Lady Nanooks dominate South Anchorage at Ruckus at the Rec

Nome hosted the Wasilla varsity boys and South Anchorage varsity girls for the “Ruckus at the Rec” basketball tournament last weekend. Parents and community members packed the Rec Center, snacking on slushies sold by Student Council and cheering on the Nanooks for some close-paced games against their visiting opponents.
On Friday, the Nanook boys lost against Wasilla 62-49 and the Lady Nanooks took home the win against South Anchorage, 32-28. On Saturday, the Lady Nanooks cinched another win against South, 44-39 and the Nanook boys took home a hard-fought win against Wasilla, 75-72 in a game that went into overtime.
The Galena boys junior varsity basketball team was scheduled to play against Nome’s C and JV teams this weekend, but due to weather, their flight was cancelled. Instead, the C and JV teams played a mixed game against each other on Friday. Nome boys varsity Coach Patrick Callahan said that texted former Nome players and asked them to duke it out against the Nome junior varsity team on Saturday, a match that the former players won, 73-70.
The Friday night game at the Rec Center was packed with a cheering crowd, punctuated by the cheery noise of the Nanook Pep Band and the squeak of sneakers against the floor. By halftime, the Nanooks were dragging by about fifteen points but didn’t let up in their battle. Levi Pederson led the team with 12 points, but even with that effort and a strong fourth quarter push, the boys didn’t catch up to Wasilla and ended the game thirteen points behind.
In their duel against the South Anchorage Wolverines, the Lady Nanooks led for the entire game by at least two points. The Nome girls dominated the game with practiced passing and teamwork, with Alora Stasenko leading the team with 10 points scored. In the final minutes of the fourth quarter, South Anchorage nearly caught up to the Nanooks, but the girls held them off for a 32-28 win.
In an interview with the Nugget after the Friday game, Coach Callahan said that having two games in a row against an opponent gives the Nanooks a chance for a comeback. “Hopefully we’re a little irritated and we get a chance to come out and play tomorrow.”
“We call it a ‘get better game.’  It doesn’t affect us in terms of our standings and our regional or state tournaments, but it certainly forces us to become a better team,” he said.
After the Nanooks win against Wasilla on Saturday, Callahan said he’s proud of the boys for facing off against what he says is the best team Nome has ever hosted at the Rec. He wrote in an email that he is proud of the team for its play on Saturday.
The next Nanooks home games will be February 6 and 7 for the Lady Nanooks and February 12-14 for the boys.
Friday Results
Lady Nanooks 32 South Anchorage 28
NBHS - Gregg 6, Tumulak 4, Stasenko 10, Crowe 6, Lie 6
SAHS - Morris 8, Gebauer 6
Wasilla Boys 62 NBHS 49
NBHS - Kone 5, Pederson 12, Weyiouanna 10, Schuerch 3, Ulroan 6, Ongtowasruk 5, Booth 8
WHS - Horton 25, Engebretsen 15

Saturday Results
Lady Nanooks 44 South Anchorage 39
NBHS - Gregg 3, Tumulak 4, Stasenko 13, Crowe 11, Lie 13
SAHS - Dahlstrom 13, Mooris 9

Nome-Beltz Boys 75 Wasilla 72 (overtime)
NBHS - Pederson 10, Weyiouanna 2, Schuerch 30, Ulroan 6, Booth 26, Ongtowasruk 1
WHS - Pharr 28, Horton 13, Wagle 9

Adults 73 JV Boys 70
JV Boys - Cross 20, Medlin 13, Moore 12, Rohn Peacock 6, Sookiayak 5, Crowe 9, Otton 3, Angusuc 2, Thomas 2
Adults - Richard Cross 21, Ethan Fagerstrom 23