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PALMER — At the end of the first quarter Tuesday, there were as many combined points and combined fouls.
Colony held the slim 7-5 lead, and each squad had been tagged with a half-dozen team fouls during the first eight minutes of play.
With the game where it stood, it didn’t take long for Colony head coach Jeff Bowker to go to his bench.
Deep on his bench.
Ten different players saw time in the firs half, and six different Knights scored in a Colony 19-point second quarter that helped the Knights earn a 49-26 win over the Palmer Moose at Colony High.
“We were able to rely on that. They played the whole second quarter and we were able to extend the lead,” Bowker said of his depth and reserves off the bench. “It’s a nice luxury to have. When things aren’t going or you are in foul trouble, you have that flexibility.”
Seven of the 10 Knights were saw action in the first half had at least two points. Underclassmen Kali Bull and Elaine Watson combined for 10 points off the bench in the second quarter. Bull hit a pair of three-pointers. Watson was 4 for 4 from the free throw line.
Rebounding was also key for the Knights. Ella Smith used a pair of rebound-and-putbacks to score four of her nine points in the second frame.
Bowker said the Knights had 14 more rebounds than Palmer in the win.
“It didn’t matter who we had out there. We rebounded the ball,” Bowker said.
Smith, Haylee Duguid and Amanda Smith led Colony’s well-rounded scoring attack with nine points each. Abriana Busbey led Palmer with eight points. Emma Uschmann added seven, and was 5 of 9 from the free throw line.
Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.
Colony girls 49, Palmer 26
Tuesday, Colony High
Palmer 5-8-8-5—26
Colony 7-19-9-14—49
Palmer (26) — Busbey 1 5-5 8, Suaava 1 1-2 3, Sutton 1 0-0 2, Uschmann 1 5-8 7, Alley 2 0-0 4, Dixon 1 0-0 2; Totals: 7 11-15 26
Colony (49) — Duguid 3 1-1 9, Watson 0 4-4 4, A. Smith 3 2-2 9, Bull 2 0-0 6, Steiner 2 0-0 4, E. Smith 4 1-2 9, Simpson 0 2-2 2; Totals: 14 9-11 49.
3-point field goals: Palmer 1 (Busbey 1); Colony 5 (Bull, Duguid 2); Total fouls: Palmer 13, Colony 12
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