Both Nome Beltz’ basketball teams lost to Galena over the weekend. The Nanook boys lost by single digits while the girls’ matchups were not as close.
The Lady Nanooks lost by double digits at their senior night game but saw balanced scoring with Kellie Miller putting up 17 points, Brooke Anungazuk scoring 15, and Lisa Okbaok adding 13. The Nome girls lost 83-60.
Saturday’s game for the Nome ladies provided a similar outcome, with the Nanooks losing 74-56. Okbaok led all Nanook scorers with 13 points. Macey Witrosky had 12, and Anungazuk had 10.
Playing in Galena, the Nome boys had closer games, falling by two points the first day and four the second. Dawson Schaeffer led the Nanooks with 16 points, Stephan Anderson had 10, and Elden Cross chipped in 9. Day two saw those three lead Nome in total points scored as well. Anderson had 14, Cross put up 12, and Schaeffer had 11.
“We certainly had chances to win. On Friday we had 21 turnovers and they had five turnovers, so [it’s] hard to win a game with those kinds of numbers.”
– Pat Callahan
Nome boys’ Coach Pat Callahan noted that, unless the Nanooks make the state tournament, they will not face Galena again.
Callahan says that while his team’s play is concerning to him, the Nanooks performance is better than the scoreboard showed.
“I thought both of those games we were probably the better team. Second night we had a ten-point lead most of the first half. At the end (we) just (were) not playing hard and not doing the little things to get a win.”
– Pat Callahan
Next up for the Nanooks basketball teams will be a varsity girls’ visit to Barrow while the boys host the Whalers in Nome with the first game tipping off tonight at 5:45pm.
Image at top: The Nome Nanooks, in white, take on the Barrow Whalers, in purple, on the basketball court at Nome-Beltz Junior-Senior High School (2018).
