1A Girls Semifinal | Newhalen Holds Off Shishmaref Late to Advance

Down nine after the first quarter, the 10th-seeded Newhalen Malemutes steadied themselves and never looked back, taking down 14th-seeded Shishmaref 50-43 in the 1A girls semifinal at the Alaska Airlines Center.

Junior Analeigh Wassillie was the catalyst. She knocked down four 3-pointers and finished with 15 points, providing the perimeter shooting that kept Newhalen's comeback alive through the middle quarters. Sophomore Ida Lester added 14 points, doing most of her damage at the free-throw line despite spending stretches of the game in foul trouble.

That foul trouble gave Shishmaref an opening in the fourth quarter. The Northern Lights pieced together a 15-6 run — with Loretta Sinnok, Kyra Weyanna, and Katesonja Fernandez all scoring — that pulled the gap to five with 90 seconds remaining. Bertha Nayokpuk contributed throughout, finishing with eight points. It was a real push from a team that had nothing to lose.

But Newhalen didn't crack. Lester, Kim Wassillie, and Piper Neketa hit the free throws that mattered and the Malemutes closed it out.

Final: Newhalen 50, Shishmaref 43 | 1A Girls Semifinal | 2026 March Madness Alaska

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