The depth, talent and athleticism of the Soldotna girls basketball team is proving tough for the rest of the Kenai Peninsula to handle.
The Stars moved to 4-0 with a 65-24 victory over host Nikiski on Saturday. Soldotna has now beaten each of the peninsula schools by more than 30 points. The Bulldogs fell to 2-2.
Rhys Cannava had 16 points to pace the Stars, while Josie Sheridan had 14, Morgan Bouschor had 11 and Autumn Fischer had nine.
For the Bulldogs, Lillian Carstens led the way with six points.
Nikiski boys 43, Soldotna 36
The host Bulldogs picked up their first victory of the season in dropping the Stars to 0-4.
Soldotna jumped out to a 9-2 lead after the first quarter on Nikiski, which is now 1-3. The Bulldogs stormed back to take a 22-14 lead at halftime and were able to hold on.
Austin Stafford keyed the second-quarter surge, scoring 13 of his 16 points. Also for the Bulldogs, Caileb Payne had 10 points and Simon Grenier had nine.
For the Stars, Ethan Sewell had 16 points.
Homer girls 30, Seward 24
The host Mariners topped the Seahawks. Homer moved to 2-2, while Seward falls to 0-4.
Homer led 10-6 after the first quarter, 15-10 at the half and 21-13 after three quarters.
Laura Inama pumped in 12 points for the Mariners, while Katelyn Lemme had 10 for the Seahawks.
Homer boys 61, Seward 49
The host Mariners moved to 3-1 by putting up a big final quarter against the Seahawks, now 2-2.
Seward led 17-12 after the first quarter, but Homer led 31-27 at halftime. Seward cut it to 39-36 after three quarters, but Homer won the final eight minutes 22-13.
Homer’s Josiah Raymond was 6 for 6 from the line in the final quarter and finished with 21 points, while Parker Lowney was 5 for 6 and finished with 14. Also for Homer, Clayton Beachy had 12 and Eyoab Knapp had 10.
For Seward, Trey Ingalls had 14, Sam Koster had 13 and Max Pfeiffenberger had 12.
Lumen Christi girls 36, CIA 31
The visiting Archangels held off the Eagles, who fell to 0-2.
Lumen led 6-4 after a period, but stretched that lead to 17-7 at halftime. The gap was 30-19 after three quarters before CIA tightened things up a bit in the fourth.
Tatum Rozak had 12 points to lead the Eagles, while Hope Hillyer had nine, Victoria Duggan had six, Sierra Moffis had two and Gabrielle Pyers had two.
Lumen Christi boys 90, CIA 51
The host Eagles lost to the high-scoring Archangels on Saturday to fall to 1-1 on the season.
Lumen led 23-10 after a quarter and 47-25 at halftime.
For the Eagles, Colvin Moore had 15 points, Ethan Boyd had nine, Mason Zeigler had eight, James Boyd had seven, Grizzly Beard had four, Isaac Johnson had three, Jeremiah Dillingham had two, Austin Matheson had one,
Ninilchik girls 31, Soldotna C 26
The host Wolverines overcame a slow start to defeat Soldotna C on Friday and move to 2-1.
The Stars jumped out to a 10-4 lead after a quarter and 13-9 lead at halftime. Ninilchik cut the gap to 20-18 after the third quarter, then won the final eight minutes 13-6.
Jade Robuck had 13 points for the Wolverines, while Alex Nelson added eight. For Soldotna C, Kaytlin McAnelly had 10, while Caylee Uribe-Koivisto added eight.
Ninilchik boys 70, Soldotna C 25
The Wolverines moved to 2-1 by cruising past the Stars.
Thomas Nelson had 14 of his 22 points in the first quarter as Ninilchik jumped to a 25-7 lead. Jaylin Scott added 19 for Ninilchik, while Cole Hadro had 13.
For Soldotna C, Derrick Jones had 10.
Friday girls
Wolverines 31, Stars C 26
Soldotna C 10 3 7 6 —26
Ninilchik 4 5 9 13 —31
SOLDOTNA C (26) — Lee 2, Bloom 0, Leaders 0, McAnelly 10, White 2, Poage 0, Lemm 8, Uribe-Koivisto 4.
NINILCHIK (31) — Okonek 1, Nelson 8, Calabrese 4, Robuck 13, Denboer 0, Buhr 1, Ofstad 0, Rickard 4.
Friday boys
Wolverines 70, Stars C 25
Soldotna 7 8 3 7 —25
Ninilchik 25 28 15 2 —70
SOLDOTNA C (25) — Corbett 5, Jones 10, LaRogue 1, Rose 2, Hurt 2, Graham 2, Babcock 3.
NINILCHIK (70) — Allen 5, Mahoney 0, Hadro 13, Scott 19, G. Nelson 0, T. Nelson 22, Adams 0, McClosky 7, B. Lemons 2, Blossom 0, Ducker 2, C. Lemons 2.
Saturday boys
Bulldogs 43, Stars 36
Soldotna 9 5 12 10 —36
Nikiski 2 20 11 10 —43
SOLDOTNA (36) — Buckbee 1, Johnson 7, Taylor 0, Pieh 2, Brown 4, McRorie 2, Sewell 16, Wilson 4.
NIKISKI (43) — Bostic 2, Porter 0, Grenier 9, Malston 1, Stafford 16, C. Payne 10, Handley 5.
Mariners 61, Seahawks 49
Seward 17 10 9 13 —49
Homer 12 19 8 22 —61
SEWARD (49) — Mullaly 0, Koster 13, Cronin 6, Ingalls 14, Pfeiffenberger 12, Deboard 4.
HOMER (61) — Smith 0, Beachy 12, Edens 0, Lowney 14, Carroll 2, Hatfield 0, Knapp 10, Mann 2, Raymond 21.
Saturday girls
Stars 65, Bulldogs 24
Soldotna 16 18 23 8 —65
Nikiski 7 7 4 6 —24
SOLDOTNA (65) — Widaman 2, Brantley 6, Cannava 16, M. Fischer 0, Sheridan 14, Bouschor 11, A. Fischer 9, Crosby-Schneider 7.
NIKISKI (24) — Jeffreys 5, Stock 0, Carstens 6, Ellis 3, White 2, Nelson 0, McCaughey 0, Nunley 4, Freeman 2, Grenier 2, Burman 0.
Mariners 30, Seahawks 24
Seward 6 4 3 11 —24
Homer 10 5 6 9 —30
SEWARD (24) — Ingalls 0, Schilling 1, Jagielski 6, Siemanski 5, Lemme 10, Brockman 0, Dougherty 0, Jack 0, Ambrosiani 4.
HOMER (30) — Rhodes 2, Harris 2, Shelby 3, Inama 12, Morris 0, Ellison 2, Hatfield 2, Reutov 0, Smude 7.
Soldotna’s Josie Sheridan splits Nikiski’s Alyssa Nunley and Lillian Carstens on the way to the basket Saturday at Nikiski High School in Nikiski. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
