Undefeated in the 34th Annual Rus Hitchcock Invitational Basketball Tournament at Nikiski High School, the Valdez Buccaneer girls and boys claim the team championships with victories on Saturday.
Valdez Girls 37 – Homer 23
The Valdez Buccaneer girls and Homer Mariners entered Saturday’s pairing at 2-0 in the round-robin format. Valdez defeated Homer 37-23 for the tournament championship. Valdez’s Destiny Day and Carsyn Hinkle scored nine points each in the final.
Valdez Boys 62 – Homer 37
The Buccaneer boys improved to 3-0 and claimed the tournament trophy with a 62-37 dismantling of the Mariners in Saturday’s tournament contest. Payton Gage scored 26 points for the Buccaneers,
Saturday Game Results
Nikiski girls over Kotzebue 40-38. Shelby Burman scored 12 for the Bulldogs, who finish 1-2 in tournament play.
Kotzebue Huskies defeat Bulldogs boys 71-46. For Nikiski, David Weathers scored 12 and Charlie Chamberlain added 11 points.
Nikiski Tip-Off All-Tournament Selections
Girls All-Tournament
MVP: Masen Holmes of Valdez
All-Tournament Team: Sydney Shelby of Homer, Lawson Alexson of Homer, Zaina McConnell of Kotzebue, Destiny Day of Valdez and Savanna Stock of Nikiski.
Boys All-Tournament
MVP: Payton Gage of Valdez
All-Tournament Team: Bryce Tucker of Valdez, Tino Tucker of Valdez, Ayden Wesley of Kotzebue, Tyran Lane of Kozebue and Drew Handley of Nikiski.
