Defending Class 3A state champion Grace Christian held off the Soldotna boys in a 47-43 nonconference clash on opening day at the Alaska Prep Shootout tournament at Dimond High.
The loss dropped SoHi into a semifinal contest today against Tikigaq at 4:30 p.m. Tikigaq lost to Dimond on Thursday.
Stars head coach Nolan Rose said his squad was ravaged by the flu bug this week and only dressed eight players, some of whom were still dealing with the effects of illness.
“We gave ourselves a chance to win against a very good team despite some adversity,” Rose said in a text.
Wendell Tuisuala was hot from behind the arc, hitting all four 3-point shots he took to lead the Stars with 12 points. Teammate Eli Sheridan netted nine points and Sam McElroy scored eight. SoHi buried nine 3-pointers in all.
SoHi did well in containing defending Class 3A Player of the Year Tobin Karlberg to just eight points, but Sylvanus Edi led the way with 12 points for the Grizzlies on 6-for-11 shooting and 10 rebounds.
Nikiski boys 51, Houston 28
The Nikiski boys dominated the second half of a Southcentral Conference contest Thursday in Houston to start their division season at 1-0.
Senior guard Cody Handley scored a game-high 18 points for Nikiski, and teammate Jace Kornstad chipped in 15 and Ian Johnson added 14.
After ripping off 14 points in the first quarter, Houston struggled in the final three frames against the stingy Nikiski defense. The Bulldogs outscored the Hawks 12-3 in the second quarter to reach a 31-23 lead at halftime.
In the second half, Nikiski outscored Houston 29-11, including 20-5 in the final eight minutes.
Nikiski girls 59, Houston 22
The Bulldogs torched the Hawks Thursday in a Southcentral Conference meeting at Houston.
Nikiski pulled out an 18-2 lead in the first quarter and stretched it to 40-12 at the half.
Bethany Carstens scored a game-high 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting, while Emma Wik hit three 3-pointers for 11 points, Kelsey Clark had eight and Kaycee Bostic and America Jeffreys each had six. Rylee Jackson brought down 10 rebounds.
The Bulldogs will face Redington today at 5:30 p.m. in the second of three straight conference games.
ACS boys 70, Homer 64
The Mariners fell in a Southcentral Conference loss Thursday night at Anchorage Christian School.
Koby Etzwiler scorched the court with 29 points to lead Homer. Etzwiler connected on five 3’s and went 10 for 10 from the free throw line.
Also for Homer, Jordan Beachy scored 15 points and Joel Carroll had 10.
Danilo Guzman led ACS with 16 points and Frederick Onochie netted 15.
The Lions streaked out to a 22-14 lead in the first quarter, but Homer answered with 22 points in the second to seize a 36-35 halftime lead.
Tied after three quarters, ACS eventually pulled away with a 22-16 fourth quarter effort.
ACS girls 83, Homer 22
The host Lions rolled past the Mariners to improve to 6-0 overall and 2-0 in the Southcentral Conference. The Mariners drop to 1-3 overall and 0-1 in the conference.
ACS removed all drama early, winning the first quarter 25-2.
Chaunice Carr paced the Lions with 16 points. Also for ACS, Mary-Kate Parks and Destiny Reimers had 13 points and Jordan Todd added 12 points.
For Homer, Anna Godfrey led the way with nine points.
Seward boys 44, Redington 43, OT
WASILLA — The Redington Huskies were seconds away from their first Southcentral Conference win in school history.
But Connor Spanos spoiled the moment.
Spanos buried a three-pointer at the buzzer in overtime to give Seward a 44-43 win over Redington Thursday night at Redington in Wasilla.
“As soon as it left his hands, I put my head down. I knew it was going in,” Redington head coach Tony Brooke said by phone Thursday evening. “I had a perfect view. I was praying it wouldn’t go in.”
But Spanos knocked it down to give the Seahawks their first victory of the young season. Zen Petrosius supplied a game-high 21 for Seward in the win.
“Their big guy is a monster,” Brooke said. “They tore us apart a little bit.”
Brody Brooks led Redington with 16.
In girls action, Ashley Jackson led Seward with 16 points in a 41-27 win over the Huskies.
Thursday boys
Grizzlies 47, Stars 43
Grace 8 10 14 15 —47
Soldotna 13 6 11 13 —43
GRACE CHRISTIAN (47) — Ivanoff 1 0-0 3, Gororth 2 1-2 6, McGovern 3 2-3 8, Coulombe 0 0-0 0, Karlberg 2 4-4 8, Harriman 4 0-0 8, Edi 6 0-2 12, Beck 1 0-0 2. Totals 19 7-11 47.
