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The Ketchikan girls basketball team was right in the game with top-seed Anchorage Christian School at Friday’s Alaska 4A State Basketball Tournament semifinal.
And then suddenly the Kings weren’t.
Ketchikan led 11-9 after one quarter, but by halftime the heavily favored top-seed Lions were up 19 points.
It’s not that Ketchikan played poorly, but the Lions lit up the scoreboard, putting up 27 points in the second quarter and making 7 of 11 3-pointers in the first half.
By the time the final buzzer rang, Anchorage Christian School had taken a 67-37 victory and moved into the finals.
Gatorade Player of the Year Sayvia Sellers scored a game-high 21 points, including 15 in the first half, but had plenty of help from her teammates.
Sarah Sorrells added 15 points, accumulated all on her 5 baskets from 3-point range on 8 attempts.
“I think we were just making better passes and were ready to shoot when we got the ball,” ACS head coach Chad Dyson said.
Chloe Auble and Nyapar Mathot both scored 11 apiece for the Lions.
“We shoot a lot of 3s,” Dyson said. “We just try to get good ball movement and when you find yourself open, you can shoot.”
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Wasilla 44, West 23
The Wasilla girls team’s defense was nothing short of stifling in the Warriors’ 44-23 semifinal win over West.
The Warriors held West scoreless in the second quarter and held a 21-4 halftime lead, limiting West to just 10% shooting in the first half.
“We talked about being locked in defensive and being everywhere and trapping if we had them in certain spots, being able to stop penetration and recover and if they got a shot up, make sure we got a rebound,” Wasilla coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax said. “Super proud of my girls to hold the CIC champions to four points in a half.”
Neither team had much luck in the first half from long range. West was 0-for-11 from 3-point range and Wasilla was 0-for-10.
But the Warriors had success, both on offense and defense, with the help of posts Bella and Layla Hays. Bella Hays had 16 points to lead the team and added eight rebounds. Layla Hays had six points and 16 rebounds.
Hebert-Truax said the team’s balance between guards and inside players gives them plenty of diversity on both offense and defense.
“It’s pretty fun,” she said. “They’re super great kids and I have fun coaching them. We’ve got ball handlers and shooters. Our shooters struggled in the first half but got some down in the second half. Then can you can give it to the twin towers in town. That helps our game because no one else in the state has that combination.”
West’s Jordan Zackery led all scorers with 17 points.
West and ACS face off Saturday in the title game at 5:30 p.m.
Alaska Girls 4A State Basketball Tournament
At Alaska Airlines Center
Wednesday’s results
Quarterfinals
No. 1 Anchorage Christian 84, No. 8 Lathrop 18
No. 5 Ketchikan 56, No. 4 Colony 50
No. 3 West Anchorage 53, No. 6 Dimond 34
No. 2 Wasilla 52, No. 7 Bartlett 41
Friday’s results
Consolation
Colony 51, Lathrop 40
Bartlett 46, Dimond 39
Semifinals
Anchorage Christian 67, Ketchikan 37
Wasilla 44, West Anchorage 32
Saturday’s games
4th/6th place
Colony vs. Bartlett, 9 a.m. Seawolf Sports Complex
3rd/5th Place
Ketchikan vs. West Anchorage, noon Seawolf Sports Complex
Championship
Anchorage Christian vs. Wasilla, 5:30 p.m. Main Gym