March Madness will come to a close for the top boys and girls high school basketball teams at the 3A and 4A level in the Last Frontier this week as they converge on Anchorage at the Alaska Airlines Center for the 2023 ASAA state tournament.
For the defending 4A state champion Anchorage Christian School girls team (22-2) which is heavily favored to win a second straight title, the Lions hope to avoid the recent trend going on in basketball tournaments at the collegiate level.
After watching top-seeded men’s and women’s teams across the country at the Division I level get upset by lower-seeded teams, Lions head coach Chad Dyson doesn’t want his team to be the next victim.
“Watching a lot of March Madness and seeing the No. 16 teams coming out and beating the No. 1 seeds, anything can happen,” he said. “That’s why you play the game.”
The ACS girls program has been a powerhouse under his tenure at the helm, winning five straight state titles, including its first since moving from 3A to 4A last year. The Lions are also proud owners of the longest winning streak in the history of the state with 116 consecutive wins against Alaska opponents dating back to the 2017-2018 season.
“We keep them focused on not coming out flat and pack the first punch in a game, come out and play strong defense to help propel the offense,” Dyson said.
This week will be his last time coaching senior Sayvia Sellers, who has been the main catalyst for the team’s success over the past four years. The two-time Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year is already committed to play at the University of Washington in the Pac-12 Conference. Dyson said he has enjoyed being a part of her illustrious career and will relish his last few days as her head coach.
“It’s been amazing, she’s one-of-a-kind type,” Dyson said. “We expect big things at college, but she’s very humble, always getting her teammates involved, and has been a great leader the past couple of years.”
The Lions will begin their title defense against eighth-seeded Dimond in the quarterfinals on Wednesday at 6:15 p.m.
Grace Christian boys want to continue tournament dominance
The last time the Grizzlies (23-2) came up short in a basketball tournament was in last year’s 3A state championship game, where they lost 49-47 to Nome-Beltz.
[Nome-Beltz boys rally to claim first Alaska state basketball title in decades]
Since then, they have yet to fall to an Alaska opponent in a tournament and have come out on top of the last four they’ve played in and have notched notable wins over West, Dimond, Tikigaq and Heritage Christian of Northridge, California, during their impressive 21-game winning streak to close out the season.
“We’ve got a really mature older group with nine seniors, and I think they’ve been pretty level-headed in their preparation and approach,” Grace Christian boys coach Jason Boerger said. “They’ve worked hard and done a good job of doing everything I could ask them to do.”
The team’s last loss came against fellow 2022 state runner-up, Bettye Davis East, in a 55-53 nonconference clash between the 3A and 4A juggernauts. That game happened on Dec. 22 during Christmas break, and the Grizzlies haven’t lost since.
Boerger’s team is undefeated against its own level of competition and believes the experience the Grizzlies gained playing against so many high-level opponents both hardened and prepared them for whatever they might face this week.
“We’ve won every tournament we’ve played in this year, and I think we have a lot of confidence coming into this one as well, but we’ve all watched March Madness and seen upsets,” he said. “We understand that all that can happen, but I think we have a great amount of confidence coming in.”
The Grizzlies aren’t the only team that has yet to lose a game at their level. The defending champion Nanooks (22-2), who are the second seed at this year’s tournament, have an unblemished record against 3A opponents as well with their only two losses all year coming against Dimond and West Valley, which are the top two seeds in 4A.
“We know that there’s very good basketball teams at the 3A level and on a given night, any one of them is capable of winning a game,” Boerger said. “Nome-Beltz will be a tough opponent on the other side of the bracket.”
The narrow loss his team suffered to Nome-Beltz last March motivated the Grizzlies all offseason to improve and position themselves for a chance win the first state title for this particular group of seniors and the program’s first since 2017.
“I think our guys were driven by last year and motivated to see a different outcome should we get into that game again,” Boerger said. “I think our guys definitely have an intensity and a focus as we look at whoever it is we might face.”
Grace Christian will face eighth-seeded Delta in the quarterfinals on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. in the auxiliary gym.
West Valley star wants to win a ring more than anything
Like Sellers of ACS for the girls, Stewart Erhart of West Valley (24-1) was named the Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year for boys basketball and led his team to the best record heading into state for the second year in a row.
[West Valley’s Stewart Erhart named Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year for boys basketball]
However, neither accomplishment is satisfying for the prolific senior guard.
“I feel like I’ve gotten all the highest awards that high school has to offer except a state championship ring,” Erhart said.
West Valley came into last year’s state tournament with a perfect 26-0 record but was upset by Colony in the quarterfinals and had its chance of completing the perfect season abruptly extinguished. The Wolfpack had their dream of a perfect season dashed this year prior to state when Dimond defeated them in their own tournament 57-54 on Jan. 27.
“After that, I was moping about it for a couple days but then decided to forget about it,” Erhart said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we see them in the championship game.”
While they’re not entering this year’s championship tourney with a perfect record, Erhart still believes that the top-seeded Wolfpack have what it takes to win the second state title in program history and first since 1990.
“It would mean everything to me,” he said. “We’re pretty confident just because we got the No. 1 seed but it’s not like we’re overconfident or looking over any teams. We realize we have to play three games in a row and can’t look past anybody.”
West Valley will face the eighth-seeded Juneau-Douglas in the quarterfinals on Wednesday at 11 a.m.
