The Best Western Riptide took home the City League Championship after winning all three games in last weekend’s tournament.
The team defeated the Bulletproof Nets 58-49 during Monday’s championship game held at the Homer Middle School to take the tourney title.
The tournament began on Saturday when the champs beat the Gregoire Construction Smooth Operators by the tourney’s largest deficit, 88-38. Point guard Nick Finley scored a game high 27 points for the Riptide while Smooth Ops Dave Drake led his team with 12.
The Bulletproof Nets wrapped up the night with a win over the Home Run Oil Titans, 54-41. A well rounded scoring effort showed Josh Gilbert leading the Nets with 11 points. Erik Tutt scored 15 for the Titans.
Sunday’s action showed the Smooth Operators ending the K-12 Teachers’ season with a 51-44 victory. The City League’s Season MVP Mark Putney scored 14 in the Teachers’ losing effort. Heath Johnson led the game with 16 points for the Operators.
The Titans then eliminated Alaska Bible Institute 56-48, setting up a semi-final game between the victors of the Riptide and the Nets.
The Riptide won, sending them to the championship game by a defensive score of 48-44. Nick Finley once again had the game high with 22 points. Josh Gilbert pitched in 12 for the Nets.
The Titans played the semifinal game with fatigue, just having eliminated the Smooth Operators 65-48 while the Nets were fresh with their depth off of the bench.
The Nets rolled over the Titans 78-41, sending them to Monday’s rematch against the Riptide. Net’s Ryan Cotney scored 15 points while Erik Tutt put up 12 in the loss.
The rematch championship game featuring the Nets and Riptide went down to the wire as the ‘Tide held on to its lead throughout the game, winning 58-49. Last year’s champs repeated history, winning first place in Homer City League Hoops once again. Big Man Austin McAvoy scored 15 points for the Riptide, 14 came from Corey Sutherland in his teams second place finish.
Norm Anderson is a freelance writer who lives in Homer. He played for the Bulletproof Nets.