Chugiak girls 41, Colony 36 (FINAL)

CHUGAK HAS BEATEN COLONY 41-36 TO CLAIM THE 2009 ALASKA GIRLS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP AT SULLIVAN ARENA IN ANCHORAGE

Lorrie Clifford led all scorers for Chugiak with 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the floor. The Mustangs outscored Colony 16-11 in the fourth quarter.

Alexis Sayer had 10 points for the Mustangs. Allie Grazulis was Colony's only player in double figures with 10 points for the Knights, which shot 29.5 percent from the floor in the game. Colony also struggled from the free throw line, going 9-for-16. Colony went 24-of-30 in last years's championship win over the Mustangs.

Kara Larson had eight points and seven rebounds for Colony, Alex Coon had seven points and six rebounds, Jackie Hamann and Kaitlyn Klapperich each scored four and Maria Bowker had three. Colony went 1-for-7 from behind the three-point line.

Chugiak shot 35 percent for the game. Liz Meddaugh scored seven points, Emily Watzke scored five, Alyssa Rochon had two and Sam Sweeney scored one.

Alexis Saylor fouled with 1.8 seconds left. Saylor hits first free throw to put Chugiak up 40-36. Saylor hits second free throw. Colony turnover. Chugiak dribbles out the clock and celebrates the school's fourth class 4A title in girls basketball.

Alexis Saylor fouled by Kara Larson with 18.5 to play. Saylor makes both free throws, 39-33 Chugiak. Hamann misses drive with 5 seconds to play, out of bounds to Colony. Maria Bowker hits 3-pointer with 2.4 on the clock. Colony timeout. Chugiak leads 39-36.

Emily Watzke fouled with 30.3 to play. Watzke makes one of two free throws. Grazulis misses on offensive end, rebound Mustangs with 20.2 to go. Jump ball to chugiak.7

Meddaugh steals the ball from Grazulis with 38 seconds to play. Chugiak calls timeout with 31.7 left up 36-33. Knights didn't get off a shot on last offensive posession.

Colony needs a score.

Colony gets defensive rebound. Timeout Knights with 1:11 to play and Chugiak leading 36-33.

Liz Meddaugh goes to the line for Chugiak, drawing the foul on Grazulis. Meddaugh makes one of two, Chugiak gets offensive rebound. 36-33 Mustangs with 2:14 to play.

Grazulis misses three to take the lead with 2:40 to play.

Jackie Hamann fouled on the drive. Chugiak fans upset with the call. Hamann misses both free throws, leaving Chugiak up 35-33 with 3:18 left.

Clifford drive puts Chugiak up 35-31. Grazulis put-back cuts lead to 35-33 with 4:20 to play.

Grazulis made her second free throw, cutting lead to 33-31.

Allie Grazulis fouled inside by Meddaugh, her fourth of the game. Grazulis hits first free throw, timeout called by Chugiak with 4:43 to play and Grazuils with one shot left. Chugiak leads 33-30.

Chugiak goes up 33-29 on a score by Alexis Sayer with 5:20 to play.

Liz Meddaugh scores inside to put chugiak up 31-29 with 6:30 to go.

Kara Larson scores off an inbounds play to tie the game at 29 with 7:00 to play.

Clifford converts 3-point play with 7:14 to play to put Chugiak up 29-27.

Sam Sweeney makes one of two free throws for Chugiak to cut the lead to 27-26 with 7:25 to play.

Allie Grazulis jumper in the lane gives Colony a 27-25 lead with 7:40 to play in the game. It's Colony's first lead since midway through the first quarter.

Colony's Marie Bowker has her 3-pointer blocked at the buzzer. Game is tied heading into the fourth quarter.

Chugiak's Lindsay Murphy travels with 56 seconds left in the quarter. Klapperich travels with 32 seconds left.

Kara Larson scorees on a step-through to tie the game at 25-25 with 1:20 left.

Colony calls timeout with Knights struggling to get the ball up court against Chugiak's press. 1;46 left in the 3rd quarter, 25-23 Chugiak.

Jackie Hamann scores down low for Colony, 25-23 Mustangs with 2:15 to go.

Knights miss lay-up, Chugiak gets bucket inside from Alexis Sayer. 25-21.

Chugiak in a zone press.

Jump ball to Colony stops the clock with 3:29 in the quarter.

Meddaugh and Coon traded baskets inside to make it 23-21 Chugiak with 4:00 left in the quarter.