SOLDOTNA (43) — Truesdell 0 0-0 0, Spence 2 2-4 7, Sheridan 3 0-0 9, Crowder 3 0-0 7, Tuisaula 4 0-0 12, Michael 0 0-0 0, McElroy 4 0-0 8. Totals 16 2-4 43.
3-point goals — Grace Christian 2 (Ivanoff 1, Gororth 1); Soldotna 9 (Tuisuala 4, Sheridan 3, Spence 1, Crowder 1).
Team fouls — Grace Christian 7, Soldotna 10. Fouled out — none.
Bulldogs 51, Hawks 28
Nikiski 10 12 9 20 —51
Houston 14 3 6 5 —28
NIKISKI (51) — Johnson 3 8-10 14, Weathers 0 0-0 0, Ellis 1 0-0 3, Kornstad 5 3-4 15, T. Litke 0 0-2 0, Handley 7 2-4 18, N. Litke 0 0-0 0, DeSiena 0 0-0 0, Eiter 0 1-2 1. Totals 16 14-22 51.
HOUSTON (28) — Wyrick 4 0-0 12, Gabe 0 0-0 0, Hershman 0 2-2 2, Mulhaney 0 1-2 1, Ross 0 0-0 0, Mulhaney 0 1-2 1, Graham 1 0-0 2, Ritter 3 1-2 10, Croghan 0 0-0 0. Totals 8 5-8 28.
3-point goals — Nikiski 5 (Handley 2, Kornstad 2, Ellis 1); Houston 7 (Wyrick 4, Ritter 3).
Team fouls — Nikiski 15, Houston 18. Fouled out — none.
Lions 70, Mariners 64
Homer 14 22 12 16 —64
ACS 22 13 13 22 —70
HOMER (64) — Etzwiler 7 10-10 29, Adkins 1 0-0 2, Reutov 0 0-0 0, Carroll 5 0-0 10, Beachy 6 0-0 15, McGhee 3 2-4 8. Totals 22 12-14 64.
ACS (70) — Parks 2 0-0 4, Smallwood 2 4-4 9, Onochie 7 1-2 15, Cho 1 0-0 2, Guzman 6 4-4 16, Dickerson 5 2-4 13, Lozano 2 5-6 9, Hall 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 18-22 70.
3-point goals — Homer 8 (Etzwiler 5, Beachy 3); ACS 2 (Smallwood 1, Dickerson 1).
Team fouls — Homer 18, ACS 13. Fouled out — Adkins.
Seahawks 44, Huskies 43, OT
Seward 11 8 10 11 4 —44
Redington 6 7 14 12 3 —43
Seward (44) — Moriaty 0 0-2 0, Estes 3 0-0 6, Ingalls 1 0-2 3, Spanos 2 1-2 6, Pferiffenberger 0 1-2 1, Jarvis 2 0-4 4, Petrosious 8 5-6 21; Totals: 16 7-18 45.
Redington (43) — Falaniko 1 0-0 2, Elliott 4 0-0 9, Amirault 2 0-0 4, Brooks 6 4-11 16, Conway 3 0-0 7, Norris 2 0-1 4; Totals: 18 4-12 43.
Thursday girls
Lions 83, Mariners 22
Homer 2 7 2 11 — 22
ACS 25 18 26 14 — 83
HOMER (22) — Bales 0 0-0 0, A. Godfrey 3 2-2 9, Bishop 0 0-0 0, G. Godfrey 0 0-0 0, Doughty 0 3-4 3, Todd 0 0-0 0, Parish 2 0-0 4, Carroll 0 0-0 0, Veldstra 0 0-0 0, Cole 0 4-4 4, Box 1 0-0 2. Totals — 6 9-11 22.
ANCHORAGE CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS (83) — Parks 6 0-0 13, Smallwood 0 2-2 2, Davis 3 0-0 9, Reimers 5 3-3 13, Tiulana 1 0-0 2, Powell 4 0-0 8, Randall 0 0-0 0, Pickard 3 0-0 8, Carr 7 2-6 16, Todd 5 2-2 12. Totals — 34 9-13 83.
3-point goals — Homer 1 (A. Godfrey); ACS 6 (Davis 3, Pickard 2, Parks). Team fouls — Homer 9, ACS 13. Fouled out — none.
Seahawks 41, Huskies 27
Seward 8 10 12 11 —41
Redington 9 2 3 13 —27
Seward (41) — Sewer 1 0-0 2, Terry 1 0-0 2, VanBorstel 5 1-1 11, Jackson 2 12-14 16, Pstrosius 4 2-3 10; Totals: 13 15-18 41.
Redington (27) — McGovern 1 1-1 3, Crockett 5 0-0 10, Apargzuk 2 1-2 5, Fuller 4 1-5 9; Totals: 12 3-8 27.
