The Kenai Central girls basketball team gave Soldotna its stiffest test of the season Thursday. The Stars passed that test.
The Stars overcame a one-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter to topple the Kardinals 42-32 and move to 8-0 on the season. Kenai falls to 3-6.
This is the closest a team has come to Soldotna all season. The Stars also topped the Kardinals 68-16 on Jan. 21 and 54-35 on Feb. 2.
Kenai led 10-6 after the first quarter, but SoHi tied things up at half. The Kards then led 27-26 after three quarters. SoHi’s defense picked up the tempo in the fourth quarter, leading to some easy buckets for the Stars.
Drysta Crosby-Schneider had 12 points to pace Soldotna, while Morgan Bouschor added 10.
For Kenai, Logan Satathite hit four 3-pointers on the way to 12 points, while Emma Beck also had 12 points.
Kenai boys 47, Soldotna 30
Jordan Kvasnikoff poured in 30 points as the host Kardinals topped the Stars.
Kvasnikoff’s big night helped the Kards emphatically snap a two-game skid and move to 7-2. Soldotna falls to 1-7.
Kenai also beat SoHi 55-52 in overtime on Jan. 21 and 43-38 on Feb. 2.
Ethan Sewell had 13 for the Stars.
Homer girls 53, Nikiski 28
The host Mariners topped the Bulldogs for the second time in three tries this season to improve to 5-3. Nikiski dropped to 2-7.
Homer lost to the Bulldogs 36-33 on Jan. 21 before topping Nikiski 55-25.
Thursday, the Mariners led 15-3 after the first quarter and 30-11 at halftime.
Laura Inama had 14 points to pace the Mariners, while Delilah Harris and Tonda Smude each had eight.
For Nikiski, Kinlee Jeffreys pumped in 11.
Homer boys 64, Nikiski 39
The host Mariners moved to 7-1 by topping Nikiski for the third time this season.
Homer also topped Nikiski 55-31 on Jan. 21 and 50-29 on Feb. 2.
This time, the Mariners led 19-5 after the first quarter.
Carter Tennison had 19 for Homer, while Josiah Raymond had 12, Clayton Beachy had 11 and Parker Lowney had nine.
CIA girls 45, Ninilchik 34
The visiting Eagles picked up their first victory of the year, moving to 1-3 while Ninilchik dropped to 2-2.
Riley Tucker had 12 points to pace the Eagles, while Tatum Rozak had 11 and Victoria Duggan pitched in 10.
Ninilchik boys 77, CIA 54
The host Wolverines moved to 3-1 while dropping the Eagles to 2-2.
George Nelson poured in 19 for Ninilchik, while Landon Colburn had 17 and Jaylin Scott added 15.
Mason Zeigler had 18 to lead CIA, while Cole Moore added 12.
Thursday girls
Eagles 45, Wolverines 34
COOK INLET ACADEMY (45) — Pyers 2, Smith 0, Moffis 4, Liles 0, Duggan 10, Tucker 12, Rozak 11, Hillyer 6.
NINILCHIK (34) — Okonek 7, Nelson 5, Calabrese 4, Robuck 10, Denboer 2, Buhr 4, Rickard 2.
Stars 42, Kardinals 32
Soldotna 6 12 8 16 —42
Kenai 10 8 9 5 —32
SOLDOTNA (42) — Widaman 0, Brantley 0, Cannava 7, McElroy 0, Sheridan 7, Bouschor 10, Edwards 0, Burns 2, A. Fischer 4, Crosby-Schneider 12.
KENAI (32) — Pierce 0, Nunn 0, Keyes 1, Koziczkowski 5, Wilson 0, Satathite 12, Nash 2, Bernard 0, Beck 12.
Mariners 53, Bulldogs 28
Nikiski 3 8 9 8 —28
Homer 15 15 16 7 —53
NIKISKI (28) — Jeffreys 11, Stock 0, Carstens 7, Ellis 3, White 2, Nelson 3, Epperheimer 0, Freeman 2, Grenier 0, Weeks 0, Burman 0.
HOMER (53) — Rhodes 6, Alexson Wall 0, Harris 8, M. Reutov 0, Shelby 1, Inama 14, Morris 4, Ellison 2, Hatfield 4, K. Reutov 6, Smude 8.
Thursday boys
Wolverines 77, Eagles 54
COOK INLET ACADEMY (54) — Johnson 3, Schilling 0, Henderson 0, McKinley 0, Dillingham 0, Moore 12, Marlowe 2, Beard 8, E. Boyd 4, J. Boyd 5, Zeigler 18, Castenholz 2.
NINILCHIK (77) — Colburn 17, Hadro 6, Scott 15, G. Nelson 19, T. Nelson 8, Mahoney 0, Adams 2, B. Lemons 0, Blossom 0, Packa 9, C. Lemons 0.
Mariners 64, Bulldogs 39
Nikiski 5 12 9 13 — 39
Homer 19 18 15 12 —64
NIKISKI (39) — Bostic 2, Porter 1, Grenier 0, Malston 2, Stafford 11, C. Payne 6, Sutton 3, Handley 14.
HOMER (64) — Beachy 11, Etzwiler 2, Edens 0, Lowney 9, Carroll 0, Huffman 2, Knapp 5, Irons 2, Mann 2, Tennison 19, Raymond 12.
Kardinals 47, Stars 30
Soldotna 12 7 6 5 —30
Kenai 14 11 10 12 —47
SOLDOTNA (30) — Buckbee 3, Johnson 7, Denbrock 1, Taylor 0, Pieh 0, Brown 0, McRorie 3, Jones 0, Sewell 13, Wilson 3.
KENAI CENTRAL (47) — Dunham 4, Medina 0, Baisden 4, Jo. Kvasnikoff 30, Beck 6, Ja. Kvasnikoff 3, Tunseth 0.
Kenai Central’s Erin Koziczkowski drives to the basket against Soldotna’s Drysta Crosby-Schneider on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
