Peninsula Conference basketball provided the opportunity for the entire central peninsula to show their collective support of Kenai student, athlete, friend Zach Armstrong with the Kenai Kardinals hosting the Nikiski Bulldogs on Tuesday at KCHS.
Hundreds of community members participated in fundraising efforts and thousands of dollars were collected with the basketball games as a backdrop to the generosity of the people of the peninsula and beyond.
Nikiski Girls 26 – Kenai 17
Points were hard to come by in the girds Peninsula Conference pairing with Kenai especially struggling without power forward Emma Beck, who is participating in the 2023 Arctic Winter Games with Team Alaska Volleyball.
Kenai and Nikiski managed only 13 combined points in the first half with the Kardinals leading 7-6 at the half. Nikiski, with a seven-point effort by Shelby Burnam, pulled-away in the second half for a 26-17 Peninsula Conference victory.
Kenai Boys 80 – Nikiski 50
The Kardinals offense was on display on Tuesday with Kenai downing Nikiski 82-50 behind 29 points by Jakob Kvasnikoff and 24 points by Wade James. Kenai pulled away from the Bulldogs with a 25-point, second quarter for a 42-19 halftime lead. Kenai improves to 3-0 in the Peninsula Conference.
Peninsula Conference basketball continues into the first weekend of February with the Nikiski Bulldogs traveling to Homer on Friday and the Kenai Kardinals heading to Grace Christian on Saturday.
