The Nome-Beltz Nanooks squared off against Fairbanks’ Hutchison High School Wednesday night in the opening round of the ASAA 3A State Championships. The Nanooks went into the tournament as the #1 seed and earned the right to play the #8 seed in the quarterfinal.
Nanook fans crowded the hallway just outside the Alaska Airlines Center’s Auxiliary Gym as a 4A quarterfinal game delayed the scheduled 6:15 p.m. start.
Coach Patrick Callahan rolled out the usual starting lineup of Orson Hoogendorn, Levi Pederson, Finn Gregg, Cohen Booth, and Kevin Ongtowasruk, with seniors Hoogendorn and Gregg serving as captains.
The Nanooks rushed to hit a few unsuccessful three pointers before Kendall Ulroan finally nailed one. A minute of clock later, sophomore Lane Schuerch hit another three as the team set off on a 13-0 run.
The Nome-Beltz crowd was electric as Ulroan banked in another three-pointer, followed by Gregg with one more with just 32 seconds left in the first quarter. Hoogendorn’s 6 feet 2 inches height proved to be a problem for the Hutchison Hawks with several points in the paint.
On the other side of the court, sophomore forward Ongtowasruk played his typical tireless defense at the top of the key, claiming a couple steals in the first half. Coach Callahan kept the energy high with frequent substitutions. The team rushed to apply pressure the moment the Hawks were in possession of the ball.
With just over two minutes left in the half, the offense slowed the pace down. Gregg, a University of Alaska Fairbanks signee, slowly dribbled up the court as he took orders from Coach Callahan and set up the court.
By the half, the Nanooks held a commanding 37-10 lead. Schuerch floated in several right-handed layups on his way to topping the first half score sheet with 9 points. Hoogendorn and Ulroan weren’t far behind with 8 each.
Despite being over 500 miles from home, Nome-Beltz fans were treated to a similar halftime experience with the cheer team throwing out mini basketballs.
The Nanooks came out of the half looking to clean up the 10 turnovers they allowed in the first. The speed of the game slowed as the team methodically settled in on defense and took less open shots.
While rushing back to protect the rim, Ongtowasruk took an awkward fall as a teammate and two Hawks closed in. He was able to leave the game under his own power and was attended to by local health professionals before returning to the bench.
Pederson heated up in the second half with a three pointer that whispered through the net to take a 52-12 lead, prompting the referees to enact a rolling clock. By the end of the third, the Nanooks led by 39 points.
Ulroan kept the pressure up on defense with a huge block in the fourth. Freshman Gabe Tran joined the scoring with a three.
Nome-Beltz went on to defeat Hutchison 67-19. Ulroan was named the player of the game for the Nanooks.
Nome-Beltz will play Barrow for the fourth time in a month Thursday at 7:45 p.m. Barrow defeated Valdez 59-52 in its quarterfinal match Wednesday morning.
The Nanooks won each of their three previous matchups with Barrow by an average of 30 points, although their most recent meeting at the Western Conference Tournament was the closest, with Nome-Beltz winning by 14.
