The Bartlett girls are in the state championship game for the first time in four decades

Saturday night’s Class 4A girls basketball championship game will be a battle between a team that hasn’t been in the title game in more than four decades and a team that’s been there five straight years.

The Bartlett Golden Bears fended off Chugiak 54-44 Friday night at the Alaska Airlines Center to make it to the championship game for the first time since winning back-to-back titles in 1977 and 1978.

Bartlett’s opponent will be the defending state champion Dimond Lynx, who earned their fifth straight trip to the championship game by topping Soldotna 46-36. Dimond won titles in 2015 and 2018 and was the runner-up in 2016 and 2017.

The all-Cook Inlet Conference clash tips off at 6 p.m.

[Sophomore sensation propels Bartlett over battle-tested Wasilla in Class 4A girls tourney]

A freshman and a senior boosted Bartlett. Freshman Nyakoat Ruot scored a game-high 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting and hauled down eight rebounds, and senior Kianna McWhite supplied 13 points, six rebounds and four steals.

The Golden Bears, who pulled away with a 16-8 fourth quarter, got another eight pints, nine rebounds and four steals from sophomore Amelia Uhila.

Chugiak’s only double-figure scorer was Chasity Horn, who dropped in 16 points and collected six rebounds.

In Dimond’s victory, senior Alissa Pili dominated with 22 points and 18 rebounds. She hit 10 of 11 free throws to help Dimond outscore Soldotna 15-5 from the foul line.

Ituau Tuisaula kept Soldotna in the game with 10 points, nine rebounds and four steals, and teammate Aliann Schmidt added 14 points and five rebounds. Dimond got a combined 15 points from D’Shanna Schuster and Haley Rogers.

In Friday’s consolation games, West and Wasilla picked up wins to set up a meeting in Saturday’s fourth-place game.

West’s Kaycee Galloway-Davis sparked West’s 56-37 rout of Ketchikan with 19 points and nine rebounds. Ketchikan gave the ball away 26 times, 15 times on West steals.

Wasilla edged West Valley 55-48 behind a solid game from Olivia Davies, who totaled 20 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Ellen Silva led West Valley with 16 points and seven rebounds.

ASAA March Madness Alaska

Friday’s results

West 56, Ketchikan 37 (consolation)

Wasilla 55, West Valley 48 (consolation)

Dimond 46, Soldotna 36 (semifinal)

Bartlett 54, Chugiak 44 (semifinal)

Saturday’s games

8:30 a.m. — Soldotna vs. Chugiak, 3rd place, Alaska Airlines Center

11 a.m. — West vs. Wasilla, 4th place, Wells Fargo Sports Complex

6 p.m. — Dimond vs. Bartlett, championship, Alaska Airlines Center