The Thunder Mountain High School boy’s basketball team concluded their four-game road winnng streak last week with a 52-50 win over the state’s fifth ranked (at the time) Lathrop Malemutes... IN Fairbanks... IN a hostile environment. Yet they did not get the nod for fifth place in the Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches weekly poll. Four of the top five placings went to Cook Inlet Conference teams, including the fifth spot to Dimond, a team they beat earlier in the season. Granted the CIC is a tough gathering of teams, but the Falcons boast the third best record in the state (16-6) according to the coaches poll. Service is 20-2 and Colony 17-5. Strength of schedule is what gets the votes and the CIC feels theirs is the stronger league. That, however, will be all shaked out on March 21-23 when the state tourney is held at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage.
The Kodiak girls stumbled a bit in the 4A polls after falling to Soldotna twice by scores of 69-39 and 54-50, yet, the Stars did not gain entrance into the top five either. The Lathrop girls popped in at five with wins over Houston (65-46) and Thunder Mountain (59-52).
Sitka is at fourth in the 3A boys and will play againt Mt. Edgecumbe this weekend.The Mt. E Braves had a blowout win over Skyview 65-39. The Mt. Edgecmbe girls beat Nome 44-40 amd are ranked fifth.
The Klawock boys and girls continue to top the 1A ranks; the girls are 20-2 on the season and have cruised through southeast.
4A Boys: Service; East Anchorage; Colony; West Anchorage; Dimond
4A Girls: Wasilla; Dimond; Kodiak; Colony; Lathrop
3A Boys: Anchorage Christian; Monroe Catholic; Bethel; Sitka; Nome
3A Girls: Barrow; Anchorage Christian; Nome; Valdez; Mt Edgecumbe
2A Boys: Hooper Bay; Unalakleet; Bristol Bay High; Point Hope; Dillingham
1A Boys: Klawock; Yakutat; Noatak; Aniak; Noorvik
1A Girls: Klawock; Cook Inlet Academy; Nikolaevsk; Allakaket; Yakutat
The 2A Girls poll was not available.
Teams getting consideration included Dillingham, Unalaska, Craig, Haines, Wrangell, Bristol Bay, and Glennallen.
