26 4th-quarter points spring Wasilla

WASILLA — Palmer pressured Wasilla early, but the Warriors used a big finish to post a 57-39 win over the Moose Tuesday at Wasilla High School.

Wasilla led by only a point at halftime, but used a 40-point second half and 26-point fourth quarter to improve to 7-2 overall and win its Northern Lights Conference opener.

“I don’t think we started playing our game until mid-third quarter,” Wasilla head coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax said after the win.

Wasilla’s game included the use of its inside force, junior Leya DePriest. The 6-foot-3 forward finished with game-highs of 23 points and 13 rebounds. She scored eight during the third quarter, and 14 during the first 12 minutes of the second half.

“The inside game started working for us a lot better in the second half,” Hebert-Truax said.

With the help of the inside game, Wasilla shot 52 percent in the second half, as opposed to 34 percent in the first. The Warriors also outrebounded Palmer 36-21 in the game.

Palmer made an impact early. Carly Venzke hit a shot to tie the score at 6 late in the first quarter. Moments later, Katrina Sherman gave Palmer the 8-6 lead.

“I expected them to come out and play tough, play hard,” Hebert-Truax said of the Moose. “They always have, year in and year out. Especially with (head coach Lyle Busbey) at the helm. He gets his kids playing hard.”

Katy Bowman led the Moose with 10 points in the game.

Wasilla 57,

Palmer 39

Tuesday,

Wasilla High

Palmer 8-8-7-16--39

Wasilla 9-8-14-26--57

Palmer (39) — Venzke 2 1-2 5, Glenn 0 1-2 1, Molina 1 1-2 3, Bowman 3 3-4 10, King 2 0-0 6, Smylie 1 0-0 2, Till 2 3-6 7, Sherman 2 0-1 5; Totals: 13 8-15 39.

Wasilla (57) — Kelly 3 4-6 10, Drorbaugh 2 0-0 5, Baham 1 0-0 2, Lindeman 1 0-0 2, Brandenburg 2 1-2 5, Toews 0 2-2 2, Dinkel 1 1-2 3, Edwards 2 1-2 5, DePriest 11 1-3 23; Totals: 23 10-17 57.

3-point field goals: Palmer 5 (King 2), Wasilla 1 (Drorbaugh 1); Total fouls: Palmer 14, Wasilla 17.