The Nikiski girls and boys basketball teams closed play at the Southcentral Conference Basketball Tournament on Saturday; both teams recording outstanding results in tournament play.
The Bulldog girls earn a 3A state basketball tournament berth with a runner-up finish and the Nikiski boys rally from 15 points down for an overtime victory and third place in the boys division.
3A State Basketball: First Round March 22nd
Nikiski Girls vs Barrow 5 p.m. Pairing based on WPI
Nikiski Girls 54 – Anchorage Christian School 76 SCC Girls Championship Game
The Anchorage Christian School girls basketball team completed its undefeated run through 3A and conference opponents with a 76-54 victory over the Nikiski Bulldogs in the Southcentral Conference girls championship game on Saturday at Colony High School.
Nikiski battled throughout against the size of the Lions with ACS building 32-18 lead at the half. For the game, Nikiski’s Bethany Carstens lead all scorers with 21 points including 15 of 16 from the free throw line. The Bulldog girls advance to the ASAA 3A Girls Basketball Championships scheduled for March 22-24 at the Alaska Airlines Center at UAA.
ACS remains unbeaten against 3A opponents and suffered only one loss in the regular season to the Wasilla Warriors at the Dimond Lady Lynx tournament. Nikiski’s only losses in 3A play have come at the hands of the Lions; the Bulldogs have beaten all other top 3A teams including Sitka, Barrow and Bethel (all state qualifiers).
Nikiski Boys 55 – Homer 49 OT SCC Boys 3rd Place Game
Facing a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter, the Nikiski boys mounted the largest comeback victory of the Southcentral Conference tournament, rallying for a 55-49 overtime win over the Homer Mariners.
Trailing into the fourth quarter, Nikiski’s offense caught fire for 21 points in the fourth, including a game-tying three point basket by Jace Kornstad with three seconds remaining to send the game into overtime even at 40-40. In the overtime, the Bulldog boys outscored Homer 15-9 for the third-place game victory. Noah Litke lead Nikiski with 13 points including four treys; Ian Johnson scored 12, Kornstad added 11, Garrett Ellis scored 10 and Cody Handley added nine points.
