The highest-seeded Anchorage Christian Faculty ladies basketball workforce continued its reign of dominance over Alaskan competitors with an amazing 81-34 victory over fifth-seeded West within the semifinals of the 4A state match on Friday afternoon on the Alaska Airways Middle.

With the win, the Lions superior to this system’s sixth straight title recreation and second in a row since transferring up from the 3A degree. Additionally they prolonged their historic win streak to 118 consecutive victories towards Alaskan groups.

“It feels good and I’m excited for the youngsters,” ACS ladies coach Chad Dyson mentioned. “They put in a whole lot of work this season, so having the ability to see their exhausting work repay is superior.”

The Lions have been fueled by star senior level guard Sayvia Sellers and her game-high 30 factors. Nonetheless, it was her second-to-last bucket of the sport that not solely prolonged her workforce’s lead but additionally made historical past.

Heading into Friday’s matchup, she was simply 25 factors away from tying the ladies state scoring report. By halftime, she was already sitting at 22 factors, and after sinking a 3-pointer much less then two minutes into the third quarter, she was tied.

With a slashing layup late within the third quarter wherein she transformed the try whereas drawing a foul, Sellers moved into first place on the all-time scorers checklist for ladies highschool basketball gamers, surpassing former Dimond multi-sport star Alissa Pili.

“Sayvia is unimaginable,” Dyson mentioned. “She does the whole lot we ask her to do, places in further work, is within the fitness center continuously seeking to turn out to be higher at basketball and she or he actually loves the sport.”

Sellers first began watching Pili when she was within the eighth grade and the previous Dimond Excessive star was a senior main the Lynx to a second straight state title.

She says it feels “fairly cool” to not solely be a part of considered one of her function fashions as one of many prime scorers to ever grace the hardwood within the Final Frontier, however surpass Pili’s report as effectively.

“Going into my sophomore yr, we have been all the time at open fitness center and she or he’d come by so I’d see her fairly a bit,” Sellers mentioned.

Dyson mentioned Sellers’ humility is sort of as spectacular as her play on the courtroom.

“She doesn’t actually care something about it,” he mentioned. “She had no thought the place she was at till there have been 5 video games left within the season and I lastly informed her.”

The 2 most prolific ladies highschool scorers in state historical past will lastly get an opportunity to compete towards one another subsequent yr when Sellers’ College of Washington Huskies and Pili’s College of Utah Utes meet for his or her annual Pac-12 convention clashes.

“That might be fairly particular and I believe Alaska will get pleasure from that for positive,” Dyson mentioned.

Sellers believes that the state match is the very best a part of the yr, and she or he’s grateful to have made it yearly of her highschool profession wherein one was held.

“It feels good,” Sellers mentioned. “The season is coming to an finish, nevertheless it’s good to be right here for the final couple video games.”

Wasilla 48, Colony 40

Wasilla and Colony had already matched up 4 instances this season earlier than the 2 groups met on the Alaska Airways Middle courtroom in Friday’s semifinals. The 2 groups had cut up these video games, leaving Wasilla head coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax within the place of making an attempt to unearth each doable edge with a berth within the 4A title recreation on the road.

The Warriors used 22 factors from guard Mylee Anderson to vault into Saturday’s championship, the place they face Anchorage Christian Faculty in a rematch of final yr’s title recreation.

“We went again and watched two movies earlier than video games that we have now performed, and we regarded on the issues that we did good and the issues that we did unhealthy,” Hebert-Truax mentioned. “We tried to do the great issues higher and do away with the unhealthy issues.

“It’s powerful, it’s our fifth time taking part in them. We had a unique defensive scheme and did some new issues on offense, so I believed the youngsters did an excellent job.”

Wasilla bought out to a 16-7 lead after the primary quarter, and the 2 groups went backwards and forwards for the remainder of the sport with Wasilla holding the lead.

Colony lower the Warriors’ result in three at totally different factors within the second half however may get no nearer. Colony did a superb job of limiting Wasilla publish Layla Hays, typically placing a number of defenders on her as quickly as she caught the ball. Hays completed with simply 10 factors however did seize 15 rebounds.

“We have been ready for them to double- and triple-team her,” Hebert-Truax mentioned. “She did an excellent job of being affected person and went to the basket a pair instances. After which we informed everybody else they needed to hit some pictures.”

And the Warriors have been in a position to convert sufficient to earn the win. Kaydence Gittlein hit a pair of 3-pointers and completed with six factors. Livia Breshears completed with eight.

Hallie Clark was the main scorer for Colony with 17 factors.

The largest problem for the Warriors was on the free-throw line, the place they lined simply 13 of 27 makes an attempt.

“We’re going to follow free throws,” Hebert-Truax mentioned.

Wednesday

First spherical

No. 2 Wasilla 60, No. 7 Lathrop 33

No. 5 West Anchorage 54, No. 4 Thunder Mountain 50

No. 3 Colony 53 No. 6 Juneau-Douglas 46

No. 1 Anchorage Christian 82, No. 8 Dimond 22

Friday

Comfort

Thunder Mountain 53, Dimond 47

Juneau-Douglas 51, Lathrop 42

Semifinals

Anchorage Christian 81, West 43

Wasilla 48, Colony 40

Saturday

4th/sixth place

Thunder Mountain vs. Juneau-Douglas, 10:30 a.m. at Seawolf Sports activities Middle

third/fifth place

West vs. Colony 10:30 a.m. at Auxiliary Gymnasium

Championship

Anchorage Christian vs. Wasilla, 5:30 p.m.

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