Boys
Kenai 53, Homer 46
The Kenai Central boys’ basketball team clinched their first Peninsula Conference title since 1981 with a 53-46 win over top-seeded Homer on Mar. 7. The Kardinals avenged two previous losses to the Mariners, moving to an 18-8 overall record.
Mason Tunseth led Kenai with 23 points, while Caleb Litke contributed 17. Coach Nolan Rose switched from his usual 1-3-1 defense to a man-to-man strategy, effectively neutralizing Homer’s offense.
Despite a strong fourth-quarter push from the Mariners, Kenai held on for the win. Both teams are headed to the Class 3A state tournament.
Girls
Grace Christian 59, Kenai 23
The Grace Christian girls’ basketball team won their third straight Peninsula Conference title with a dominant 59-23 victory over Kenai last weekend.
Grace’s defense overwhelmed Kenai, holding them to just three points in the first half. Sophie Lentfer led the Grizzlies with 20 points, and MJ Van der Horst added 18. Kenai’s Evelyn Cooper led the Kardinals in scoring with 9 points.
Both teams will represent the Peninsula at the Class 3A state tournament.
Nikiski 49, Homer 27
The Nikiski girls’ basketball team secured third place in the Peninsula Conference tournament with a 49-27 win over Homer on Saturday.
Despite playing with only six players, the Bulldogs pulled through with a strong performance from Blakeley Jorgensen, who scored 28 points. Abby White added 10 points.
For Homer, Channing Lowney closed out her career with 21 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Nikiski’s depth.
The Bulldogs finished the season 9-16, while Homer ended at 7-18.
