The Nikiski girls basketball team started off the Lady Grizzly Hardwood Classic in Anchorage on Thursday with a 55-42 victory over fellow Class 3A power Kotzebue.
In the Feb. 8 Winning Percentage Index by the Alaska School Activities Association, Nikiski was fourth while Kotzebue was sixth, giving the game added importance in the WPI standings, which will determine a “wild card” team at the state tournament at the end of the season.
The game did not start out well for the Bulldogs, as the Huskies took an 18-9 lead after eight minutes. But Nikiski stormed back to claim a 29-24 lead at halftime and had boosted the lead to 43-32 after three quarters.
Bethany Carstens poured in 27 points to lead the Bulldogs, including 11 points in the pivotal second quarter. Kelsey Clark added 13 for the Bulldogs.
In other action at the tournament, Tikigaq defeated Homer 32-21. Rylee Doughty led the Mariners with eight points.
At the tournament today, Nikiski faces Tikigaq in the semifinals at 8:15 p.m., while Kotzebue faces Homer in the consolation bracket at 3 p.m.
Colony boys 42, Soldotna 33
The Colony Knights spent a lot of time at the free throw line Thursday night. And it proved to be the difference.
Getting more than half of its points from the stripe, the Knights picked up a Northern Lights Conference victory Thursday night over the Stars to jump to 4-3 in conference action this year. SoHi dropped to 1-6 in the conference.
Colony finished 23 of 26 from the free throw line en route to improving to 4-3 in NLC play. Sullivan Menard was 10 of 14 from the free throw line. Nolan Martin was 5 for 8. Martin led the Knights with 14 points. Martin added 11.
Derek Evans scored 11 points to lead the Stars.
Colony girls 47, Soldotna 29
The Knights rolled to a NLC win Thursday night over the Stars, improving to 7-1 in conference play. SoHi dropped to 3-4 with the loss.
Amanda Smith hit a pair of 3-pointers, scoring 13 points to lead the Knights. Alex Carlton, a consistently deadly scorer, was held to 11 points.
Aliann Schmidt paced SoHi with eight points, while teammates Mei Miller and Brittani Blossom finished with six points each.
Wasilla boys 67, Kenai 51
The Kenai Kardinals held the lead once. And it didn’t last long.
Avery Heiber buried a three-pointer with early in the second half to give the Kards the 32-31 advantage. But Wasilla’s Isaac Houck answered with a three of his own on the next possession. That sparked a 12-point Wasilla run, and the Warriors pulled away with a 67-51 victory over the Kardinals Thursday night at Wasilla High School.
After trailing by four at halftime, the Kards used a Nick Beeson baseline jumper and the Heiber three to start the third quarter with a five-point run. But after Heiber’s shot at the 6:54 mark, Wasilla held Kenai to just a pair of Tristan Landry three-pointers for the remainder of the quarter.
Following the Heiber three, Wasilla went on a 12-point run to take a 43-32 advantage. After Landry’s first three of the quarter, Wasilla closed the quarter on an 11-3 run.
Wasilla outscored Kenai 23-11 in the third quarter.
Houck led Wasilla with 21 points in the game. Daniel Headdings added 13, Aeron Milliron chipped in 11 and Reilly Devine finished with 10.
Wasilla improved to 8-0 in NLC play with the win.
Landry led Kenai with 15, and Luke Beiser added 14 for the Kards. Kenai dropped to 1-6 in NLC play.
Wasilla girls 58, Kenai 32
Earlier in the day, McKenna Dinkel scored 22 points to lead Wasilla to a girls win over Kenai. Azlynn Brandenburg added nine and Catherine Baham chipped in eight.
Wasilla improved to 8-0 in NLC play. while Brooke Satathite led Kenai with 15.
Ninilchik girls 64, Birchwood Christian 13
The Wolverines dominated a Peninsula Conference meeting against the Warriors on Thursday.
Olivia Delgado packed in 22 points to lead Ninilchik, while teammate Olivia Delgado added 19. Maddy Carcy scored six to pace Birchwood Christian.
Ninilchik never left the game in doubt, scoring 22 points in the first quarter en route to a 42-10 halftime lead to seal the win up early.
Susitna Valley Invitational
The Nikolaevsk girls and boys basketball teams both notched opening-day victories Thursday at the Susitna Valley Invitational.
The Nikolaevsk girls pulled out a 39-35 victory over Unalaska. Unalaska led 8-3 after the first quarter, 18-15 at halftime and 29-27 after three quarters. But Nikolaevsk finished on a 12-6 kick to secure the win.
Elizabeth Fefelov had 13 points to lead Nikolaevsk, while Markiana Yakunin had 11, Kristin Klaich had eight and Vera Fefelov had seven points.
The Nikolaevsk boys rolled past Wasilla Lake Christian 78-49, outscoring Wasilla Lake 22-9 in the second quarter and 30-12 in the third quarter.
Kalenik Molodih had 27 points to pace Nikolaevsk, while Nikit Fefelov had 20, Anfim Kalugin had 17, Michael Trail had six, Kosta Nikitenko had five and Zachary Trail had three.
Today at the tournament, the Nikolaevsk girls face Nenana at 8:30 a.m. and the Nikolaevsk boys face Nenana at 10 a.m.
Thursday girls
Bulldogs 55, Huskies 42
Kotzebue 18 6 8 10 — 42
Nikiski 9 20 14 12 — 55
KOTZEBUE (42) — Sieh 4 2-2 12, Ramoth 3 2-2 10, M. Nelson-Loya 0 0-0 0, B. Nelson-Loya 0 0-2 0, McConnell 0 0-0 0, C. Conwell 1 0-0 2, A. Conwell 4 10-15 18, T. Conwell 0 0-0 0. Totals — 12 14-21 42.
