Moose girls basketball standout to play for Division II Nanooks

PALMER — As a junior, Kiana Till learned a lot about herself, as both a person and a player.

With a breakout season on the court, Till became more confident about her basketball future, and during a trip with a summer travel team, Till knew where she wanted to be in the future.

Tuesday, Till took the first step in her future as both a player and a person.

Surrounded by teachers, coaches, teammates, friends and family in the Palmer High School library, Till, a Palmer High senior, signed her National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and play basketball for the Division II Nanooks.

“I’m super excited,” Till said during the ceremony. “After traveling this summer with my travel team, I realized being away from my family was really hard. I didn’t like them not being at my games. Being in state, they’ll be able to come to my games.”

The 5-foot-7 Till earned second-team All-Northern Lights Conference as a junior after finishing among team leaders with averages of 10 points, 5.5 rebounds and two steals per game. She was named all-tournament after three events during the regular season as a junior, and was Palmer’s girls offensive player of the year.

Till said UAF provides the opportunities she’s in search of both off and on the court. Off the court, Till a member of the National Honor Society with a 3.7 grade point average, plans to study environmental sciences, and pursue a future in either fisheries or wildlife biology.

As a high school player, Till has played multiple roles for the Moose, serving as both an inside an outside presence. Till said the Nanooks coaches see her as a guard at UAF, which Till is excited about.

“They’re definitely thinking shooting, driving guard,” Till said. “(The coach) really likes how I drive.”

Till will join a team in the fall that currently includes five Alaska products on the roster. Guards Heidi Pichler (South Anchorage) and Brianna Kirk (Noatak) are seniors. Junior guard Cassi Williams (Klawock), junior forward (Kaillee Skjold) and freshman forward Marian Wamsley (Valdez) each have at least one year of eligibility left. Till played against both Skjold and Wamsley in high school, and said seeing Alaska athletes she has played against have success at UAF gives her confidence that she can do well with the Nanooks also.

UAF, a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, is 1-2 this season.

Till said she also considered schools such as Pacific Lutheran and Whitworth in Washington, but UAF was the best fit.

“I visited, and the team was awesome. The coach was awesome. It felt very good,” Till said.

Palmer first-year head coach Elgin Hollins has yet to coach Till in a high school game. But Hollins, who was named the head coach of the program following the end of the 2014-15 season, quickly became very familiar with Till as an assistant coach at Colony High last year.

“Coaching against her, you were always planning for her. She was one of those players you had to prepare for,” Hollins said Tuesday.

Hollins said a number of things stands out about Till, including her growth as a player as a junior.

“From the first time Colony played (Palmer), until the end of the year, I was like, wow this kid has grown. She’s not just an inside player. She’s an outside-inside player,” Hollins said. “She’s definitely one you could watch progress.”

Hollins said he believes Till’s skills will help her have success as a guard for the Division II Nanooks.

“She’s aggressive. She knows how to create her own shot,” Hollins said. “I think that’s a great spot for her.”

Hollins said Palmer’s planned use of Till this season will also help her prepare for more success at the next level.

“What we’re trying to do with her this season will give her the opportunity to really show that skill set, really showcase what she can do,” Hollins said.

Conact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.