Bears not so Golden

April 1, 2005

JEREMIAH BARTZ/Frontiersman sports editor

ANCHORAGE - If the Wasilla Warriors have a nemesis outside of the Mat-Su Valley, it would have to be Bartlett. In two meetings this season, the Golden Bears edged Wasilla by just a point. And that's after Bartlett robbed the Warriors of a state championship in 2003.

But on Thursday, the Bears and their superstar were not so Golden and seeing red.

Behind the inside presence of Matt Crane and the outside shooting of Jesse Bean, the sixth-seeded Warriors rolled to a 65-59 upset victory over third-seeded Bartlett. The win moves Wasilla into a semifinal date with Colony. The win also ensures a representative from the Valley in the state title game.

Missing from the action early was two-time state player of the year Mario Chalmers. The future University of Kansas Jayhawk participated in the MacDonald's prep All-America game in South Bend, Ind., Wednesday night. Following the event, Chalmers flew back to Alaska for the state tournament.

In order for Chalmers to be able to play in the first round of action, the Alaska Schools Activities Association scheduled the Bartlett-Wasilla match as the late game Thursday night. The late game was not quite late enough, as Chalmers arrived late and did not check into the game until just before the five-minute mark of the second quarter. But Wasilla's game plan did not change according to the presence of Chalmers.

"We knew he was going to come either way, so we prepared to play him like he was there," Bean said.

But even when Chalmers did finally take the court, Wasilla was able to keep the Division I signee in check. The stingy Warrior defense held Chalmers without a bucket until the third quarter, and he shot just 4-of-11 from the field. Five of his team-high 14 points came from the charity stripe.

Wasilla muscled its way to leads of 19-12 after the first period and 35-25 at halftime. Bean credited the Warrior bulk in the middle.

"Our post is the strongest part (of our team)," Bean said.

Crane posted a game-high 18 points in the contest, shooting 7-of-13 from the field. The senior also grabbed five rebounds. Fellow senior Luke Schafer was also strong in the middle, registering nine points and seven rebounds.

Bartlett also tried to use the inside to their advantage. But once Wasilla was able to take control in the paint, the Warrior shooters began making buckets at the perimeter. Bean led the Warrior charge from outside, hitting three of his six attempts from beyond the arc and scoring 15 points.

The Bears were able to pull within as little as five late in the game, but performance at the foul line allowed the Warriors to maintain advantage. And during a pivotal stretch, a freshman played savior. Sam Schafer hit 5-of-6 free throws late for the Warriors.

"It's amazing for a freshman to come up like that," Bean said. "Clutch player."