Colony girls surge to win

WASILLA — The Colony Knights didn’t have a field goal during the fourth quarter, but did just enough at the free throw line to come away with a 38-37 Northern Lights Conference win over Wasilla at Wasilla High Tuesday night.

Colony was 8 for 8 from the free throw line in the fourth, and Ashley Turcotte hit a pair from the stripe with 13 seconds left in regulation to help cement the win for the Knights.

Senior Jennifer Solano scored a game-high 15 points to help Colony improve to 3-2 in NLC play. More than half of her points came during a crucial stretch for the Knights early in the second half. After trailing by 23-13 at halftime, Colony used a Solano-led run to tie the game in the third quarter. Solano scored eight of her points during that Colony 10-point run. She started with a pair of baskets early in the second half and tied the game at 23 with a short jumper at the 2:06 mark of the third.

Colony also held Wasilla scoreless for more than six minutes in the third. Wasilla senior Shayla Johnson hit a deep three-pointer with 1:50 left in the period to give Wasilla its first points of the third. That bucket also gave the Warriors the 26-23 lead. McKenzie LaBuda followed with a jumper to give Wasilla the 28-23 advantage, but Colony answered with a five-point run capped by an Izzy Tweed three-pointer that tied the score at 28.

Johnson hit another three-pointer late in the third, and Wasilla took a 31-28 lead into the fourth quarter.

Colony’s 17 point-third quarter followed a 17-point second-quarter effort by the Warriors. Colony led 10-8 early in the second before Cassidy Edwards went to the basket to tie the score at 10. The Edwards points sparked the Warriors, who ended the second quarter on a 13-3 run. Edwards scored eight of her team-high 10 points during the second quarter. Amanda Hutchins also added a key three-pointer.

Colony used its 8 for 8 effort at the line to win the game in the fourth. The Knights also held Wasilla to a pair of field goals and one trip to the free throw line during the final quarter.

Solano shot 50 percent from the floor and was 3 of 4 from the free throw line en route to her 15-point effort. Tweed was 4 of 4 at the line and scored 10. Colony was a combined 12 of 14 at the free throw line.

Tweed also added a game-high six rebounds.

Edwards and Hutchins scored 10 points each for Wasilla. Edwards also grabbed six rebounds.

Colony girls 38, Wasilla 37

Tuesday, Wasilla High School

Colony 9-4-17-8—38

Wasilla 6-17-8-6—37

Colony (38) — Farris 2 2-2 6, Tweed 2 4-4 10, Turcotte 0 3-4 3, Solano 6 3-4 15, Bonn 2 0-0 4; Totals: 12 12-14 38.

Wasilla (37) — LaBuda 2 0-0 5, Johnson 3 0-0 8, Hutchins 3 3-7 10, Dinkel 2 0-0 4, Edwards 5 0-0 10; Totals: 15 3-8 37.

3-point field goals: Colony 2 (Tweed 2), Wasilla 4 (Johnson 2); Total fouls: Colony 14, Wasilla 18.