Colony missed its first three shots of the second half before Coon scored and was fouled by Liz Meddaugh down low. Coon missed the free throw, Chugiak leads 21-19 with 4:30 to go.

Clifford slices through the defense to put Chgiak up 21-17 with 6:00 to go.

Sophomore Kaitlyn Klapperich, senior Allie Grazulis and senior Kara Larson each have a team-high four points for the Knights through the first two quarters. Senior Alex Coon as three and senior Jackie Hamann has two. Larson and Grazulis each have a game-high four rebounds for the Knights, who are shooting just 25 percent in the first half.

Lorrie Clifford has a game-high nine for Chugiak. Emily Watzke has four points, while Alyssa Rochon, Liz Meddaugh and Alexis Sayer have two each.

Klapperich hits two free throws with 11.5 seconds left to make it 19-17 Chugiak. The Mustangs get a good look at one more shot, but Clifford's jumper rims out, and the Knights grab the rebound at the buzzer.

Lorrie Clifford converted a steal into a bankied-in jumper with 51 seconds to play to give the Mustangs a 17-15 lead. Chugiak converted another steal into two Emily Watzke free throws to go up 19-15 with 30 seconds to play.

Allie Grazulis ties the game with 1:38 to go, 15-15.

Alyssa Rochon scores on the fast break with 2:10 left for a 15-13 lead. Colony crowd wanted a traveling call but didn't get it.

Chugkai ties the game on a drive by Clifford with 2:29 left.

Emily Watzke hits a jumper to make it 13-11 with 3:00 to go.

Klapperich scores on backdoor cut, pass from Coon. Colony leads 13-9 with 3:10 left.

Lorrie Clifford hits two free throws to cut Colony's lead to 11-9. Chugiak picking up a three-quarter court press.

Chugiak calls timeout with 4:38 in the second quarter. Colony leads 11-7.

Coon with a steal on the defensive end. Colony turns the ball over on a traveling call on Klapperich. 5:05 to go.

Hamann hits a long two-pont jumper at the 6:20 mark to put Colony up 11-7.

Jackie Hamann fouled Lori Clifford, Clifford missed both free throws.

END OF FIRST QUARTER. COLONY LEADS 9-7

Liz Meddaugh scores inside for Chugiak to cut the lead to 9-7, Chugiak's first basket in five minutes.

Coon made one free throw to give Colony a 9-5 advantage with 1:30 to play. Chugiak has missed a number of lay-ups inside.

Maria Bowker and Maci eisenhower in for the Knights. Coon is fouled and heading to the free throw line.

Alex Coon scored on a nifty post move to put Colony up 8-5. Coon then took a charge on Lorrie Clifford to give the Knights the ball heading into the media time-out at the 3:04 mark.

Allie Grazulis made two free throws, cutting Chugiak's lead to 5-3 with 5:27 left. Chugiak turned the ball over on a travel, and Larson converted on the offensive end end to give Colony its first lead at 6-5 with 4:30 to play.

Kara Larson got the Knights on the board with a lay-up inside with 5:30 to go.

Alexis Sayer drove to the basket and scored to give the Mustangs a 5-0 lead.

Lorrie Clifford hit a 3-pointer to give Chugiak a 3-0 lead at the 7:00 mark.

Kara Larson won the tip for Colony. Alex Coon has shot blocked, jump ball to Chugiak, 7:46.

Starting line-ups:

COLONY KNIGHTS (25-2) 10 Jackie Hamann, Sr. G; 11 Tara Garrod, Sr G; 24 Allie Grazulis, Sr. F; 31 Alex Coon, Sr F; 34 Kara Larson, Sr. F

CHUGIAK MUSTANGS (23-3) 10 emily Watzke, Jr. G; 15 Liz Madoff, Sr, F; 4 Lindsay Murphy, Sr. G; 21 Alexis Sayer, Jr. G/F; 23 Lorrie Clifford, 23 Sr., F

Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. The Knights won in overtime last year by a score of 49-45. Alex Coon led Colony last year with 17 points in the title game, including 6-for-6 from the free throw line in overtime.

The Knights have won four state titles, all under head coach Don Witzel, who took over the Colony program in 1994. Colony won its first state title that season, a 62-38 victory over East Anchorage.

A win tonight would tie the Kinghts with the T-Birds for the most girls' titles in Alaska history at five.

Chugiak has won three state 4A titles in girls' basketball, the last coming in 2003.

Colony has eight returning seniors from last year's team, while Chugiak features a squad with only three seniors but six juniors.