Scammon Bay breezes to second straight Class 1A girls basketball title

Eight minutes stood between Scammon Bay and its second straight state championship Saturday afternoon, and with a 41-point lead in hand, the Eagles allowed themselves to savor the moment.

"Uptown Funk" was playing on the loudspeakers and members of a loud, engaged crowd were showing off their moves in the hope the Alaska Airlines Center's dance cam would put them on the big video scoreboard hanging above center court.

A couple of Scammon Bay players watched and grinned.

Wearing uniforms of white and gold and buoyed by shooting that was anything but ice-cold, the Eagles made all the right moves in a 71-35 win over Selawik. The victory capped a 28-0 season and made Scammon Bay the first Class 1A girls team to repeat since Port Lions in 2010 and 2011.

"Our goal was to get back-to-back championships because everybody in Scammon Bay was looking up to us and expecting us to win," senior guard Kiah Charlie said.

A Western Alaska coastal village of 500, Scammon Bay fans turned out in force for the championship game and they had plenty to cheer, beginning with a pregame ceremony that moved many to cheers and a few to proud tears. A group of children from the Alaska Native Charter School sang the national anthem in Yupik as two dozen or so members of a color guard held the edges of a large American flag.

Though Selawik got on the scoreboard first with a 3-pointer by Shelby Sampson, the smaller but faster Scammon Bay players quickly set the tone. A ball-hawking defense forced numerous Selawik turnovers and red-hot shooting from beyond the 3-point arc led to a 16-5 Scammon Bay lead in the opening four minutes.

The Eagles swished five 3-pointers to claim a 23-10 lead in the first quarter, and they scored their first 12 points of the second half off turnovers to soar to a 44-18 halftime lead.

The team returned from the locker room with eight minutes left in the intermission. Players sat on the bench, jiving to music on the loudspeaker, smiles all around, as they waited for the second half to begin.

"They very much enjoyed this game," said Scammon Bay coach Herschel Sundown, who wore a seal-skin tie made by his mother-in-law for the big game. "They love this game, and it was nice they could have fun and play the game at the same time. It really helps. That positive attitude really helps."

Steals and 3-pointers carried the Eagles, who swiped the ball 21 times and buried 13 of 24 shots from long range.

Charlie, a 5-foot-6 senior guard, led the way with 22 points — 15 on 3-pointers — nine steals and six assists. She's the Player of the Year in Class 1A, and her contributions aren't limited to the court. She's a good student, Sundown said, and she's a vocal team leader.

Before the game, Sundown said, he talked to his team about desire. "Stay hungry," he told them.

When Sundown, the Class 1A Coach of the Year, left the locker room, Charlie addressed the team.

"I told them we had to bring our A game," she said. "Especially these senior girls. I told them to play their hearts out. I told them, 'We have to come out on fire. Once we get that first shot, everything's gonna flow.' ''

She was right. Scammon Bay's first 3-point shot, an open shot by Robyn Hunter taken right in front of the Selawik bench, hit nothing but net. Eight seconds later, Charlie hit a deep triple from the other side of the baseline for an 8-3 lead two minutes into the game.

The Eagles outscored Selawik 39-6 from 3-point range and got treys from six players. Selawik's strength was a 36-19 rebounding advantage. Junior Shaylynn Hingsbergen led the Wolves (16-4) with 13 points and eight rebounds and sophomore Kali Howarth supplied nine rebounds, six points and three steals.

For the Eagles, junior Hayley Akerelrea hit both of her long-range attempts to finish with 16 points, sophomore Anecia Rivers had five rebounds and four steals, junior Sabrina Rivers had seven rebounds and senior Denae Ulak scored six points on a pair of first-quarter 3-pointers that fueled her team's fast start.

The undefeated season follows a 25-3 season last season, making Scammon Bay 53-3 in the last two seasons.

"I've been thinking about winning another state championship since we won it last year," said Charlie, who climbed into the bleachers after the game to share a long hug with her grandmother, Theresa Charlie. "All that worked paid off — the ladders, the stairs, the push-ups."

And at least some of it was fun.

Buckland 53, King Cove 52

Nita Thomas poured in 21 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished four assists to help Buckland claim third place with a 53-52 win over King Cove.
Kyla Melton added 12 points and four assists and Sarah Washington collected 12 rebounds for the Belugas.

King Cove, which lost its final two games by a total of three points, got a boost from Jalaya Duarte (15 points, 11 rebounds), Elaina Mack (13 points, 10 rebounds) and McKenna Gould (10 points, 9 rebounds). During halftime of the championship game, Gould won a 3-point shooting contest to win four Pen Air airline tickets.

Aniak 49, Ninilchik 42

Shauna Kook's 19 points and five rebounds sparked Aniak's 49-42 victory over Ninilchik in the fourth-place game. Alyssa Morgan added 10 points for the Halfbreeds.

DeeAnn White racked up 21 points and 13 rebounds for Ninilchik, which was hurt by 21 turnovers.

Class 1A all-tournament team
Hayley Akerelrea, Scammon Bay
Jacqueline Bennum, Kake
Kia Charlie, Scammon Bay
Olivia Delgado, Ninilchik
Jalaya Duarte, King Cove
Vera Fefelov, Nikolaevsk
Marjorie Hingsbergen, Selawik
Shaylynn Hingsbergen, Selawik
Celina Johnson, St. Mary's
Olivia Juhl, Tri-Valley
Shauna Koonuk, Aniak
Elaina Mack, King Cove
Kylah Melton, Buckland
Madison Thompson, Sand Point
Sarah Washington, Buckland
DeeAnn White, Ninilchik