by Tommy Wells
The Bethel Regional High School Lady warriors enjoyed a mixed bag of results over the weekend. The team split its two games with the Bristol Bay Lady Angels and Aniak Halfbreeds.
Aniak kicked off the Lady Warriors’ weekend series by grabbing an exciting 55-52 victory.
Shauna Koonuk poured in a game-high 18 points and led a list of three AHS players to reach double figures in the win.
The Halfbreed defense gave Aniak the upper hand early on in the showdown. Aniak limited Bethel to just six points in the first eight minutes of the game and took a 10-6 cushion into the second.
Courtney Williams and Ashley Mute got hot in the second. The two combined for 13 points in the frame and helped Bethel cut Aniak’s lead to two, at 21-19, at the half.
Alyssa Morgan and Kayla Morgan helped the Halfbreeds recover in the third. Alyssa Morgan pumped in 12 of her 14 points in the third quarter while leading an 18-15 spree.
Kayla Morgan chipped in six of her 10 in the third.
The Halfbreeds took a 39-34 advantage into the fourth quarter.
Sparked by five free throws from Williams and four points from Katie Crow, the Lady warriors rallied back in the final frame.
Williams and Crow both finished the matchup with 17 points. Mute added 10.
Bethel rallied back from the loss in grand fashion on Saturday by downing state-ranked Bristol Bay by a 61-55 come-from-behind margin.
Bristol Bay didn’t make the win easy. Anna Hansen pushed home 12 of her game-high 30 points in the first quarter and helped the Lady Angels race to an early 21-14 advantage.
Rylie Lyon accounted for Bristol Bay’s other nine points in the first quarter.
Bethel got going in the second. The Lady Warriors had five different players score in the frame and raced to a 17-6 spree that enabled Bethel to take a 31-27 lead into the half.
Bethel continued to wield the hot hand in the third. Williams and Crow both knocked down a pair of shots in the frame and powered a 14-7 third-quarter barrage.
The Lady Warriors took a 45-34 lead into the final eight minutes.
Hansen came alive again for Bristol Bay in the fourth. She tallied nine points in the frame and led a 21-point outburst that helped the Lady Angels to creep to within six at the final buzzer.
Williams led all BRHS scorers with 18 points. Crow added 12, while Sabrina Crow chipped in nine more.
Lyon was Bristol Bay’s second-leading scorer with 18.
The BRHS junior varsity girls also dropped a contest to Aniak, falling 71-52.
Alyssa Morgan and Koonuk both starred for the Halfreeds. Both finished the game with 27 points. Miranda Peterson added eight.
Brianna Evan and Madisen Smith reached double figures for Bethel. Evan tallied 18 points – 10 of which came in the second half. Smith chipped in 11, including seven in the second quarter.
Dorothy Bukowski narrowly missed a double-digit performance. She netted nine in the affair.
