Colony girls enjoy late push, but fall short of fourth

ANCHORAGE —The Colony Knights weren’t going to go out without a fight.

Colony scored 16 points during the final three minutes of regulation, but West Valley held on for a 55-44 win during the fourth-place game of the ASAA/First National Bank 4A State Basketball Championships Wednesday at Sullivan Arena in Anchorage.

“They were not wanting to give up,” first-year Colony head coach Tom Lincoln said of his players. “They’re a fighting team. That’s kind of what we’ve seen all season.”

Freshman Mary Klapperich scored 11 of her team-high 13 points during that stretch. Klapperich hit a trio of three-pointers and a late jumper, and senior Megan Bowker added another three-pointer.

Junior Kate Klapperich, who collected 11 points in the game, sparked the Knights’ 16-point fourth-quarter surge when she went to the basket for a score. Before the Kate Klapperich bucket, West Valley led by 19. The late effort allowed Colony to cut West Valley’s lead to single digits, but the Wolfpack did just enough at the free-throw line — shooting 6-of-12 during the final two minutes — to spoil the Knights’ hopes of a rally.

“They went out with a fight, which is good,” Lincoln said. “They’re not just going to lay down and give up.”

West Valley opened the game on a 12-0 run, holding the Knights scoreless until Mary Klapperich put Colony on the scoreboard with a long jumper with 2:24 left in the first. Colony managed only seven points in the first and six in the second, off 25 percent first-half shooting.

“We’ve seemed to always have that tough first quarter and then have to play catch up,” Lincoln said.

Three West Valley players scored in double digits and helped the Wolfpack prevent the Knights from catching up. Senior Megan Hinzman and junior Jasmine Yarde scored 13 points each. Freshman Hannah Mattson added 12 points and seven assists.

With the win, West Valley placed fourth in the tournament, while Colony finished sixth. Lincoln said his young Knights squad could be proud of finishing as one of the top six teams at the 4A level.

“We came in (to the tournament) ranked sixth and we went out ranked sixth. I’m pleased with that,” Lincoln said. “It would have been nice to get fourth and move up a little bit, but I think most people thought we weren’t going to do much this year. We went out, made state and took sixth. It’s a big accomplishment for our girls.”

The 2009-10 season marked a new era for Knights girls’ basketball. Lincoln replaced longtime head coach Don Witzel, who retired after posting more than 300 wins and four state titles during his storied career on the Knights sideline. Lincoln’s players also had the task of filling the void left by eight graduated seniors who led the Knights to consecutive state title games. But despite the losses, Lincoln’s squad — which included only three players who touched the floor during a varsity game last year — won eight Northern Lights Conference regular-season games and finished as the runner-up in the NLC tournament. Colony will also only graduate a pair of seniors, Bowker and forward Amanda Booth. Lincoln said the experience gained during the 2010 tourney will pay dividends in the future.

“We’re excited,” Lincoln said. “The future is bright.”

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

West Valley 55, Colony 44

4A girls’ third-place game

Wednesday, Sullivan Arena

Colony 7-6-13-18—44

West Valley 14-8-14-19—55

Colony (44) — M. Klapperich 5 0-0 13, Hutchins 3 1-2 9, K. Klapperich 4 2-3 11, Bowker 3 0-0 8, Forstner 1 0-0 2; Totals: 16 4-7 44.

West Valley (55) — Mackey 3 3-8 9, Mattson 3 6-10 12, Brice 1 0-0 2, Phillips 2 2-4 6, Yarde 5 2-3 13, Hinzman 4 5-7 13; Totals: 18 18-32 55.

3-point field goals: Colony 8 (M. Klapperich 3), West Valley 1 (Yarde 1); Rebounds: Colony 28 (M. Klapperich 5), West Valley 34 (Hinzman 9); Assists: Colony 10 (K. Klapperich 5), West Valley 12 (Mattson 7); Total fouls: Colony 21, West Valley 9; Fouled out: Colony- Hutchins.