Sports

Wainwright Huskies run past Buckland for 1A girls crown

It's that time of the year when Alaska celebrates running huskies, so give it up for the Wainwright Huskies, the new Class 1A girls state basketball championships.

Relying on fitness acquired over the winter at early-morning practices, the Huskies wore down the Buckland Sissauni while racing to a 62-36 championship-game victory at the Alaska Airlines Center.

"Just run," junior Kai Nashookpuk said, explaining Wainwright's secret to success. "We worked hard for it all year.

"It really does pay off at the end."

Nashookpuk, a junior, nearly racked up a triple-double -- 25 points, 11 rebounds, nine steals. Jay-Jay Aguvluk, one of two Wainwright seniors, furnished a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds.

By halftime, the Huskies had nearly run Buckland ragged with their press, their quickness and an active offense that made shots at a 42 percent clip.

Wainwright led 24-10 at the half and scored six quick points in the first two minutes of the second half, four of them coming from Aguvluk, to grab a 20-point lead.

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The Huskies were the first of four state champions crowned Wednesday, the same day the Iditarod crowned a champion in Nome.

Coach Edna Ahmaogak said the championship was a worthy reward for a team so dedicated its players self-imposed a bedtime curfew during the season.

"We have morning practices at 6:30 where they run about two-and-a-half miles," Ahmaogak said. "They attend classes and then we practice right after school, around 3:45. They're home by 6, and they know they have to maintain their grades.

"The team set a curfew to be in bed by 10 o'clock. When one of them is late in the morning, we are calling them and texting them."

The schedule doesn't permit much of a social life for the players, Ahmaogak said.

"This is the result of their sacrifice," she said as Wainwright fans dressed in red, white and blue cheered players as they left the court.

Wainwright finished the season with a 19-2 record. Buckland finished 20-6.

Buckland's superior rebounding kept Wainwright from pulling away until late in the second quarter.

The Huskies led 12-9 before Aguvluk and Molly Nayakik drained back-to-back pointers, fueling a 12-1 run in the final 3:30 of the half. By then the Sissauni looked fatigued.

Buckland finished with a 38-33 rebounding edge, but that wasn't nearly enough to make up for 26 turnovers and 14-of-55 shooting.

Rosaline Hadley and Courtney Hadley led the Sissauni with 14 points and 11 rebounds, respectively. Courtney is the lone senior on the squad, which was playing in the title game for the first time since 2005.

The title was the first for Wainwright since 2009, and the occasion was a big deal for the North Slope community. A vocal, colorful contingent of fans sat behind the team bench, and even more watched from afar.

"They were gathering at our school and pulling down the movie screen to watch the game," said Ahmaogak, a third-grade teacher. "My students are probably at home, yelling."

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