The Kenai Central Kardinals's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Wednesday after their seventh straight loss. They lost to Bethel at home by a decisive 59-45 margin. Kenai Central was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Bethel apparently hadn't forgotten their defeat the last time these teams played back in January of 2022.
Despite the loss, Kenai Central saw an underclassman step up: Ellsi Miller dropped a double-double on 21 points and 11 rebounds. That's the first time this season that Miller scored 15 or more points. Alex Nelson was another key contributor, scoring a point along with ten rebounds and four steals.
Kenai Central bumped their record down to 1-7 with that loss, which was their fourth straight at home. As for Bethel, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 1-3.
Kenai Central's homestand continues as they prepare to take on Nikiski at 6:00 p.m. on January 19th. Bethel won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against Homer at 2:45 p.m. on January 11th. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Alaska (Homer is ranked 29th, while Bethel is ranked 50th).
