yragui and Emilee Wilson had two.
For Grace, Sophie Lentfer had 22, MJ Van der Horst had 14, Ella Boerger had 11, Poppy Wiggers-Pidduck had five, Olivia Jones had four and Hope Jackson had two.
Grace boys 57, Kenai 35
The host Kardinals dropped to 5-2 in the Class 3A Peninsula Conference and 12-10 overall with the loss to the Grizzlies.
Kenai led 12-10 after the first quarter and trailed 26-20 at halftime and 36-28 after three quarters.
Jakob Kvasnikoff had 18 points to pace the Kardinals, while Bridger Beck had 12 and Daniel McRorie had five.
For Grace, Luke Lentfer had 21, while Kellen Jedlicka and Sloan Lentfer had 13, Tyler Binder had seven and Clayton Jackson had three.
Class 1A Peninsula Conference tourney
The Lumen Christi girls and Cook Inlet Academy boys won Peninsula Conference titles and earned Class 1A state berths Friday at Lumen Christi.
The CIA boys won 44-34 over Lumen Christi to move to 21-2 overall. The Eagles snapped a three-year run atop the conference by the Archangels. CIA won its first conference title since 2012 and a seventh conference title dating back to 1998.
Abraham Henderson paced the Eagles with 14 points, while Alek McGarry had 13, Ian McGarry had 11 and Owen Braband had six.
For Lumen, Tai Lucero had 10, Carson Wingate and Henry Pekah had eight, Bryce Sanders had six and Luke Broek had four.
The CIA girls fell to 15-6 with the 56-32 loss to Lumen Christi. The Archangels won the conference for the third year in a row, while the Eagles failed to win a first conference title since 2019.
Hope Hillyer had 12 to pace the Eagles, while Tatum Rozak and Ella Rollman each had 10. For the Archangels, Emily Ross had 19, Natalie Grubba had 14, Amara Warren had 13, Alliyah Nelson had four and Sophia Turner had two.
The CIA girls can still earn a berth to state today at noon, when the Eagles play Birchwood Christian for second place. Birchwood Christian eliminated Nanwalek from the tourney Friday.
On the boys side, the Nanwalek boys are searching for a second straight state berth. Nanwalek plays Birchwood at 9 a.m. The winner plays Lumen for second place at 2 p.m.
Homer girls 35, Houston 30
The host Mariners notched a nonconference victory to move to 8-14 overall.
Homer jumped out to an 8-4 lead after a quarter, led 17-8 at halftime and 24-13 after three quarters.
Minadora Reutov had 12 for Homer, while Bethany Engebretsen had 11, Sydney Shelby had five, Channing Lowney, Lillie Mae Kuhn and Lawson Alexson had two and Gracie Miotke had one.
For Houston, Grace Gillespie had nine, Anna Whitted had seven, Abbie Baird had six, Dallas Winter had five, Bella Russell had two and Josie Reintsma had one.
Houston boys 84, Homer 54
The visiting Hawks dropped the Mariners to 3-19 overall with the nonconference victory.
Lance Seneff paced Homer with 14 points, while Riley Huffman had 13, Lucas Story had 11, Morgan Techie and CJ Burns had four, Spencer Dye had three, Henry Wedvick and Nathan Overson had two, and Trent Fell had one.
For Houston, Hayden Howard had 29, Cole Taylor had 16, Noah Whitted had 13, Keldin Nicoll had 11, Deegan Van Dussen had 10, Max Taylor had three and Brandon Hina had two.
Kodiak girls 72, Ninilchik 31
The Class 2A Wolverines dropped a nonconference game to the 4A Bears to fall to 5-15 overall.
Riley Tucker pumped in 18 points to lead the Wolverines, while Rylee Lemons had three, and Lily Berger and Audrey Acrey each had two.
For Kodiak, Kate Holland had 20, Serenity Bushell had 16, Lakeshia Sanchez had 13, Mizzy Arbues had eight, Hannah Nero had seven, Bea Fangonilo had four and Avie Arevalo had two.
Kodiak boys 71, Ninilchik 63
The Wolverines, a Class 2A school, fell to 19-4 overall after the nonconference loss to the Bears, a 4A school.
Kodiak led 17-10 after the first quarter, 35-29 at the half and 50-42 after three quarters.
For Ninilchik, Jaylin Scott had 23, Cole Moore had 18, Peyton Edens had 15, Kade McCorison had five and Rowan Mahoney had two.
For Kodiak, Aron Paguio had 21, Connor Case had 16, Alex Holland had 13, Kelly Ticman had 11, JM Ticman had six and JJ Atanque had four.
Kenai Central’s Emilee Wilson looks to escape the trap of Grace Christian’s Sophie Lentfer and Olivia Jones on Friday, March 3, 2023, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
