It’s a big week for Western Alaska student athletes on and off the basketball court.
Last weekend, Bering Strait School District basketball teams fought for state qualifier slots at the 2018 Bering Sea Conference Tournament in Unalakleet.
The top-seeded Shaktoolik girls team bested second-seeded Stebbins in a close championship game Friday night, with a 52–51 win in overtime. But the Stebbins Grizzlies will still be heading to the 1A state tournament next weekend in Anchorage. The Grizzlies defeated the Koyuk girls 50–40 in the second-place game on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Shishmaref boys, second in the regular-season standings, beat no. 4 Brevig Mission 64–45 in the championship game. Brevig lost to the top-seeded Teller boys in the second-place game, 45–38.
Although Unalakleet hosted BSSD’s 1A tournament, the 2A Wolfpack teams weren’t actually in town. They were playing in their own 2A Great Northwestern Conference Tournament in Hooper Bay.
The boys came out on top with a close 77–73 championship win against Point Hope. The girls will also head to state, defeating Hooper Bay in a close win, 50–47, for second place.
The Nome Nanooks basketball teams are heading to their 3A Western Conference tournament this weekend in Anchorage. It’s been a season of mixed success for both teams. Both boys and girls are coming off tough losses to Barrow’s teams two weekends ago.
The girls get a rematch against Barrow right off the bat, with a 4:30 tip-off this afternoon. The boys play Bethel, who they haven’t beaten this season, at 8:30 tonight.
A few Nanooks also had success in cross-country skiing at the 25K Tour of Anchorage last weekend. Nome’s Mallory Conger took 4th place overall for women and 1st in her 15-to-17-year-old age class, and Ben Cross took 7th place overall for men and 4th in his 15-to-17-year-old age class.
Image at top: The Nome Nanooks boys take on Barrow at home. (Photo: Janeen Sullivan, used with permission)
