Clicking on all cylinders, the Nikiski girls basketball team turned in a dominant performance in topping visiting Cordova 61-30 on Friday in Southcentral Conference action.
While holding the Wolverines to 15 points through the first three quarters, Nikiski’s offense was humming due to Rachel Thompson. She finished with 32 points and five 3-pointers. Chena Litzen pitched in 14 for the Bulldogs.
Sara Hamberger’s 11 points led the Wolverines.
Cordova boys 63, Nikiski 57
A 24-17 spurt in the second quarter was enough to make the difference in a tight Southcentral Conference victory for the Wolverines on Friday.
Jacob Werner had 23 points for Cordova, while Dylan Cheshier pitched in 11. For the Bulldogs, Hunter Holloway had 16 points, while Javon Pamplin added 10.
Soldotna boys 52,
Ketchikan 51
The visiting Stars withstood a second-half charge by the Kings for a nonconference victory Friday.
SoHi led 30-15 at the half, but Ketchikan cut it to 37-36 after three quarters.
Joe Weltzin poured in 24 points for the Stars, while Alex Pihl had 23 for the Kings, and Mo Bullock dumped in 11.
Lady Lynx Prep Shootout
The Soldotna girls topped Bartlett 54-41 at the Dimond Lady Lynx Prep Shootout to advance to the fourth-place game in the Maroon bracket.
Haley Miller led the Stars with 17 points in the contest.
In the semifinals of the Maroon bracket, West topped Kenai 38-20 to push the Kards into the third-place game.
Cook Inlet Academy boys 80, Kodiak ESS 45
The host Eagles cranked up their scoring machine in Friday’s second half to cruise to a Peninsula Conference victory.
CIA scored 49 in the second half, and Timmy Smithwick led the way for the game with 35 points. Also for the Eagles, David Barlow had 13, Johnny Smithwick had 11 and Riley Smithwick had 10.
Seahawk Classic
In the late girls game Friday, Kodiak topped Seward 47-34. The Bears led 26-13 at the half.
Ila Hughes paced the Bears with 21 points, while Dannika Catt added 10. For Seward, Jasmine Perea had 11.
In the late boys game, Sitka roared back in the final quarter for a 31-11 victory.
Seward led 49-38 before the Wolves exploded for a 31-11 fourth quarter. Tevan Bayne had 34 for the Wolves, while Marjo Vidad had 16 and Jesse Lantiegra had 14. For the Seahawks, Alex Pahno had 13, Jonah DeBoard had 12 and Michael Wolfe had 10.
In the early girls game, Sitka topped Anchorage Christian Schools 49-41. Sidney Riggs had 29 points to lead the Wolves. For ACS, Raven Thibodeaux had 13, Caroline Bowden had 12 and Becca Land had 10 points.
In the early boys game, the Dimond JV topped Wasilla Lake Christian 70-33.
Nenana Invitational
Tournament
The Nikolaevsk girls defeated Susitna Valley 38-27 on Friday to move into the final of the Nenana Invitational Tournament.
Nikolaevsk led 25-23 heading into the final frame before pulling out a 13-4 finishing kick. Serafima Kalugin paced the Warriors with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
The Seldovia boys also moved to the NIT final with a 72-6 victory over Minto. Aidan Philpot had 22 points to lead the Sea Otters, while Calem Collier added 21. Seth O’Leary had 13, including 10 in the pivotal fourth quarter.
Also Friday, the Nikolaevsk boys topped Tri-Valley 77-25 to move into Saturday’s fourth-place game.
Nikolaevsk was in control from the start, leading 26-7 at the end of the first quarter. Neil Gordeev had 23 points for Nikolaevsk, while Felemon Molodih matched his teammate with 23. Molodih had eight steals, while Jonah Fefelov had seven.
Ninilchik Invitational
The Ninilchik boys reached the championship of the Ninilchik Invitational with a 56-50 victory over Unalaska on Friday.
The Wolverines trailed 43-40 entering the final frame before registering the comeback. Sam Mireles had 19 points for the Wolverines, while Tyler Presley had 18 and Austin white had 14.
For the Raiders, Ben Enlow had 17 points, Vincent Naanos had 13 points and Justice Krukoff had 10 points.
The Unalaska girls played their way to the title game with a 62-42 victory over Tok on Friday. Kanesia Price had 24 for Unalaska, while Marina Olson had 18 and Louisa Seman had 12. Kiara Young had 10 for Tok.
Also Friday, the Ninilchik girls played their way into the top three of the tournament with a 35-32 victory over Sand Point. The game was tight throughout, and Ninilchik entered the final period with the same three-point lead with which it left.
Jordan Finney paced the Wolverines with 14 points, while Justina Parami had 15 for the Eagles.
The Soldotna JV boys also played their way into the top three of the tournament with a 76-42 victory over King Cove. Derek Evans had 21 for the stars, while Griffin Casey had 13, Brandon Crowder had 13 and Kyle Marcuson had 13.
In the first game of the day Friday, the Ninilchik girls topped Soldotna JV 54-44.
