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Point Hope girls well represented at Senior showcase

April 13th 6:03 pm | Van Williams Print this article   Email this article   Create a Shortlink for this article

Point Hope girls basketball players Caroline Long and Abbie Koenig couldn't have asked for a better senior season.

They won the state championship and now they are headed to the second annual Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches All-Star Senior Showcase this week.

"I'm proud of both of us," Long said. "We worked really hard this year."

The all-star games are Thursday in Soldotna and Saturday in Anchorage.

The girls will be divided into two teams with 1A and 4A coaches taking one side and 2A and 3A coaches taking another. There is a chance Long and Koenig will be on separate teams, but Long hopes not.

"It'll be a little more comfortable for me because I'll have somebody I know there," she said. "It'll be easier for me if we are on the same team because I know how she plays and stuff."

The senior showcase features the player of the year from all four classifications - 1A Kandace Carroll of Fort Yukon; 2A Brianna Kirk of Noatak; 3A Jenna Buchanan of Galena; and 4A Alyssa Hutchins of Wasilla.

Kotzebue's Dessirea Kenworthy - a first-team all-state player - is another area player selected for the games.

Long and Koenig also made the all-state team, with Koenig earning second-team honors and Long third-team recognized.

Point Hope coach Ramona Rock will be on the all-star coaches.

"I'm looking forward to playing ball again," said Long. "I miss playing as a team. It's only been two weeks since state, but I really miss playing basketball and the girls."

The Harpoonerettes ended the season with a thrilling 47-45 victory over Cook Inlet Academy in the Class 2A state title game. Koenig grabbed a team-high 7 rebounds in that game and Long dished a team-best 6 assists.

She plans on sharing the ball at the all-star game, too.

"I don't look to score," she confessed. "I'd rather share the ball."

The senior showcase is also a great place to get noticed. More than a dozen college coaches are expected to be on hand.

Last year, the all-star game helped 18 of 24 girls get to college.

"Eight of them signed at the game," AABC president David Porter said.

AABC All-Star Senior Showcase

Girls Roster

Savanna James, Houston; Jenna Buchanan, Galena; Brianna Kirk, Noatak; Saige Stefanski, Colony; Alyssa Hutchins, Wasilla; Pherriar Brumbaugh, Wasilla; Kandace Carroll, Fort Yukon; Morgan Wensley, Kenai; Wenda Poleo, East; Cheryl Nidoy, West; Melissa Castle, Craig; Kristin Smeaton, Dillingham; Dessirea Kenworthy, Kotzebue; Caitlin Auble, Valdez; Abbie Koenig, Point Hope; Tina Esbenshade, Yakutat; Meg Berry, Seward; Kira Polk, Bethel; Kasara Brandenburg, Palmer; Caroline Long, Point Hope; Echo Winfrey, Hutchinson; Sierra Pedersen, Su Valley; Hannah Wing, Haines; Amey Messerschmidt, Haines.

Coaches

Ed Lester, Newhalen; Steve Caciari, West Valley; Ramona Rock, Point Hope, Levi Duca, Dillingham.

 

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