Colony boys move into NLC title game, state tourney

WASILLA — It’s good to play with a chip on your shoulder.

That’s a lesson Colony forward Nathan Umbarger seems to have taken to heart after leading the Knights with 16 points and 13 rebounds in a gritty 53-43 win over Kenai Central Friday in the Northern Lights Conference Championships semifinals at Wasilla High School. The win vaulted the Knights into Saturday’s title game and earned them a spot in the state tournament.

The win was also a little payback for the junior post, Colony head coach Tom Berg said after the game. That’s because Kenai’s 6-foot-6 center Shane Spalding “had a terrific game against us” in a Kardinals 3-point overtime win over the Knights in the regular season.

“Nate is probably a little undersized, but he works his ever-loving butt off,” Berg said. “When we played them down at their place, Spalding was great, and Nate took that personally. So, he went out there and did a tremendous job tonight.”

Spalding led the Kardinals with 14 points Friday, but was held to just seven rebounds, only one off the offensive glass. Umbarger not only out-rebounded the taller Spalding, he also helped spark a stingy defense that shut down a senior-laden Kenai squad, Berg said.

While Umbarger was the catalyst, he had plenty of help from Damien Fulp, who chipped in 14 points, Jared Turner’s 9 points and Wyatt Peltier with 8.

Berg credited the win to playing 32 minutes of hard-fought team defense, but it wasn’t until the second quarter that the Kights established control.

Led by strong play under the basket by Spalding, the Kards ripped off eight quick points to take an early 11-4 lead, and expanded that to nine points, 18-9, about six minutes into the game. Kenai finished the first leading 19-13 and seemed poised to wear down the Knights.

That’s when the Colony defense found another gear, holding the Kards to just three points. Coupled with a 12-0 run going back to the end of the first, the Knights were in control with a 30-22 lead at halftime. Kenai was nearly held to a goose-egg, as it wasn’t until Bo Reilly hit a 15-foot jumper from the right side of the key with 1:02 left that ended the Kardinals’ drought.

“We haven’t come out the last couple of games in the manner we want to defensively,” Berg said. “But we’re starting to figure out we’ve got to grind it out in the games, and it’s not won in the first quarter, it’s won over the course of 32 minutes. I take my hat off to (my team) for digging in and doing what they’re supposed to do.”

Colony’s enveloping defense may have turned the tide in the second quarter, but that didn’t stop Kenai from making a push, cutting the Colony lead to as little as four points on several occasions. Then with a little over six minutes to play in the game, the Kards closed the gap to a single basket, 38-36, on a strong inside move from Spalding.

That’s when Turner hit the biggest shot of the game, nailing a three-pointer with 5:41 left and giving Colony just enough cushion to hold on at 41-36. A flurry of fouls and free throws in the final minutes rounded out the scoring.

“Our intensity was the difference today, I think,” Berg said, adding the second quarter effort was impressive because a pair of starters were out of the game with foul trouble at the time. “We did that with Hunter (Eisenhower) and Timmy Smith on the bench. Wyatt Peltier played out of his mind, and it was those guys digging in that allowed us to be successful.”

Friday’s win was satisfying, Berg said, but not the pinnacle of Colony’s season.

“We’re going to state,” he said. “That’s a big deal for us, because we missed it last year.”

Contact reporter Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.

Colony boys 53, Kenai 43

Friday, Wasilla High School

Kenai 19-3-8-13—43

Colony 13-17-6-17—53

Kenai (43) — Spalding 6 2-2 14, Reilly 3 5-6 12, Hayes 3 4-6 11, Hull 0 6-11 6. Totals: 12 17-25 43.

Colony (53) — Umbarger 5 5-5 16, Fulp 4 4-6 14, Turner 2 4-4 9, Peltier 3 2-2 8, Eisenhower 1 2-5 4, Smith 1 0-0 2. Totals: 16 17-22 53.

Three-point field goals: Kenai 2 (Reilly, Hayes), Colony 4 (Fulp 2). Total fouls: Kenai 20, Colony 15.