Hawks boys, girls stumble in first day of tourney

NORTH POLE — The top two seeds in the girls Mid-Alaska Conference basketball tournament finished the first day of play with wins. West Valley, the No. 1 seed, beat Houston 60-20, and the No. 3-seeded North Pole Patriots beat Lathrop, 51-42, at North Pole High School on Thursday.

The Wolfpack and Patriots advance in the winner’s bracket and play each other today at 6 p.m. The Malemutes and Hawks will begin the loser’s bracket at 3.

Jasmine Yarde scored 16 points, and Caitlyn Brice chipped in 12 as the Wolfpack went on to swarm the Hawks in the first game of the three-day, double-elimination tournament.

“I think our kids just came out with a lot of energy,” West Valley coach Steve Caciari said.

West Valley held Houston to single digits each quarter while putting up points in the teens themselves. At the end of the first quarter, the Wolfpack led 14-2 and by halftime was ahead 27-8. After a 21-4 third quarter, the game was pretty much decided.

Paige Wagner, Amber Acton and Irene Attungana each scored four points for the Hawks, leading the team.

Houston outrebounded West Valley 33-32. Savanna James led all players with 12 boards for Houston, and Yarde and Jill Phillips finished with eight apiece for West Valley.

“Houston came out with the box-and-one on Hannah (Mattson), which was a good plan on their part,” Caciari said. Mattson finished with nine points.

West Valley finished the game with 21 steals — Yarde had eight — bettering Houston’s seven, three of which James picked up. Hand-in-hand with the Wolfpack’s total steals, Houston turned the ball over 35 times throughout the game. West Valley finished with 14 total turnovers.

“I really liked our ball movement and the way different girls stepped out,” Caciari said. “Everybody really contributed.”

In boys action, top-seeded North Pole scored an 85-59 win over Houston.