Thousands flock to Anchorage for March Madness high school basketball tournament

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - It could be the most attended event in all of Alaska.

For two weeks, players, coaches, parents and fans descend on the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage for the Alaska School Activities Association’s state basketball tournament, dubbed March Madness Alaska. The first week, which started Wednesday, features teams from smaller communities around the state in the 1A and 2A classifications, everywhere from Kake in the Southeast, Ninilchik on the Kenai Peninsula, Chevak in the Southwest and Nunamiut in the northern Interior.

A total of 16 teams qualify for the 1A boys and girls championships, respectively, with eight teams in each of the 2A boys and girls tournaments. All told, after the first week, just over 70 games will be played in the arena’s main and auxiliary gyms.

The small-schools tournament culminates on Saturday afternoon and evening when four championship games back-to-back-to-back-to-back (1A girls at 1 p.m.; 1A boys at 4 p.m.; 2A girls at 6:30 p.m.; 2A boys at 8:30 p.m.).

“March Madness Alaska is probably the most attended event annually in the state of Alaska,” said Billy Strickland, the executive director of ASAA. “We’ve got communities from Metlakatla in Southeast, Unalaska in Southwest, Tikigaq in Northwest, Walter Northway in the northeast side of the state. So it’s an annual gathering of the state, celebrating our students, playing basketball and the fans are great and it’s just a wonderful event every year.”

As the pride of their communities, village teams receive plenty of support from home and the stands, with fans traveling all the way to Anchorage to cheer them on. That makes for a raucous environment from the minute the ball is tipped from the first game of the tournament early Wednesday morning.

Friday and Saturday championship games

Girls 1A semifinals (full Girls 1A bracket)

Shaktoolik 41, Cook Inlet Academy 35

Lumen Christi 58, Buckland 46

Girls 1A finals - Saturday

2 p.m.: Lumen Christi vs. Shaktoolik

Girls 2A semifinals (full Girls 2A bracket)

Metlakatla 28, Susitna Valley 24

Tikigaq 40, Glennallen 35

Girls 2A finals - Saturday

6:30 p.m.: Tikigaq vs. Metlakatla

Boys 1A semifinals (full Boys 1A bracket)

Aniak 77, Scammon Bay 62

Kake 61, Tri-Valley 56

Boys 1A finals - Saturday

4 p.m.: Aniak vs. Kake

Boys 2A semifinals (full Boys 2A bracket)

Tikigaq 67, Metlakatla 63

Ninilchik 53, Petersburg 42

Boys 2A finals - Saturday

8:30 p.m.: Ninilchik vs. Tikigaq

Girls 1A teams

• Lumen Christi (Anchorage)
• Akiachak
• Shishmaref
• Walter Northway
• Newhalen
• Kake
• Buckland
• Scammon Bay
• Cook Inlet Academy (Soldotna)
• St. Mary’s
• Tanalian
• Nunamiut
• Klawock
• Aqqaluk
• Shaktoolik
• Akiuk

Boys 1A teams

• Scammon Bay
• Nunamiut
• King Cove
• Klawock
• Nelson Island
• Aniak
• Napaaqtugmiut
• Shishmaref
• Shaktoolik
• Newhalen
• Kake
• Lumen Christi (Anchorage)
• Tri-Valley (Healy)
• Buckland
• Cook Inlet Academy (Soldotna)
• Emmonak

Girls 2A teams

• Tikigak
• Craig
• Haines
• Glennallen
• Susitna Valley (Talkeetna)
• Chevak
• Metlakatla
• Unalakleet

Boys 2A teams

• Ninilchik
• Unalakleet
• Hooper Bay
• Petersburg
• Tikigaq
• Wrangell
• Metlakatla
• Cordova

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