by Tommy Wells
The Bethel Regional High School boys’ and girls’ basketball teams both posted impressive wins this past weekend at the 2019 ACS Denali Auto Glass/Pepsi Invitational tournament in Anchorage. The Warriors finished seventh in the boys standings, while the Lady Warriors claimed fifth in their division.
The Lady Warriors got off to a slow start to the girls’ 8-team tournament, dropping their opener to Destiny Reimers and the Anchorage Christian Lady Lions. ACS, sparked by a double-double from Reimers, won the opener, 77-24.
Bethel fought its way back in the second round. The Lady Warriors dispatched defending Class 2A state champion Point Hope by a thrilling 34-33 margin.
The win over Point Hope send Bethel into the fourth-place game against Western Conference rival Kotzebue.
Kotzebue took the fourth-place game by a narrow 40-33 score.
The BRHS boys finished off the tournament on a high note with a rousing 79-24 victory over Kotzebue in the seventh-place contest.
The Warriors had dropped their first two games, falling to Eielson, 66-56 on Thursday, and 75-74 to Point Hope on Friday.