Defending state champs facing midseason adversity

WASILLA — The 4A girls’ defending state champions have run into midseason adversity.

There’s been illness, which continues to run through the team and coaching staff.

There’s been injury. Wasilla lost a key senior, Willow Drorbaugh, to a season-ending knee injury.

And there’s been defeat. Wasilla suffered its first loss of the season to an in-state rival last week.

But the Warriors are powering through.

Following a 65-48 loss to Chugiak during the semifinal round of the Dimond Lady Lynx Classic Feb. 10, the Warriors have put together consecutive wins against a pair of Valley rivals. Wasilla gutted out a 33-24 win over Colony in the third-place game of the Dimond tourney Feb. 11. Wasilla improved to 7-0 in Northern Lights Conference play with a 66-43 victory over Palmer on Tuesday.

Illness started running through the team after Wasilla lost Drorbaugh to a season-ending knee injury during a road trip to Barrow in January. The Warriors were also without standout guard Olivia Davies during the win over Palmer. Wasilla head coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax said the Warriors simply have not had a chance to adjust to being without the key players.

“We’ve been waiting to get into the gym to practice how to adapt to the change,” Hebert-Truax said.

Drorbaugh was the first person off Wasilla’s bench and a key part of the team’s game plan. Hebert-Truax said not having Drorbaugh and Davies contributed to her team’s slow start during the win over Palmer. Wasilla didn’t get its first points until the 3:40 mark of the first quarter.

Wasilla was held scoreless for the first 4:20 of play, but capped the first quarter with a 14-2 run in the win. Palmer held a slim 2-0 lead early, before Azlynn Brandenburg supplied the first bucket of the game for the Warriors, a three-pointer with 3:40 left in the first quarter.

Five different Warriors combined for the 14 points during the late first-quarter run, and Brandburg scored a dozen of her game-best 16 points to help Wasilla build a 26-13 halftime lead.

“Kids had to step up,” Hebert-Truax said.

Catherine Baham also scored a game-high 16 for the Warriors. Eleven of her 16 came in the third quarter.

Mallory Wheeler added 13 second-half points for the Warriors.

Palmer was held to single digits in scoring in each of the first three quarters, and scored 22 of its 43 points in the fourth.

Abriana Busbey led Palmer with a dozen.

Wasilla’s loss to Chugiak last week was its first against a non-Alaska team this season. It’s only other loss came to Sierra Canyon, a team from California, in the Doc Larson Roundball Classic championship game in January. Hebert said she believes illness played a factor in the result, but doesn’t discount the Mustangs.

“Don’t get me wrong, they have a good team. They have about three players who know what to do and role players who stepped up and did their job,” Hebert-Truax said. “But I don’t think we were at our peak 100 percent.”

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

Wasilla girls 66, Palmer 43

Tuesday, Wasilla High School

Palmer 4-9-8-22—43

Wasilla 14-12-21-19—66

Palmer (43) — Busbey 4 3-9 12, Kinter 0 1-2 1, Bowman 2 0-0 5, Suaava 4 2-2 11, Uschmann 4 1-2 9, Alley 2 1-2 5; Totals: 16 8-17 43.

Wasilla (66) — Obermski 1 0-0 3, Baham 6 0-0 16, Kelly 1 0-0 2, Brandenburg 5 3-5 16, Wheeler 4 5-6 13, Dinkel 2 8-10 12, Green 2 0-0 4; Totals: 21 16-22 66.

3-point field goals: Palmer 3 (3 with 1), Wasilla 8 (Baham 4); Total fouls: Palmer 19, Wasilla 14.