Houston scores split at Nikiski

NIKISKI — At the beginning of the season, Cook Inlet Academy girls head basketball coach Rustin Hitchcock was worried about slow starts for his team. Thursday’s 53-24 rout over Houston in the first game of Nikiski’s 21st annual Era Aviation Tip Off tournament put those worries at ease.

The Eagles started the contest with an 8-0 run and ended the quarter with an 11-0 run. The Eagles scored 21 first-quarter points to the Hawks’ six.

“We controlled the tempo,” Hitchcock said. “We were the aggressors. It was just a really, really beautiful game today.”

Houston’s boys earned a split with a 69-52 win over CIA. Nikiski’s girls defeated Homer 36-28 and the boys lost a close 54-51 contest to the Mariners.

Eagles 53, Hawks 24

CIA held the Hawks to single digits in scoring in each quarter. Hitchcock said his team’s positive attitude was a major difference in the game.

“From one to 11, everyone had an upbeat attitude,” he said of his team.

That positivism especially helps the younger girls on the team, Hitchcock said. Senior Amie Smithwick, in particular, led on and off the court.

“The girls look up to her so much,” he said. “It’s good when she’s leading the charge positively.”

Smithwick went 8-of-9 from the line and tallied 14 points in the game. Tiffany Smith paced the Eagles with 19 points. Megan Bauder chipped in 11.

Amber Madrid led the Hawks with eight points.

CIA is a more polished team, Hawks head coach Reese Everett said.

Everett said his team had several opportunities to score, but failed to convert on those chances.

“Right now, we’re just not a very good shooting team,” he said.

Everett said he’s still searching for his top five girls.

Though CIA is a 2A school, its tough schedule thus far has helped it defeat larger schools such as Houston, which is a 4A school, Hitchcock said.

With just one senior on the team, Everett said Houston is in a rebuilding period.

“We’re a work in progress,” he said.

Hawks 69, Eagles 52

Intensity and discipline decided the game between CIA’s boys and Houston. In the first three quarters, the Eagles played with neither, said CIA head coach Justin Franchino.

“The scoreboard showed the results when that happens,” Franchino said. “We didn’t play with heart for the first three quarters.”

Intensity and discipline are needed when they take on larger schools like Houston, Franchino said.

For the Hawks, a good start helped them seal the victory. Head coach Dave Porter said his team hasn’t had fast starts lately, and that has been costly in close games.

Against CIA, Porter said he stressed coming out hard and gaining a lead to avoid playing from behind.

The Hawks held a 20-14 lead after one quarter and a 10-point lead at the half.

Senior Zack Qual paced the Hawks with 19 points. Eight different Houston players contributed to the scoring. Four had 10 or more.

Matthew Moffis led CIA with 16 points. Twelve of those came from four 3-pointers. Eight Eagles recorded points in the game.

Houston got 22 foul shots, making 15 of them. CIA hit 18-of-21 free throws.

With mostly sophomores on the team and just two seniors, Porter said he’s been working on fundamentals.

Franchino said he was proud that his team didn’t give up in the fourth quarter. An even 15-15 fourth quarter showed that the small 2A Eagles can play with the large 4A Hawks.

“We were just as good as that team,” Franchino said. “All we can do is just learn from that.”

CIA girls 53, Houston 25

Nikiski Era Aviation Tip-Off Tournament

Thursday, Nikiski High School

Houston 6 6 4 9—25

CIA 21 12 16 4—53

HOUSTON (25) — M. Dodds 0 0-2 0, P. Wagner 0 2-7 2, S. James 2 2-2 7, A. Acton 0 0-2 0, A. Mackey 1 2-2 4, S. Ritter 0 0-0 0, A. Madrid 3 2-9 8, S. Shaffer 2 0-0 4, K. Quincy 0 0-0 0. Totals — 8 8-24 25.

CIA (53) — T. Smith 9 0-0 19, T. McGahan 0 0-0 0, L. Bauder 0 0-0 0, M. Bauder 4 3-4 11, S. Arneson 0 1-2 1, D. Bunts 0 0-0 0, A. Smithwick 3 8-9 14, K. Powers 1 0-1 2, K. Brush 0 0-0 0, A. Tieaskie 0 0-0 0, K. Leaf 3 0-0 6. Totals — 20 12-16 53.

