Knights sweep team titles at Lathrop tourney

PALMER — Earlier this season, as Jeff Bowker discussed his team, the Colony girls’ basketball head coach listed a few players who are expected to move into more prominent roles with the Knights this season.

Kali Bull is one of the players Bowker noted.

And Bull is answering Bowker’s call.

Bull scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Knights to a 65-43 win over host Lathrop during the championship game of the Joe T. Classic basketball tournament Jan. 13 at Lathrop High School. Bull hit five three-pointers for the Knights, who outscored Lathrop 40-22 in the second half. The Knights capped the game on a 20-9 run.

Senor Alex Carlton, who was named MVP of the tournament, added 15 points for the Knights,

Colony swept the team titles at the tournament, named for the late Joe Tremarello, a Fairbanks basketball legend who died in 2012. In the boys’ championship, Colony outlasted host Lathrop 53-51.

Colony senior Will Freeman, the tournament’s boys’ MVP, scored 16 in the win.

The Joe T Classic marked the second tournament team title for the Colony boys this season. The Knights also beat rival Wasilla to win the championship at the Doc Larson Roundball Classic at Wasilla High in December.

Both Colony squads finished 3-0 in the three-day round-robin tournament. Earlier in the tournament, the Colony girls beat Thunder Mountain 69-41. Carlton led the Knights with 16 points. Freshman Tori Schwantes added 14. In the tourney opener, Schwantes posted a game-high dozen points during a 54-17 victory over Monroe Catholic.

The Colony boys also beat Thunder Mountain 50-45. Colony edged Monroe Catholic, the 2017 3A runner-up Monroe Catholic, 75-73 in overtime. Sophomores Wyatt Baker and Colton Spencer combined for six points in the extra period.

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