Colony boys, girls fall in state semifinals

ANCHORAGE — At one point, the Colony Knights appeared to be closing in. Moments later West Valley used a large run to close the door on the Knights bid to return to the 4A state title game for the second straight year.

Undefeated West Valley capped the game on a 16-0 run, and scored a 50-32 victory over the Knights during the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Basketball Championships semifinal round Friday afternoon at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage.

Knights senior Faith Farris knocked down a three-pointer with 6 minutes and 24 seconds left in regulation to cut West Valley’s lead to 34-32. But that would mark Colony’s final points of the night.

Five different scorers combined for West Valley’s final 16 points, which cemented the team’s spot in the 4A title game for the first time since 2012. West Valley will face Dimond, which beat Ketchikan in the semifinals, Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at the Sullivan Arena.

Colony, meanwhile, drops into the 4A third-place game for the fourth time since 2011. The Knights placed fifth in 2011, and third in both 2012 and 2013. Colony was second last year, finishing as the runner-up to Kodiak. The Knights competed in their fifth straight state semifinal Friday.

Colony faces Ketchikan Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Sullivan.

West Valley, powered by two-time reigning Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year Ruthy Hebard, built a lead in the first half. Hebard, who finished with 23 points and 24 rebounds in the contest, had 10 points and 10 rebounds through the first two quarters.

But despite Hebard’s presence at both ends of the floor, Colony kept within reach during the first three quarters. Seniors Ashley Turcotte and Sarah Bonn each had buckets during the final two minutes of the first half to keep the Knights within two possessions. In the third, West Valley pushed its lead to as much as eight. But the Knights chipped away.

Farris hit a three-pointer with 3:01 left in the third, Sarah Brumbaugh drove to the basket for a layup and Teyah Clark got the rebound and putback late in the third to cut West Valley’s lead to 30-27.

Early in the fourth, a pair of Turcotte free throws brought the Knights within two. The Farris three at the 6:24 mark cut the deficit back to a pair. After Farris cut West Valley’s lead to 34-32, West Valley used three jump shots (two by Teresa Sample and another by Amber Szmyd) ballooned West Valley’s lead back to eight.

Farris led the Knights with 14 points in the loss. Turcotte added seven and Bonn chipped in six. Bonn also had five rebounds.

East boys finish big against Knights

The East Anchorage Thunderbirds turned a seven-point game into a 20-point victory Friday night. The T-Birds used a 20-7 fourth-quarter run to score a 57-37 win over Colony during the 4A boys state semifinals at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage.

Desmond Johnson scored 18 points to lead East to its first state title game since the T-Birds won it all in 2013. The Knights dropped into the third-place game for the third straight year. Colony finished third in both 2013 and 2014. East will play Cook Inlet Conference rival West for the 4A title Saturday at 8 p.m. Colony meets Service in the third-place game Saturday at 10:40 a.m. at the Sullivan.

East’s nine three-pointers proved to be a difference. Johnson and Moses Miller hit a trio of threes each. Both teams had low shooting percentages. Colony shots 28 percent (11 of 38) in the game, while East shots 27 percent (15 of 55).

East also benefited from 15 steals.

Colony outrebounded East 38-31.

Senior Tucker Looney led the Knights with 11 points. Senior Ethan Selmer had seven points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Bailey West added a pair of three-pointers and scored 10.