Sports

Class 3A Western Conference tourney tips off Thursday at Dimond

Fans hoping to see some of the top Class 3A talent in the state might want to swing down to Dimond High this week, where the Western Conference tournament begins Thursday.

Two of the top five teams in the most recent Alaska Basketball Coaches Association boys poll will be in action, as will the top-ranked Class 3A girls squad.

Teams from Barrow, Nome, Kotzebue and Bethel will compete in the three-day tournament, which gets underway at 3 p.m. with a clash between the No. 1 Barrow girls and rival Nome. That game will be followed by the No. 2 Barrow boys taking on Kotzebue at 4:30 p.m. At 7 p.m., the Kotzebue girls will face Bethel, followed by the No. 5 Nome boys against Bethel at 8 p.m.

Monroe Catholic is the top-ranked boys team in Class 3A, although the Rams have been in a tight battle with Barrow for that honor all season. The Whalers are 23-3 this season and led by freshman Kamaka Hepa, a 6-foot-7 swingman who ranks as one of the top basketball prospects to come out of Alaska in recent years.

Two boys' and two girls' teams will advance to the state tournament out of the Western Conference tourney, which is a double-elimination affair. Thursday's winners will play in Friday night's championship games, while Thursday's losers will play on Friday afternoon for the right to face the championship game loser on Saturday in a win-and-you're-in game for second place.

Western Conference (3A) Basketball Tournament

Dimond High

Thursday

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3 p.m. – Barrow girls vs. Nome

4:30 p.m. – Barrow boys vs. Kotzebue

7 p.m. – Kotzebue girls vs. Bethel

8:30 p.m. – Bethel boys vs. Nome

Friday

3 p.m. – Girls: Barrow/Nome loser vs. Kotzebue/Bethel loser

4:30 p.m. – Boys: Barrow/Kotzebue loser vs. Bethel/Nome loser

7 p.m. – Girls championship: Barrow/Nome winner vs. Kotzebue/Bethel winner

8:30 p.m. – Boys championship – Barrow/Kotzebue winner vs. Bethel/Nome winner

Saturday

6 p.m. – Girls second place game

7:30 p.m. – Boys second place game

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