Early run leads Warriors to win

JEREMIAH BARTZ/ Sports Editor

WASILLA - Forwards Megan Stearman and Anne Wesser combined for 39 points and Wasilla never trailed in a 64-39 win over the Colony Knights at Wasilla High School on Tuesday.

Wesser scored a game-high 20 points and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. Stearman added 19 points.

The Warriors (4-1) jumped out to a 12-0 lead in the contest, not allowing a Colony basket until just more than five minutes into the first period.

"We started quick in both the first and third quarters, then we just maintained," Wasilla head coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax said. "We got to a certain point and we just got into a stalemate. We just kept going back and forth. That's what it kind of felt like to me."

Wasilla used its defensive pressure to create plenty of opportunities on the offensive end.

"That was our main concentration, being intense on defense -taking away their options on offense," Hebert-Truax said.

Even in the absence of one of their better defensive weapons, guard and co-captain Jamie Brown, the Warriors were still able to create numerous Colony turnovers. Hebert-Truax said Ashley Semler and Ayla Brown stepped in to help fill the void left by Jamie Brown.

Wasilla was able to convert steals into easy fastbreak baskets - Semler converted two steals into quick fastbreak baskets late in a 20 point first quarter - and feed the Warrior post

players.

"That's the biggest thing we saw, the guards getting the ball to my post and the post setting up in the position where they could get the ball right to the basket," Hebert-Truax said.

Sarah Walsh led the Knights (2-7) with 16 points.

Walsh scored seven in the fourth quarter.

Both Colony and Wasilla are on the road in Fairbanks this weekend. Colony takes on Lathrop tonight and West Valley Saturday. Wasilla is at West Valley tonight and Lathrop Saturday.