CIC champions head into state confident and loose
Even though they are the second seed at this year’s 4A state tournament, Dimond (23-1) believes it is the team to beat coming in on a seven-game winning streak that includes a 21-point blowout of Bettye Davis East 60-39 in the CIC title game.
“I think we really sent a message to the rest of the state that we’re coming for that championship,” senior Luke Johnston said after the statement win. “I just hope they’re ready for us, because we’re coming.”
Despite boasting one of the better records in the state with notable wins over Dimond, 2A powerhouse Tikigaq and a trio of out of state teams, the fifth-seeded West girls team (20-4) still feels like it has a chip on its shoulders.
The Eagles know they won’t be favored to go far at the state tournament especially since they’re on the same side of the bracket as ACS.
“I don’t think anybody thinks we’re going to do anything at state so for us, it’s just going to be playing loose, have fun, and see what we can do,” Charlie Engel said.
The Dimond boys will play West for the fourth time this season at 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday while the West girls will face fourth-seeded Thunder Mountain for the first time this year at 12:30 p.m. in the auxiliary gym earlier that day.
Alaska state 3A/4A basketball tournament
(All games on Alaska Airlines Center Main Court unless noted)
3A Girls
Wednesday
First round
No. 1 Grace Christian vs. No. 8 Bethel, 8 a.m.
No. 4 Barrow vs. No. 5 Sitka, 9:30 a.m.
No. 2 Monroe Catholic vs. No. 7 Kenai Central, 11 a.m.
No. 3 Mt. Edgecumbe vs. No. 6 Valdez, 3:15 p.m. at Auxiliary Gym
Thursday
Consolation
Loser Grace Christian/Bethel vs. Loser Barrow/Sitka, noon at Auxiliary Gym
Loser Monroe Catholic/Kenai Central vs. Loser Mt. Edgecumbe/Valdez, noon
Semifinals
Winner Monroe Catholic/Kenai Central vs. Winner Mt. Edgecumbe/Valdez, 3:15 p.m.
Winner Grace Christian/Bethel vs. Winner Barrow/Sitka, 4:45 p.m.
Friday
4th/6th place, 11 a.m. at Auxiliary Gym
Saturday
3rd/5th place, 10:30 a.m.
Championship, 1 p.m.
3A Boys
Wednesday
First round
No. 4 Mt. Edgecumbe vs. No. 5 Kenai Central, 8 a.m. at Auxiliary Gym
No. 1 Grace Christian vs. No. 8 Delta, 9:30 a.m. at Auxiliary Gym
No. 2 Nome-Beltz vs. No. 7 Barrow, 3:15 p.m.
No. 3 Houston vs. No. 6 Valdez, 7:45 p.m. at Auxiliary Gym
Thursday
Consolation
Loser Mt. Edgecumbe/Kenai Central vs. Loser Grace Christian/Delta, 10:30 a.m.
Loser Nome-Beltz/Barrow vs. Loser Houston/Valdez, 10:30 a.m. at Auxiliary Gym
Semifinals
Winner Mt. Edgecumbe/Kenai Central vs. Winner Grace Christian/Delta, 6:15 p.m.
Winner Nome-Beltz/Barrow vs. Winner Houston/Valdez, 7:45 p.m.
Friday
4th/6th place, 9:30 a.m.
Saturday
3rd/5th place, 9 a.m.
Championship, 3 p.m.
4A Girls
Wednesday
First round
No. 2 Wasilla vs. No. 7 Lathrop, 12:30 p.m.
No. 4 Thunder Mountain vs. No. 5 West Anchorage, 12:30 p.m. at Auxiliary Gym
No. 3 Colony vs. No. 6 Juneau-Douglas, 4:45 p.m.
No. 1 Anchorage Christian vs. No. 8 Dimond, 6:15 p.m.
Friday
Consolation
Loser Anchorage Christian/Dimond vs. Loser Thunder Mountain/West, 12:30 p.m.
Loser Colony/Juneau-Douglas vs. Loser Wasilla/Lathrop, 12:30 p.m. at Auxiliary Gym
Semifinals
Winner Anchorage Christian/Dimond vs. Winner Thunder Mountain/West, 3:15 p.m.
Winner Colony/Juneau-Douglas vs. Winner Wasilla/Lathrop, 4:45 p.m.
Saturday
4th/6th place, 10:30 a.m. at Seawolf Sports Center
3rd/5th place, 10:30 a.m. at Auxiliary Gym
Championship, 5:30 p.m.
4A Boys
Wednesday
First round
No. 1 West Valley vs. No. 8 Juneau-Douglas, 11 a.m.
No. 3 Bettye Davis East vs. No. 6 Anchorage Christian, 4:45 p.m.
No. 4 Monroe Catholic vs. No. 5 Colony, 6:15 p.m. at Auxiliary Gym
No. 2 Dimond vs. No. 7 West Anchorage, and 7:45 p.m.
Friday
Consolation
Loser West Valley/Juneau-Douglas vs. Loser Monroe Catholic/Colony, 9:30 a.m. at Auxiliary Gym
Loser Bettye Davis East/Anchorage Christian vs. Loser Dimond/West, 11 a.m.
Semifinals
Winner West Valley/Juneau-Douglas vs. Winner Monroe Catholic/Colony, 6:15 p.m.
Winner Bettye Davis East/Anchorage Christian vs. Winner Dimond/West, 7:45 p.m.
Saturday
4th/6th, 9 a.m. at Seawolf Sports Center
3rd/5th, 9 a.m. at Auxiliary Gym
Championship, 7:30 p.m.