by Greg Lincoln
The Bethel Lady Warriors finished their basketball season with a trip to the 3A State Basketball Tournament in Anchorage this past weekend. They placed sixth overall at the state finals and they brought the Sportsmanship Award home to the Kuskokwim River in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Congratulations!
Joining Bethel on the 3A girls bracket were teams from Barrow, Grace Christian, Homer, Monroe Catholic, Mt. Edgecumbe, Sitka, and Valdez.
On opening day, the Lady Warriors, coached by Regina Lieb, played against third seed Monroe Catholic in the quarterfinals. They lost 56-25 in a heartbreaker of a game. Brielle Herron scored 13 for Bethel which included 7 out of 8 freethrow points. She made one defensive block. Also contributing buckets were Payton Boney, Isabel Lieb, Kyana Harpak, and Allie Alexie. Bethel made 72% of their freethrows. Alexie had two steals and Lieb also made a steal in the game.
11 out of 12 of Monroe’s players made baskets for scoring and 15 total steals.
The Lady Warriors refocused for their next game with Valdez, whom they played against earlier in the season during homegames. The Lady Warriors won this contest in a close nailbiter 38-36. Payton Boney scored 16 points. Alexie made 9. Also making baskets were Lieb, Harpak, and Malinda Simon. The Valdez Lady Buccaneers turned the ball over 28 times to Bethel’s 19. Valdez made two three pointers.
Their final game at the state tournament was with the Sitka Lady Wolves. It was another close game, Sitka came out on top 56-53. Three Bethel players scored in the double digits: Alexie with 19 including one 3-pointer, Herron with 16 with 3 3-pointers, and Payton Boney with 10. Also scoring shots were Lieb and Harpak. Bethel blocked shots 6 times.
Sitka received scoring from seven out of their ten players, one 3 pointer, and 11 points from freethrows.
Allie Alexie was named to the All Tournament Team.
The Grace Christian Lady Grizzlies were the tournament champions. Coming in second were the Barrow Lady Whalers. Placing third was Monroe Catholic, in fourth was Sitka, fifth went to the Mt. Edgecumbe Lady Braves. Good job to all players and to the coaching staff.
On the boys 3A bracket, the Nome Nanooks defeated the unbeaten Mt. Edgecumbe Braves with a buzzer beater made by Orson Hoogendorn, 63-61 with 2 seconds left on the clock, to win the state title.
Joining Nome and the Braves were teams from Hutchinson, Barrow, Valdez, Grace Christian, Seward, and Houston. Fifth seeded Valdez defeated third seeded Grace Christian for third place. Placing fourth was Barrow. Sixth place went to the Seward Seahawks. Grace took fifth.
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