Bethel teams shine at ACS tournament

by Tommy Wells

The Bethel Regional High School boys’ and girls’ basketball teams both posted impressive wins this past weekend at the 2019 ACS Denali Auto Glass/Pepsi Invitational tournament in Anchorage. The Warriors finished seventh in the boys standings, while the Lady Warriors claimed fifth in their division.

The Lady Warriors got off to a slow start to the girls’ 8-team tournament, dropping their opener to Destiny Reimers and the Anchorage Christian Lady Lions. ACS, sparked by a double-double from Reimers, won the opener, 77-24.

Bethel fought its way back in the second round. The Lady Warriors dispatched defending Class 2A state champion Point Hope by a thrilling 34-33 margin.

The win over Point Hope send Bethel into the fourth-place game against Western Conference rival Kotzebue.

Kotzebue took the fourth-place game by a narrow 40-33 score.

The BRHS boys finished off the tournament on a high note with a rousing 79-24 victory over Kotzebue in the seventh-place contest.

The Warriors had dropped their first two games, falling to Eielson, 66-56 on Thursday, and 75-74 to Point Hope on Friday.