Barrow coach Nicole Smith talks with her players during a timeout. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
When she was a senior in high school, 2011 Barrow grad Nicole Smith was part of a defense-minded Whalers’ girls basketball team that won the state title.
Now that she’s the coach, Smith’s team plays a more wide-open offensive game, but the results are similar.
The Whalers like to get up and down the court and Thursday was no different as they raced to a 58-45 victory over Mt. Edgecumbe in the semifinals of the Class 3A girls state tournament at the Alaska Airlines Center.
Barrow advanced to Saturday’s state title game against defending state champion Grace Christian, which beat Monroe Catholic 36-24 in the other semifinal.
ASAA/First National Bank Alaska
Class 3A Girls State Tournament
At Alaska Airlines
Thursday
Semifinals
Barrow 58, Mt. Edgecumbe 45
Grace Christian 36, Monroe Catholic 24
Consolation
Sitka 60, Homer 32
Bethel 38, Valdez 36
Friday
9:30am Fourth Place Game
Sitka (18-9) vs. Bethel (15-12)
Saturday
9:00am Third Place Game
Mt. Edgecumbe (22-4) vs. Monroe Catholic (23-5)
1:00pm Title Game
Barrow (23-3) vs. Grace Christian (25-3)
This is the first season on the bench for Smith, a former Highline College player who has returned to her hometown and took the reins from the father-son coaching duo of Derek and Makana Ahgeak. Derek guided Barrow to the 2022 state title before Makana took over last season after his father stepped down due to health concerns and led the Whalers to a fifth-place finish.
Derek Ahgeak, who played for the UAA Seawolves in the mid-1980s, passed away in 2023. His impact in the Utqiagvik community was enormous and the high school changed the name of its longtime tournament to the Karl Derek Ahgeak Invitational.
Barrow players, coaches and fans are wearing hoodies at this week’s state tournament with his picture on them.
The Whalers were picture perfect on the fastbreak on Thursday when they pulled away from Mt. Edgecumbe in the third quarter.
Mt. Edgecumbe’s Tahira Akaran is unable to get around Barrow’ Zadah Unutoa for a rebound. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
Nursing a 34-29 lead, Barrow rattled off a 16-3 run in the quarter eyed by its trademark transition game. Kiara Burnell and Kylen each converted three-point plays as the Whalers got scoring in the game-changing string by six different players.
Kylen’s and-1 made it 43-30 and Kiara’s and-1 made it 48-30. Zadah Unutoa’s outlet passes kickstarted the runs, which were also facilitated by the fine passing of Aiga Unutoa.
Kiara Burnell had 14 points and three assists, Aiga Unutoa had 12 points and three assists and Zadah Unutoa collected seven points and seven rebounds.
Mt. Edgecumbe’s Carliese O’Brien pumped in 19 points one day after she scored 29.
MT. EDGECUMBE (45) – Friske 0, Akaran 7, David 0, Kiunya 0, O’Brien 19, Cedars 3, Williams 6, Anderson 8, Otton 2, Aliralria 0.
BARROW (58) – Ky.Burnell 8, A.Unutoa 12, Ki.Burnell 14, F.Unutoa 0, McFadden 2, Sundai 0, Mila 2, Z.Unutoa 7, Wolgemuth 3, A.Unutoa 4, Tuilautala 6, Brower 0.
Mt. Edgecumbe 11 13 6 15 – 45
Barrow 17 11 12 18 – 58
Mt. Edgecumbe’s Carliese O’Brien is averaging 24 points per game at state. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
Grace Christian 36, Monroe Catholic 24
Grace Christian’s Sophie Lentfer and Ella Boerger combined to outscore the Rams by themselves in a 36-24 victory over Monroe Catholic in the state semifinals.
Lentfer had 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting to go with seven rebounds while Boerger added 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting. They combined for three of the team’s four 3-pointers.
Grace Christian’s Sophie Lentfer goes up for a layup. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
Grace’s MJ Van der Horst added seven points and six boards as Grace extended its winning streak to nine games.
The Grizzlies (25-3) shot 38% in the first half and 50% in the second half to snap Monroe’s 13-game winning streak.
Shannel Kovalsky led the Rams (23-5) with eight points while Leila Church had six points and Miranda Wilkerson added five.
Grace Christian 12 3 11 10 – 36
Monroe Catholic 5 7 4 8 – 24
MONROE (24) – Rhodes 0, Snowden 0, Bond 1, Kovalsky 8, Crumm 0, L.Cortez 0, E.Cortez 0, Weekley 0, Wilkerson 5, Church 6, Turiel 2, Redfox 2.
GRACE (36) – Helton 0, Evans-Grant 0, Wiggers-Pidduck 0, Jackson 0, Schild 1, Boerger 12, Van der Horst 7, Jones 0, Lentfer 16, Salima 0.
Grace Christian’s Ella Boerger plays tight defense on a Monroe Catholic ballhandler. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report