NIKISKI (55) — Wik 0 0-0 0, Pitt 1 0-0 2, Vollertsen 0 0-0 0, Johnson 0 0-0 0, Carstens 11 5-9 27, Kornstad 4 0-0 8, Clark 4 4-6 13, Jackson 0 0-0 0, Porter 2 0-0 5. Totals — 22 9-15 55.
3-point goals — Kotzebue 4 (Sieh 2, Ramoth 2); Nikiski 2 (Clark, Porter). Team fouls — Kotzebue 14, Nikiski 18. Fouled out — none.
Wasilla girls 58, Kenai 32
Kenai 8 15 6 5 — 32
Wasilla 15 13 10 20 — 58
Kenai (32) — Calvert 2 0-2 5, Miller 1 0-0 2, Creighton 1 2-2 4, Carrasco 1 0-0 2, Satathite 7 1-2 15, Beck 1 2-4 4. Totals: 13 5-10 32.
Wasilla (58) — Vasquez 1 1-2 3, Obremski 3 0-0 7, Baham 3 0-0 8, Kelly 1 2-2 4, Brandenberg 4 1-3 9, Dinkel 7 6-6 22, Green 1 0-1 2, Titus 1 1-1 3. Totals: 32 11-15 58.
Knights 47, Stars 29
Soldotna 8 9 2 10 — 29
Colony 20 12 6 9 — 47
Soldotna (29) — Miller 2 0-0 6, Blossom 2 0-0 6, A. Schmidt 2 4-4 8, Tuisaula 1 1-5 3, Kruse 1 0-0 2, D. Schmidt 2 0-0 4. Totals: 10 509 29.
Colony (47) — Duguid 3 0-0 2, A. Smith 5 1-1 13, Clary 1 0-1 2, Bull 2 1-2 6, Steiner 2 1-2 6, Carlton 3 0-0 7, E. Smith 3 0-0 6. Totals: 19 3-6 47.
3-point field goals: Soldotna 4 (Miller, Blossom 2), Colony 6 (A. Smith 2). Total fouls: Soldotna 13, Colony 5.
Wolverines 64, Warriors 13
Birchwood 6 4 0 3 — 13
Ninilchik 22 20 16 6 — 64
BIRCHWOOD CHRISTIAN (13) — Rios 1 0-0 2, Carruba 1 0-0 2, Kallander 0 0-0 0, Becka 0 0-0 0, Carcy 3 0-1 6, Jensen 0 1-2 1, Patterson 0 0-2 0, Sullivan 1 0-1 2. Totals 6 1-6 13.
NINILCHIK (64) — Clark 4 2-6 10, Cooper 0 0-0 0, Delgado 8 6-8 22, Johnson 2 0-2 4, Kain 2 0-1 5, Kreger 2 0-0 4, White 7 5-6 19. Totals 25 13-23 64.
3-point goals — Birchwood Christian 0; Ninilchik 1 (Kain).
Team fouls — Birchwood Christian 16; Ninilchik 14. Fouled out — Johnson.
Harpooners 32, Mariners 21
Homer 4 2 2 13 — 21
Tikigaq 7 7 11 7 — 32
HOMER (21) — Sonnen 0 0-0 0, Carroll 1 0-2 2, Reutov 2 1-4 5, Knott 0 0-0 0, Doughty 4 0-0 8, Todd 1 0-0 2, Parish 0 0-0 0, Bales 0 0-0 0, Gillette 0 0-0 0, Veldstra 1 0-0 2, Cole 1 0-0 2, Box 0 0-0 0. Totals — 10 1-6 21.
TIKIGAQ (32) — B. Oviok 2 1-2 5, Frankson 5 0-0 13, T. Oviok 2 0-0 4, Hank 1 3-4 5, Koenig 0 0-0 0, Lane 1 0-0 2, N. Hank1 1-2 3. Totals — 12 5-8 32. 3-point goals — Tikigaq 3 (Frankson 3). Team fouls — Homer 6, Tikigaq 14. Fouled out — none.
Thursday boys
Warriors 67, Kardinals 51
Kenai 10 17 11 13 — 51
Wasilla 17 14 23 13 — 67
Kenai (51) — Daniels 5 0-0 10, Beeson 4 1-2 9, Heiber 1 0-0 3, Beiser 6 2-4 14, Landry 6 0-0 15. Totals: 22 3-6 51.
Wasilla (67) — Brown 3 1-2 8, Headdings 4 2-2 13, Devine 3 4-4 10, Edwards 1 0-0 2, Fife 1 0-0 2, I. Houck 9 1-1 21, Milliron 5 0-0 11. Totals: 26 8-9 67.
Knights 42, Stars 33
Soldotna 5 12 5 11 — 33
Colony 9 9 8 16 — 42
Soldotna (33) — Spence 2 3-4 7 Sheridan 0 3-4 3, Tuisaula 2 1-2 5, Evans 3 5-10 11, McElroy 1 1-2 3, Michael 1 0-0 2. Totals: 9 13-22 33.
Colony (42) — N. Pead 0 1-2 1, Neuner 4 3-6 12, Menard 1 10-14 12, Spencer 0 1-2 1, Martin 3 5-8 11, Villastrigo 1 1-2 3, Oathout 0 2-2 2. Totals: 9 23-26 42.
3-point field goals: Colony 1 (Neuner 1), Soldotna 0. Total fouls: Soldotna 23, Colony 16.
