Cordova girls upset Kodiak, drop games to Valdez and Sitka
Cordova’s Lady Wolverines upset Kodiak in the second round of the Valdez Elks Tournament on Feb. 14.
The Bears started out with a full-court press, but Cordova handled it and led 10-9 at the quarter. Cordova stretched it to a 19-14 advantage at halftime and built a 32-24 lead at the end of three quarters. They put the game away with an 8-0 run in the last period.
Cordova sophomore Isabelle Nothstine was on fire in the second half, pouring in 14 of her game high 17 points.
The running game was clicking for Cordova, and several of their baskets came on breakaway layups. The Wolverines also made five out of eight from the free throw line.
Individual scoring, Cordova vs. Kodiak: Nothstine, I., 17; Mejias, 9; Nothstine, V., 7; Pallas, 6; Itliong, 4; Flores, 1.
The win against Kodiak, however, came between two losses.
Valdez defeated Cordova 52-38 in their first-round matchup on Feb. 13. The Buccaneers hit four three-pointers in the first eight minutes and led 18-10. Cordova battled back to trail 29-22 at halftime, but the Bucs gradually pulled away to win by 14.
Additionally, Sitka was simply too big and strong for the Wolverines. Cordova fell to the Southeast team, 70-17, on Feb. 15.
Individual scoring, Cordova vs. Valdez: Nothstine, I., 14; Pallas, 10; Mejias, 6; Flores, 5; Nothstine, V., 3.
Individual scoring, Cordova vs. Sitka: Nothstine, I., 6; Mejias, 4; Nothstine, V., 4; Itliong, 2; Flores, 1.
Isabelle Nothstine was named to the All-Tournament team.
Boys finish fourth
The Cordova High School (CHS) boys won two out of three games at the Valdez Elks Tournament on Feb. 13-15, giving them a fourth-place finish in the highly competitive eight-team invitational.
Thursday
The Wolverines faced long-time rival Valdez in their first game on Feb. 13.
Cordova jumped out to 13-12 lead at the end of the first quarter, with Noah Pearson hitting a pair of three-pointers. The Wolverines stretched their advantage to 30-23 at the half, with all five starters scoring in a balanced attack.
Thomas Nothstine hit a three-pointer near the end of the third period to give CHS a 39-30 lead.
The Bucs, famous for their late game rallies, battled back to tie the game 43-43 with 6:53 left the fourth quarter, and used pressure to pull away with a 47-39 win.
Individual scoring: Jacob, 19; Nothstine, 9; Bailey, 8; Pearson, 8; Itliong, 4; Gasmin, 1.
Friday
Cordova next faced Kodiak at noon on Feb. 14.
In a close game all the way, CHS led 9-7 at the quarter, 17-15 at halftime, and 31-30 at the end of the third quarter. Thomas Nothstine hit a big three with 4:05 left in the game to give CHS a 38-33 lead, and Cordova held on to win 44-35.
Individual scoring: Pearson, 14; Itliong, 10; Bailey, 8; Jacob, 7; Nothstine, 3.
Saturday
On Feb. 15, Cordova faced Mountain City Christian Academy (MCCA), formerly known as ACS, still located in Anchorage.
Pearson was lights out from long range pouring in four three-pointers in the first half, and Cordova led 23-9. CHS built a 35-19 lead at the end of the third period; MCCA rallied a bit in the late going, but Cordova won handily 50-38.
Individual scoring: Pearson, 17; Itliong, 15; Nothstine, 8; Bailey, 6; Jacob, 4.
Chiko Jacob was named to the All-Tournament team.
“It was another great tournament experience for us, playing against and getting to watch some tough teams from the larger schools,” said Cordova Coach Jake Borst. “I know that it’ll benefit us as we prepare for the final stretch of the season, returning to 2A competition and getting ready for back-to-back, grueling road trips.”
Cordova cheer squad gets perfect score
All that sideline cheering for the Cordova basketball teams heard in the background during the streaming of the Valdez Elks tournament on Feb. 13-15, was provided by this year’s outstanding Cordova cheer team. They were rooting loudly at every Wolverine game from start to finish.
Turns out this group of spirited athletes can not only cheer, they can also perform routines to perfection. And deal with adversity.
“Our cheer squad achieved a perfect score (meaning no deductions) this weekend at the Elks Cheer Competition in Valdez, even after losing three members due to illness,” said Cheer Advisor Arissa Pearson. “One of those members was the primary flyer in our stunt section.”
“These athletes have dedicated over 40 hours of practice this year to perfect this routine and they managed to adjust several sections to compensate for the absence of their teammates,” Pearson added. “We will perform this routine two more times, once at home during the 2A Regional Conference Basketball Tournament and then again at cheer State. I am excited to see what they can do when everyone is healthy.”
The Cordova Wolverines girls and boys basketball teams will next travel to Metlakatla for a tournament on Feb. 21 and 22. It will be the first time CHS has ever played at that Southeastern location.
