ANCHORAGE — Every coach wants to fight for a state championship. But considering how young her squad is, Wasilla head coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax is pretty happy with third place.

“We would have been happier with first or second, but I third, I think, is a huge accomplishment for us,” Hebert-Truax said after her team’s 50-41 win over rival Palmer in the ASAA First National Bank 4A State Championships third-place game at the Sullivan Arena Saturday morning.

The Warriors, who feature two freshmen and a sophomore in the starting lineup and only two upperclassmen on the roster, used a 14-4 first-quarter to grab the victory.

Wasilla Warrior Skyler Nuss drives towards the basket during the Warrior's game against the Chugial Mustangs Friday evening at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage. (ROBERT DeBERRY/Frontiersman)

“The difference was the first quarter,” Palmer head coach Paul Reid said. “We played them even from there, but just couldn’t make up the difference.”

Wasilla junior Jenna Johnson helped make sure of that, scoring 10 of her game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter.

Johnson was 8-of-10 from the free throw line during the final eight minutes, and notched the rebound and put-back during her own personal six-point run early in the final frame.

Johnson also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and posted three steals in the win.

The 5-foot-9 guard further solidified the argument that she is the top player in the Alaska during the state event by averaging a tournament-best 24 points per game. She was also first in steals (10), second in rebounds (25) and fourth in blocked shots (four).

“I’ve been saying since last year that we have the best player in the state,” Wasilla head coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax said. “Without her we would be no where close to where we are.”

Wasilla’s only other upperclassman, senior Shelby Fulton, was also key in the Warriors’ weekend efforts.

Fulton was 10-of-12 at the free-throw line during the final two minutes of Wasilla’s first-round win over Juneau-Douglas, which basically ensured the Warriors of another trip to the semifinals. And on Saturday Fulton was 6-of-8 from the free-throw line and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, good enough for 12 points in her final game in a Wasilla uniform.

“Overall, I thought she played three of her better games in a row,” Hebert-Truax said of Fulton, who also dished three assists in the win.

Freshman Celeste Colegrove, one of 10 underclassmen on the WHS roster, added seven points and five rebounds in the win.

For the Moose, it was their fourth loss of the season to their Valley foes, as Wasilla continues to have a stranglehold on the Valley rivalry.

“They just seem to have our number,” Reid said.

With the loss, the Moose — one of the most experienced teams in the Northern Lights Conference with six seniors — have to end their season with two losses.

Palmer was also edged by Colony on Friday in the state semifinals.

“It’s sad for the girls to go out with a loss,” said Reid, who has now served as head coach for four seasons.

Of Palmer’s six seniors, most began their careers as freshman on the varsity squad during Reid’s first year at the helm.

A few of those seniors, such as forward Ashley Swetzof and guard Mattie Cox, have seen significant minutes since their freshman campaign.

“I’m proud of these kids,” Reid said. “There’s been a lot of growth both on and off the court. It’s hard to finish with a loss. But regardless of that, it’s been a great group.”

Swetzof led the Moose with 11 points, five rebounds and four steals in her final game in a Moose uniform.

Senior Geneva Ratcliff and junior Kelsey Campbell each scored eight for Palmer, while sophomore Jaimi Cox added seven points for the Moose.

Ratcliff helped keep Palmer in the game early in the second half, scoring six of her eight points early in the third quarter.

Thanks to Ratcliff’s work inside, and a key three-point play by Swetzof midway through the third, the Moose were able to eat away at the Wasilla advantage in the third.

Jaimi Cox closed the third with a lay-up, created by a feed from older sister Mattie, and junior Juliana Mangelsdorf opened the fourth by hitting 1-of-2 free throws to bring the Moose within four.

But after the Mangelsdorf free throw, Wasilla — sparked by increased defensive pressure and the free-throw shooting of Johnson — used an 8-2 run to get another cushion.

“My kids did a good job of bearing down when they had to,” Hebert-Truax said.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

Wasilla 50, Palmer 41

4A third-place game

Saturday, Sullivan Arena

Wasilla  14-5-13-18—50

Palmer  4-10-13-14—41

Wasilla (50) — Apangolook 0 0-1 0, Fulton 2 6-8 12, Naczi 0 0-2 0, Johnson 8 12-15 28, Colegrove 3 1-2 7, Cottle 1 1-5 3; Totals: 14 20-33 50.

Palmer (41) — Swetzof 5 1-1 11, Cox 3 0-0 7, Campbell 3 0-0 8, Mangelsdorf 0 1-1 1, Tzou 1 0-4 2, Ratcliff 4 0-0 8; Totals: 18 2-6 41.

Three-point field goals: Wasilla 2 (Fulton 2), Palmer 3 (Campbell 2); Rebounding: Wasilla 42 (Johnson 10), Palmer 27 (Swetzof 4); Assists: Wasilla 5 (Fulton 3), Palmer 7 (Cox 4)