Alaska Sports Report

It's March Madness, Alaska Style. The top 16 high school basketball teams from around the state are in Anchorage this week for the State Tournament. Basketball is by far the biggest sport played in small towns and villages around Alaska. Its bigger than the other sports because it involves a lot of people, players & spectators, and it is played indoors. Whole villages support their teams whether they have kids on the team or not.

This year's tournament has both the girls' and boys' teams from the village of Kalskag. That's the first time they've had both teams make it to the state tournament in 21 years. Almost the whole village has come to Anchorage to watch them play. It's very much a way of life for these small communities.

In other Alaska sports news... Ellen Halverson has captured the Red Lantern in Nome for being the last finisher in this year's Iditarod Sled Dog Race. The lantern is lit in Nome when the mushers depart from the Start Line in Anchorage. It remains lit until the last musher crosses the finish line. Congratulations to rookie musher Ellen and to all 58 of 82 mushers who completed the race this year.