In the 43-year history of the Joe Floyd Christmas Tournament, the Kodiak girls’ basketball team has never played in the nightcap game.

Usually, the game is slated for the Kodiak boys, but with the boys’ idle on opening night, the girls proved they were primetime ready.

The Bears’ season couldn’t have started any better, as Kodiak cruised to a 41-13 victory over Bethel on the first night of the 43rd edition of the Joe Floyd Christmas Tournament at Kodiak High School on Thursday night.

This was Kodiak’s largest margin of victory in the Joe Floyd Christmas Tournament since 1996 when the Bears defeated Monroe by 31 points.

Kodiak was never threatened, the home team jumped out to a 23-3 halftime lead and a 30-point cushion midway through the fourth quarter.

“We still have a long way to go, but tonight showed a lot of promising signs,” Kodiak coach Brett Larsen said. “I was very happy with it tonight.”

All nine of Kodiak’s players received minutes and eight of them reached the scoring column.

Juniors Joanna Garcia and Megan Grupp led the way with eight points each. Grupp also tallied four rebounds and three steals.

Kodiak’s speed was on display throughout the game, as the Bears raced up and down the floor for easy baskets.

“It’s a lot different seeing that speed out there … just seeing that speed and being able to do that stuff that we couldn’t do last year just makes it so much more fun,” Larsen said. “The kids are having a blast.”

Kodiak’s speed was not just displayed on offense, but on defense as well. The Bears forced the Warriors into 29 turnovers and only five field goals. Bethel was 1 for 20 from the field in the opening quarter.

Bethel, a 3A school, was unable to move the ball inside and settled for outside jumpers, which just didn’t fall.

Kodiak opened with 10 straight points. Garcia scored six of her eight points during the opening run.

“We came out with a lot of energy,” Larsen said. “I was a little concerned about that.”

Bethel’s first points came with 1:24 left in the first quarter on in inside bucket by Audrey Leary.

Kodiak then reeled off 12 consecutive points, which was highlighted by back-to-back layups off steals by Grupp and Rhonda Yamat, who added seven points.

A Leary free throw with 1:03 left in the half was the only point scored by Bethel in the second quarter.

“Giving up three points to anybody in a half is just good defense,” Larsen said.

Larsen was extremely pleased with the effort put in by his bench — Hollis Hiatt, Nina Gronn, Puni Tusitino and Carole Lampl. The group scored a combined 12 points, while most of them were seeing their first varsity action.

“They played hard,” Larsen said. “They went out and were just dripping sweat.”

Mirror writer Derek Clarkston can be reached via e-mail at sports@kodiakdailymirror.com.

BEARS 41, WARRIORS 13

Bethel   2 1 8 2 — 13

Kodiak   12 11 12 6 — 41

Bethel (13) — Ashepak, Forbes, Leary 5, Stanley, Chavez 0, Dyment, Polk 8, Shields. FG — 5-31 (.161). FT — 1-4. 

Kodiak (41) — Yamat 7, Garcia 8, Taan 4, Hiatt, Grupp 8, Gronn 1, Tusitino 6, Gregory 2, Lampl 5. FG — 17-51 (.333). FT — 7-12.