ACS hits all the right notes to repeat as 3A girls basketball champs

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Anchorage Christian celebrates their win over Sitka 56-46 in the championship game of the 3A girls Alaska State basketball tournament at the UAA Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, Alaska on Saturday, March 24, 2018. (Bob Hallinen / ADN)

From the three players who joined the choir for the national anthem before the game to a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday" by the entire team after the game, the Anchorage Christian girls basketball team hit all the right notes Saturday.

The Lions repeated as the Class 3A state champions by roaring past Sitka 56-46 in the title game at the Alaska Airlines Center.

Chaunice Carr, one of two seniors on the team, went from singing tenor before the game to setting the tone during it. Eleven seconds after the tipoff, she drilled a 3-pointer from the baseline that put the Lions in the lead for good.

"I knew they were fired up from the get-go when they got three 3s in a row," ASC coach Chad Dyson said.

Three of ACS's first four buckets were 3-pointers — one by Carr and two by birthday girl Destiny Reimers, with a layup by Carr coming between the two triples by Reimers.

That gave the Lions an 11-4 lead after less than three minutes, and from there ACS relied on pressure defense and the long arms of Carr and Jordan Todd to kept the Wolves at bay.

Mary Kate Parks and Jessie Davis, a pair of 5-foot-1 guards, took turns smothering Sitka's best player, all-state guard Tatum Bayne. With Parks drawing the tough man-to-man assignment most of the time, ACS held Bayne scoreless through three quarters.

With Bayne contained, Abby Forrester stepped up to provide 15 points for Sitka and Jessica Davis added nine points, seven rebounds and three assists while going up against the much bigger Todd, a 6-foot-2 junior.

Bayne, a senior who finished with nine rebounds, eight points, three steals and two assists, scored her first points on a putback on Sitka's first possession of the fourth quarter. That triggered a 9-2 run that whittled ACS's 21-point lead to 11, 52-41.

Sitka was at its best in the final eight minutes, outscoring the Lions 14-6 and coming within nine points, 54-45, with two minutes left.

"We were so nervous in the fourth quarter," Todd said. "(The lead) was only nine points, and you can do a lot in two minutes."

Todd tormented the Wolves down low, using her height and reach to grab 16 rebounds, block five shots and score 19 points, most of them layups or hook shots.

Carr was also a menace under the hoop, collecting 11 boards as ACS outrebounded Sitka 37-29. Though she's only 5-6, Carr said her wingspan is 6-2 — "as long as Jordan's," she said as she spread her arms to demonstrate.

Carr added 14 points and five assists in her final high school game and couldn't keep the tears from flowing after the final buzzer.

"She's very emotional," Todd said as her teammate buried her face in her hands and cried.

"I had to make every single thing count," Carr said. "Everything was my last — my last game, my last warmup, my last everything."

Reimers, a talented sophomore, celebrated her 16th birthday by draining her first two shots, deep 3-pointers that knocked the wind out of Sitka. She finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and four steals.

Davis added three points, four assists and a steal, and Parks did way more than her stat line of five rebounds and two steals suggests, playing nonstop physical defense.

Defense is ACS's hallmark, Todd said. "We don't even have an offense," she said. "Our offense runs off our defense. Our offense is running."

But don't forget the singing. The Lions can put on a show on the court and a cappella, although according to Carr, making music is the easy part.

"You can't lose at singing," she said, "but you can lose at basketball."

Barrow 48, Valdez 43

Jordan Ahgeak and Lewanne Brower were a combined 14 of 15 from the foul line to lead Barrow past Valdez in the third-place game.

Ahgeak hit all eight of her free throws and Brewer hit 6 of 7 to help the Whalers to a 22-13 scoring advantage at the line.

Brewer finished with a team-high 14 points, Milya Wright turned in a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds and Kuutuuq Danner had 11 points and four steals for Barrow.

Valdez star Bobbi Mott suffered through a poor shooting night — she was 3 of 16 from the field — but she was 8 of 10 at the free throw line for a game-high 16 points. She also tallied 13 rebounds, three blocks and three steals.

Nikiski 53, Bethel 46

Bethany Carstens racked up 26 points and 12 rebounds to carry Nikiski to fourth place with a 53-46 win over Bethel.

Carsten connected on 11 of 18 shots from the field and hit both of her free throws. Teammate Kelsey Clark added seven points, five assists, four rebounds and four steals.

For Bethel, Courtney Williams totaled 18 points and eight rebounds and Katie Crow had 16 points.

All-Tournament Team

Pearle Green, Galena
Chaunice Carr, ACS
Kuutuuq Danner, Barrow
Destiny Reimers, ACS
Bethany Carstens, Nikiski
Jordan Todd, ACS
Mary Kate Parks, ACS
Bobbi Mott, Valdez
Tatum Bayne, Sitka
Courtney Williams, Bethel