The Wolverines grabbed a 14-2 lead after the first quarter and were able to make it hold up. Alanna Goins led the way for Ninilchik with 20 points, getting to the line 16 times and cashing in 10 of those foul shots. Jordan Finney and Olivia Delgado each added 11 for the Wolverines.
SoHi’s JV received 16 points from Melia Miller.
In other early action Friday, the Soldotna boys JV defeated Kalskag 58-32. Derek Evans had 19 points for the Stars, while Griffin Casey had 12 and Caleb Spence had 10. For Kalskag, Joey Davis had 14 and Austin Hetherington had 13.
Also early, King Cove blasted Tok 66-24. Ian Samuelson had 24 for King Cove, while Tim Mack also had 24.
In a final early game, the Sand Point girls defeated Kalskag 62-26. Justina Parami had 12 for Sand Point to lead all scorers.
Kotzebue tournament
The Homer girls notched a 49-26 victory over the host Huskies on Friday, while the Homer boys fell 39-32 to Kotzebue.
Friday girls
Wolverines 54, Stars JV 44
Soldotna 2 10 13 19 —44
Ninilchik 14 12 12 16 —54
SOLDOTNA JV (44) — Aley 0 0-0 0, Triana 0 1-2 1, McElroy 3 1-4 7, Derflinger 1 0-0 2, Kruse 2 0-0 4, Houser 1 0-2 2, Wells 0 0-0 0, Miller 5 3-3 16, Kindred 0 0-0 0, Streiff 1 2-6 4, Graham 2 0-0 4, Farrell 2 0-0 4. Totals — 17 7-17 44.
NINILCHIK (54) — Delgado 4 3-6 11, Appelhanz 0 0-0 0, Cooper 0 0-0 0, Sinclair 1 2-5 4, Goins 5 10-16 20, Finney 5 1-4 11, Me. Clark 2 2-2 6, Mk. Clark 1 0-0 2. Totals — 18 18-33 54.
3-point goals — Soldotna 1 (Miller); Team fouls — Soldotna 25, Ninilchik 18. Fouled out — none.
Wolverines 35, Eagles 32
Sand Point 8 11 3 10 —32
Ninilchik 9 10 6 10 —35
SAND POINT (32) — Thompson 1 1-4 3, Mobeck 4 2-4 6, Ludvick 3 0-0 6, Pangilinan 0 0-0 0, Gardner 0 0-0 0, Parami 6 0-0 15, Larsen 1 0-0 2, Pilcher 0 0-0 0. Totals — 14 3-8 32.
NINILCHIK (35) — Delgado 3 2-4 8, Sinclair 1 3-7 5, Goins 1 0-3 2, Finney 6 2-8 14, Mk. Clark 1 4-5 6, Mi. Clark 0 0-0 0. Totals — 12 11-27 35.
3-point goals — Sand Point 3 (Parami 3). Team fouls — Sand Point 20, Ninilchik 6. Fouled out — Thompson.
Bulldogs 61, Wolverines 30
Cordova 4 7 4 15 —30
Nikiski 11 20 18 12 —61
CORDOVA (30) — Hoepfner 1 2-2 4, Erbey 0 0-0 0, Songer 4 1-1 9, Felix 0 0-0 0, Phillips 1 0-0 2, Wiese 0 2-2 2, Hamberger 4 0-0 11, Allison 1 0-0 2. Totals — 11 5-5 30.
NIKISKI (61) — Parrish 0 0-0 0, Perry 1 0-0 2, Riddall 1 1-2 3, Vollertsen 0 0-0 0, Pitt 2 0-0 4, Litke 0 1-2 1, Kornstad 2 0-0 , Thompson 13 1-2 32, Litzen 5 3-4 14. Totals — 24 6-10 61.
3-point goals — Cordova 3 (Hamberger 3); Nikiski 7 (Thompson 5, Kornstad, Litzen). Team fouls — Cordova 9; Nikiski 6. Fouled out — none.
Bears 47, Seahawks 34
Kodiak 9 17 11 10 —47
Seward 3 10 16 5 —34
KODIAK (47) — Fangonilo 0 0-1 0, Hughes 8 0-0 21, Price 3 0-0 6, Fabricante 1 2-2 5, Catt 3 2-5 10, Yu 2 3-4 5. Totals — 17 9-11 47.
SEWARD (34) — Anderson 2 0-0 4, Honebein 0 0-0 0, Jackson 1 1-2 4, Baldwin 1 0-0 2, Lapanskas 3 1-1 7, Perea 4 3-3 11, Clemens 2 1-2 6. Totals — 13 6-8 34.
3-point goals — Kodiak 8 (Hughes 5, Catt 2, Fangonilo); Seward 2 (Jackson, Clemens). Team fouls — Kodiak 10, Seward 16. Fouled out — none.
