The Cook Inlet Academy girls and boys basketball teams advanced Thursday to the title games of the Class 1A Peninsula Conference tournament at Lumen Christi in Anchorage.
Both the CIA girls and boys will play Lumen Christi in the championship. Both the Lumen Christi girls and boys have won the conference title the past two years.
The girls play at 6 p.m., while the boys play at 8 p.m.
The CIA girls, the second seed, defeated Birchwood Christian, the No. 3 seed, 42-26 to make the final.
For CIA (15-5 overall), Tatum Rozak had 18, Hope Hillyer had 14, Ella Rollman had eight and Beka Dillingham had two. For Birchwood, Annemarie Weihrich had eight, Ella Phillips and Lanie Brisson had five, and Elise Becker and Kaytee Reich had four.
The CIA boys, the No. 1 seed, defeated No. 5 Nanwalek 68-48 to make the final. For CIA (20-2), Abraham Henderson had 17, Jeremiah Dillingham had 16, Alek McGarry and Brady Baeten had 12, Owen Braband had six, Jonas Oyoumick had three and Hyrum Henderson had two.
For Nanwalek, Sean Moonin had 18, Marcius Evans had 13, Matthias Ukatish-Evans had 10, David Berestoff had four and Juvenaly Evans had three.
Earlier, the Nanwalek boys had defeated No. 4 Holy Rosary Academy 48-40 to earn the right to play CIA. Moonin had 18, while Marcius Evans had 13, Matthias Ukatish-Evans had 10, Berestoff had four and Juvenaly Evans had three.
In other girls action, the top-seeded Lumen Christi girls had defeated No. 4 Nanwalek 39-15. In boys action, No. 2 Lumen topped No. 3 Birchwood 52-30 to make the final.
Nanwalek can still earn a state berth in the second-place bracket. The girls face Birchwood at 4 p.m. Friday, then must beat the loser of the championship at noon Saturday to make state. The boys play the Birchwood-Holy Rosary winner at 9 a.m. Friday, then must beat the loser of the title game to make state.
Houston girls 60, Nikiski 49
The visiting Hawks notched a nonconference win on senior night for the Bulldogs girls.
Nikiski (7-16 overall) honored Savanna Stock, Ember Nelson, Giovana Tabosa and Jessica Perry. Shelby Burman paced the Bulldogs with 13 points, while Ashlynne Playle had nine, Stock had eight, Avery White had six, Maggie Grenier had five, and Avery Ellis, Ember Nelson, Kailey Stynsberg and Perry had two.
For Houston, Grace Gillespie had 21, Abbie Baird had 16, Dallas Winter had 10, Bella Russell had six, Anna Whitted and Josie Reintsma had three, and Tricity Curren had one.
Houston boys 86, Nikiski 42
The visiting Hawks dropped the Bulldogs to 4-18 overall with the nonconference victory.
Drew Handley pumped in 17 points to pace Nikiski, while David Weathers had 15, Braeden Porter had four, and Dylan Hall and Seth Payne each had three.
For Houston, Hayden Howard had 41 points, including 39 in the first half. Also for Houston, Cole Taylor had 22, Max Taylor, Deegan Van Dussen and Noah Whitted had five, and Keldin Nicoll and Brandon Hina had four.
Grace Christian girls 69, Seward 28
The host Grizzlies notched a Class 3A Peninsula Conference victory over the Seahawks.
The game counted twice in conference due to an earlier cancellation. Seward is now 12-6 overall and 5-3 in the league.
Grace Christian boys 70, Seward 39
The host Grizzlies won in the Class 3A Peninsula Conference. The game counted twice for conference and Seward is now 3-5 and 7-10.