3-point goals — Houston 1 (James 1); CIA 1 (Smith 1). Team fouls — Houston 15; CIA 16. Fouled out — None.

Houston boys 69, CIA 52

Nikiski Era Aviation Tip-Off Tournament

Thursday, Nikiski High School

Houston 20 17 17 15—69

CIA 14 13 10 15—52

HOUSTON (69) — S. Kramer 5 2-2 12, A. Richardson 0 0-0 0, B. Frank 1 0-0 2, Z. Qual 6 6-8 19, R. Ruta 0 0-0 0, M. Rothley 4 1-5 11, M. Montreuil 2 2-2 7, T. Barron 1 2-2 4, C. Buzby 1 1-2 3, Co. Buzby 5 1-1 11, T. Stone 0 0-0 0, P. Pease 0 0-0 0. Totals — 25 15-22 69.

CIA (52) — L. Grinestaff 2 0-2 4, C. Munn 1 2-2 4, J. Grinestaff 3 0-1 6, S. Reischach 3 1-4 7, J. Holly 2 1-4 5, K. Powers 3 2-6 8, M. Moffis 5 2-2 16, D. Reischach 1 0-0 2. Totals — 20 18-21 52.

3-point goals — Houston 4 (Qual 1, Rothley 2, Montreuil 1); CIA 4 (Moffis 4). Team fouls — Houston 19; CIA 18. Fouled out — Holly.

Soldotna 56, Palmer 41

At Soldotna, Saturday

Palmer 7 9 16 9—41

Soldotna 13 26 10 7—56

PALMER (41) — A. VanHoomissen 0 0-0 0, K. Venzke 2 1-2 5, E. LaMere 3 2-4 8, S. Riggs 0 0-0 0, S. Thein 6 1-2 14, A. Koehn 1 0-0 2, T. Blake 2 0-4 4, S. Houchen 1 0-0 2, K. Brandenberg 0 3-6 3, M. Neurenberg 0 1-2 1, T. Whitfield 0 0-0 0. Totals — 16 8-20 41.

SOLDOTNA (56) — L. Forbes 0 1-2 1, K. Senette 5 6-6 16, J. Jensen 0 0-0 0, S. Ackerman 1 0-0 2, K. VanAntwerp 2 0-2 4, J. Duke 4 1-2 11, M. Hardy 4 2-4 10, K. Skjold 5 2-2 12, K. Barkman 0 0-0 0, D. Hutchings 0 0-0 0. Totals — 21 12-18 56.

3-point goals — Palmer 1 (Thein 1); Soldotna 2 (Duke 2). Team fouls — Palmer 17; Soldotna 14. Fouled out Å\ None.

Soldotna 70, Palmer 63

At Soldotna, Saturday

Palmer 15 12 14 22—63

Soldotna 16 17 16 21—70

PALMER (63) — K. Titus 5 5-5 18, H. Dean 1 0-0 3, B. Brown 0 0-0 0, J. Buresh 7 3-3 18, B. Bohman 1 1-2 4, K. Montgomery 0 0-0 0, S. Niekamp 5 5-6 15, C. Odom 2 1-2 5. Totals — 21 15-18 63.

SOLDOTNA (70) — T. Hahn 2 0-0 6, D. Story 3 0-0 6, B. Blossom 7 6-6 21, Z. Jackson 2 2-4 6, B. Carver 5 3-6 15, D. Stilchin 4 0-1 8, Skjold 2 0-0 4, R. Smithwick 0 0-0 0, E. Withrow 2 0-0 4, J. Barnes 0 0-0 0. Totals — 27 11-17 70.

3-point goals — Palmer 6 (Titus 3, Dean 1, Buresh 1, Bohman 1); Soldotna 5 (Hahn 2, Blossom 1, Carver 2). Team fouls — Palmer 15; Soldotna 18. Fouled out — Bohman.