Friday boys
Wolverines 63, Bulldogs 57
Cordova 10 24 14 15 —63
Nikiski 8 17 15 17 —57
CORDOVA (63) — Songer 0 0-0 0, Ridao 2 2-2 8, Muma 2 0-0 4, Jewell 4 1-4 9, Cheshier 2 6-9 11, J. Werner 9 3-6 23, Sjostedt 1 0-0 2, Plant 3 0-1 6, A. Werner 0 0-0 0, Warga 0 0-0 0. Totals — 23 12-22 63.
NIKISKI (57) — Anderson 2 5-6 9, Johnson 4 1-4 9, Holloway 5 1-2 16, Tauriainen 2 1-2 5, N. Carstens 1 0-0 2, Jackson 2 1-2 6, Pamplin 4 2-8 10. Totals — 20 11-24 57.
3-point goals — Cordova 5 (Ridao 2, J. Werner 2, Cheshier); Nikiski 6 (Holloway 5, Jackson). Team fouls — Cordova 21; Nikiski 19. Fouled out — Songer, Plant.
Wolverines 56, Raiders 50
Unalaska 14 12 17 7 —50
Ninilchik 9 15 16 16 —56
UNALASKA (50) — JR Carpentero 2 0-0 4, Remolino 1 0-0 2, Price 0 0-0 0, Naanos 6 1-3 13, R. Enlow 2 0-0 4, B. Enlow 7 17 0-4 17, Krukoff 4 0-0 10. Totals — 22 1-7 50.
NINILCHIK (56) — Appelhanz 0 0-0 0, Presley 4 8-10 18, Mireles 7 5-7 19, Geppert 1 0-3 2, Bartolowits 1 0-0 3, Pasqua 0 0-0 0, White 6 2-5 14. Totals — 19 15-25 56.
3-point goals — Unalaska 5 (B. Enlow 3, Krukoff 2); Ninilchik 3 (Presley 2, Bartolowits). Team fouls — Unalaska 17, Ninilchik10. Fouled out — R. Enlow.
Stars 52, Kings 51
Soldotna 15 15 7 15 —52
Ketchikan 10 5 21 15 —51
SOLDOTNA (52) — Kuntz 1 0-0 3, Weltzin 10 4-5 24, Furlong 2 1-1 6, Phillips 1 0-2 2, Spence 3 1-2 8, Gibbs 0 1-2 1, Fowler 3 2-2 8, Trammell 0 0-2 0. Totals — 20 9-16 52.
KETCHIKAN (51) — Smith 0 0-0 0, Day 1 0-0 2, Standley 2 2-2 6, Hendricks 0 0-0 0, Bauer 0 0-0 0, Bullock 5 1-1 11, Pihl 8 5-6 23, bonck 1 0-0 2, James 2 3-4 7. Totals — 19 11-13 51.
3-point goals — Soldotna 3 (Kuntz, Furlong, Spence); Ketchikan 2 (Pihl 2). Team fouls — Soldotna 9; Ketchikan 15. Fouled out — none.
Eagles 80, Kodiak ESS 45
Kodiak ESS 11 5 20 9 —45
CIA 16 15 20 29 —80
KODIAK ESS (45) — Phillips 0 0-0 0, Nelson 3 0-0 7, Bennett 2 8-12 11, Robustellini 1 0-0 2, Bartleson 8 2-4 18, Amodo 0 0-0 0, Elvehjem 3 0-3 7. Totals — 17 10-19 45.
COOK INLET ACADEMY (80) — B. Hammond 2 0-0 4, R. Smithwick 4 2-3 10, Miller 1 2-4 4, Barlow 5 0-0 13, J. Smithwick 4 2-4 11, Solie 1 1-1 3, T. Smithwick 13 5-7 35. Totals — 30 12-19 80.
3-point goals — Kodiak ESS 3 (Nelson, Bennett, Elvehjem); CIA 8 (T. Smithwick 4, Barlow 3, J. Smithwick). Team fouls — Kodiak ESS 10, CIA 16. Fouled out — none.
Wolves 69, Seahawks 60
Sitka 12 15 11 31 —69
Seward 19 16 14 11 —60
SITKA (69) — Case 0 1-2 1, Schmidt 0 0-0 0, Coleman 1 0-0 3, Jensen 0 0-0 0, Bayne 10 13-16 34, Vidad 4 5-6 16, Lantiegra 5 3-4 14. Totals — 20 22-28 69.
SEWARD (60) — Jacobson 1 0-0 3, Berry 0 4-4 4, Marshall 0 0-0 0, A. Pahno 5 2-2 13, Zweifel 0 0-0 0, Brewi 0 0-0 0, Estes 0 0-0 0, Wolfe 3 1-2 10, Sieverts 4 0-2 10, N. Pahno 0 0-0 0, DeBoard 6 0-0 12, Jackson 1 5-6 8. Totals — 20 12-16 60.
3-point goals — Sitka 6 (Vidad 3, Coleman, Bayne, Lantiegra); Seward 8 (Wolfe 3, Sieverts 2, Jacobson, A. Pahno, Jackson). Team fouls — Sitka 14, Seward 23. Fouled out — Jensen, A. Pahno.
