In claiming their fourth straight Cook Inlet Conference girls basketball title Saturday, the Dimond Lynx were in a league of their own.
The Lynx haven't lost a conference game in four seasons, and Saturday's 76-49 win over West wasn't as close as the final score indicates.
Shots fell from inside and out for the Lynx, and their defense disrupted nearly every West possession, making for an impressive end to another impressive season.
"It's a really good experience to be part of such a big deal," Dimond senior Sierra Afoa said. "That is a big deal to win regions four times in a row. It's something to show for our hard work."
Afoa, a member of the Dimond varsity for four seasons and a starter for the last three, said the Lynx still have work to do in the upcoming Class 4A state tournament, where they haven't gotten past the semifinals in the last three seasons.
"It's gonna be a rough road," Afoa said. "We have this whole week to practice and work hard and we definitely have a lot to focus on and a lot to work on."
Dimond and West will both represent the CIC in the state tournament next week.
It didn't take long for the Lynx to establish control Saturday. They opened on a 9-1 run and led 20-6 after one quarter. They led 47-14 at the half, the game all but over.
Dimond junior Tara Thompson led all scorers with 20 points, hitting all four of her 3-point shots. Sophomore Rohyn Huss was also hot from outside, nailing all five of her 3-point attempts on her way to 16 points.
Senior Aminata Cole racked a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 13 rebounds and Afoa fell one rebound short of a double-double, hitting for 10 points.
West junior Chanel Bookert established team highs with 14 points and 10 rebounds, with Shiccia Harris-Grant chipping in 10 point.
In the game for third place, Bartlett romped past South 68-29.
Bartlett, led by 26 points from Sarah Johnson, raced to a 17-4 lead after one quarter and led 37-11 by halftime.
Aided by a game-high 15 rebounds from Tiemchieng Panoam, Bartlett ruled the glass with a 52-28 rebounding edge. Nadine Fraker made four 3-pointers on her way to 16 points, also recording eight rebounds and five steals for the Golden Bears.
Sabrina Ungaro led South with 11 points and nine steals.
By JEREMY PETERS