Our favorite photos from Alaska March madness

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 40

Wasilla celebrates its win over Colony in the 4A girls state basketball championship game at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage on Saturday, March 23, 2024. Wasilla won 35-32. (Bob Hallinen Photo)

Alaska’s March madness wrapped up Saturday and state high school basketball champions were crowned at the 3A and 4A levels. Thousands of fans gathered at the Alaska Airlines Center over the last two weekends to cheer on Alaska high school teams, from Sitka to Seward to Shishmaref.

Betty Davis East High made it two titles in a row in the boys division of 4A, topping Thunder Mountain. Wasilla won a Mat-Su matchup over Colony to take the 4A girls crown as fans flooded in from the north to watch the game.

In 3A, Nome-Beltz and Anchorage’s Grace Christian earned titles. Both schools have won two championships in the last three years.

Last weekend, Alaska’s smaller schools and their fans congregated in Anchorage for the 1A and 2A championships.

At the 2A level, the Metlakatla girls and Petersburg boys earned state titles. In 1A, the King Cove boys won a title and the girls team from Fort Yukon won its first ever state title.

Anchorage Daily News photographers covered it all. The photo gallery above has some of our favorite images from the last two weekends.

— Chris Bieri